Format/Length:	max an70
National Codes:
Default Codes:

Notes:
PATIENT NAME is the same as attribute PERSON NAME WORD TEXT.

PATIENT NAME is the preferred name of the PATIENT.

For the Commissioning Data Sets it is necessary to identify whether the PERSON NAME is a PERSON NAME STRUCTURED or PERSON NAME UNSTRUCTURED using the following codes.

1	Structured - two element name, forename followed by surname, each element an35
2	Unstructured - an70
9	Not known: a validation error

The PATIENT's name and ADDRESS should be withheld from any Commissioning Data Set that contains a valid NHS NUMBER.  For further information, see the Security Issues and Patient Confidentiality.

 

This data element is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	PATIENT NAMES