The NHS England terminology server

NHS England’s Terminology Server is a cloud based, FHIR-compliant system that stores and manages nationally approved and international clinical codes. It provides a secure, reliable, and scalable way for digital health systems to access these standardised terminologies.

By providing all the NHS relevant terminology in one place through a standard interface, Terminology Server helps ensure different healthcare systems use the same language to record information. This improves consistency, data quality, and interoperability across the NHS.

It includes key clinical terminologies:

• SNOMED CT for clinical terms
• dm+d for medicines and medical devices

It also supports clinical classifications:

• OPCS for procedures
• ICD-10 for diagnoses

All content is maintained under strict editorial controls to ensure accuracy and consistency.

By connecting to the Terminology Server, systems and users can directly access the latest content. It removes the need to build and maintain a separate copy of the terminology.

Additionally, the server offers a syndication server, enabling terminology content to be shared across multiple servers. This makes it easier to distribute local terminologies and collaborate with other organisations.

The terminology server is for systems being used in England. Users of the terminology server include:

• healthcare providers and clinicians
• researchers or data analysts
• healthcare system developers
• system suppliers in the health and social care market
• health informatics professionals
• commissioners of health and social care services
• compliance managers
• health service managers
• terminologists and clinical coders

Other environments

There are other environments for authoring and direct care (production 2). 

There is also a syndication server.

Code systems, value sets and concept maps for a growing number of national and internationally assured terminologies and classifications are included in the NHS England terminology server.

Currently loaded are:

• SNOMED CT current version and previous versions from September 2023
• dm+d including historical versions, GTINs, ingredient strength, historical codes, dm+d links to BNF codes and VTM ingredients
• FHIR® including all published CodeSystems, ValueSets and ConceptMaps
• ICD-10 including historical versions (4.0 and 5.0)
• NICIP codes including historical versions (2017-2020)
• OPCS-4 (4.8, 4.9 and 4.10)
• READ codes (4 byte, V2 and CTV3) including historical versions (2009-2018)

• help users to integrate terminology and value sets seamlessly into your systems
• can convert data models into a FHIR format and check that it can be shared without losing meaning
• users can collaborate on developing new content using communities
• users can create and maintain code systems, value sets, and concept maps without needing to understand complex data models
• systems developed using the terminology server can use the smart search function which helps its users find the content they need
• the server can help users map their local codes to national standards like SNOMED CT with use of its automap function
• users can query terminology content to gain insights that enhance and speed up data analysis

The NHS England terminology server is provided free of charge.

It is strongly recommended for all health and care organisations implementing standards for their systems and services in England.

The use of standards found within the NHS England terminology server is subject to their individual licence agreements which can be found on the TRUD website.

This service is live.

This service is a platinum service, this means it's available and supported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Details of the current status of the service, and any periods of forecast unavailability due to changes, can be found on our supplier-hosted service navigation and status page.

Email: [email protected]
Portal: https://www.support.digitalservices.nhs.uk
Phone: 0300 303 4777
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays)

High severity service incidents

Use this contact information if the system is unavailable or there has been a security breach.

Email: [email protected]
Portal: https://www.support.digitalservices.nhs.uk
Phone: 0300 303 4034

Non-high severity service incidents

Your incident ticket will be reviewed the following working day.

Email: [email protected]
Portal: https://www.support.digitalservices.nhs.uk

Find out about how to use our new support portal, including how to register.

• visit the developer community

• go to NHS National IT Customer Support Portal