Adoption

It is important that practices are aware of the steps that need to be taken when a patient is adopted. Following the process will ensure continued patient care and ensure there isn’t an impact on your practice payments. 

NHS England » Key principles for ensuring continuous health records of adopted children 

• The Personal Demographics Service (PDS) National Back Office (NBO) receives notification from the General Register Office (GRO) of all adoptions in England and Wales. Note that GRO will send this notification after an entry has been made in the Adopted Children’s Register.
• The NBO invalidates the pre-adoptive NHS number on PDS, if it can be identified, and sends the patient’s details (NHS number, name, date of birth and registered GP practice) to PCSE. At the same time the NBO will send a patient removal to the practice which will end the patient’s registration with the practice.
• The NBO allocates a new NHS number with the post-adoptive details as recorded in the adoption order, and sends the details to PCSE (NHS number, name and date of birth).
• PCSE sends the details of pre and post adoptive details to the GP practice. PCSE will email the main contact held for the practice, if available. It is important that all practices maintain up to date contact details in PCSE Online.
• PCSE sends a new patient medical record envelope with the new patient updated details and new NHS number to the GP practice.” 

If you need to submit a query regarding Adoption, please use our dedicated, secure Adoptions online form.

Typically, 5–10 working days from when PCSE receives the NBO notification. 

• PCSE will inform the main contact at the practice that the PDS (Spine) has been corrupted with pre-adoptive details, and that this means that PCSE will raise this to the National Back Office (NBO) to be investigated. 
   
• Depending on the level of corruption, the NBO may allocate a further NHS number and invalidate the number that is showing the pre-adoptive details.  
   
• Once a response is received from NBO, PCSE will contact the practice with the next steps. 

Use the Adoptions & Gender Reassignment online form on the PCSE website. 

You’ll receive an automatic email with a case reference (CAS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX) to confirm the case has been received.  

PCSE aims to respond to cases within 5–10 working days. 

Upon completion of the registration, PCSE will send a new patient medical record envelope with the new patient updated details and new NHS number to the GP practice.  

The patient will receive written notification of the new NHS number.