Personal Demographics Service (PDS)

Summary

The Personal Demographic Service (PDS) is the national database containing core patient details, including name, address and NHS number. It is used to verify identity, link care records, support patient communication and enable NHS service management. It is hosted in the cloud to improve integration across health and care organisations.

Controller	NHS Digital
How we use the information (processing activities)	The Personal Demographic Service (PDS) holds the demographic details of users of health and care services in England, including name, address and NHS number. It is used to confirm the identity of patients, link care records, support communications with patients and support management of NHS Services. This data is held on the cloud to enable better integration with health and care organisations and their systems.
Does this contain sensitive (special category) data such as health information?	No
Who are recipients of this data?	Authorised health and care staff. See the data release register for more details.
Is data transferred outside the UK?	No
How long the data is kept	20 years after no longer required
Our lawful basis for holding this data	Legal obligation
Your rights	Be informed Get access to it Rectify or change it Erase or remove it Restrict or stop processing it Move, copy or transfer it Object to it being processed or used Know if a decision was made by a computer rather than a person
How can you withdraw your consent?	Consent not the basis for processing
Is the data subject to decisions made solely by computers? (automated decision making)	No
Where does this data come from?	NHS Organisations providing health and care services
The legal basis for collecting this data	Legal obligation (Direction)

Where NHS Digital uses this data

internal

Personal Demographics Service
The Personal Demographics Service (PDS) is the national master database of all NHS patients in England, Wales and the Isle of Man - holding basic patient details such as name, address, date of birth, contact details, registered GP, nominated pharmacy and NHS number. PDS has a National Back Office for handling data quality.