Data Registers Service - REST API

Use this API to access a wide range of live lists of reference data with our Data Registers Service which includes historic data. Each register is managed by a custodian across a range of organisations. In each case, they represent the approved version of that data. 

Examples of these data registers include:

• organisation codes
• postcodes
• diagnosis codes

You can see what data registers are available using our data registers tool.

If you're looking for richer functionality from a data source, such as being able to test data validity, extract a subset or map data across different schemas then take a look at our Terminology Server - FHIR API - the terminology server provides a richer view of the SNOMED data set only. This also conforms to the international FHIR standards for its APIs.

If your use case requires historical, point-in-time snapshots of reference data, they are available either from this API or the TRUD API.

This API can only be used to support the delivery of health and social care.

The following APIs are related to this one:

• Organisation Data Service - FHIR API - use this to search a national repository of NHS Organisation Reference Data using a FHIR or an ORD interface

• Organisation Data Service - ORD API - use this API to access details of health and social care organisations in England and Wales, such as trusts or GP practices, using our Organisation Data Service (ODS)

• Technology Reference Update Distribution (TRUD) - use this API to automate the download of Technology Reference Update Distribution (TRUD) release files
• Terminology server API - use this API to retrieve content from the Terminology Server

This API is retired and not available for use.

If you have any concerns, contact us.

This API is a bronze service, meaning it is operational and supported only during business hours (8am to 6pm), Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.

For more details, see service levels.

This API is a REST API.

For more details, see Basic REST.

This API is available on the internet and, indirectly, on the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN).

For more details, see Network access for APIs.

This API is open-access, which means:

• we do not authenticate or authorise the calling application

• we do not authenticate or authorise the end user - they might not even be present

We generally use open-access APIs for public data, where security is not a concern. Our open-access APIs are generally RESTful APIs. For more details on how to access them, see our open-access REST API tutorial.

The base URL is for the production environment.  There are no test or integration environments.  

You should use the production environment for early developer testing, formal integration testing and production use.

This API is open-access, and there is no onboarding process or assurance required.

API user endpoints have been retired.