In February 2007, the Department of Health published a best practice guidance document
titled “Coding for success” (Simple technology for safer patient care) which advised that, in order
to address patient safety issues, the National Health Service (NHS) should adopt GS1 coding
standards provided to help eradicate patient safety issues in the NHS. This work has been
adopted and driven by NHS Connecting for Health (CFH), the Department of Health’s agency
which is responsible for delivery of the NHS’s “National Programme for IT”. The Automatic
Identity and Data Capture (AIDC) programme has since driven adoption of GS1 UK standards
by over 250 English Trusts operating in many different facets of healthcare.