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Clinical guidance on COVID-19 SNOMED codes

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Frequently asked questions

  • Why is NHS Digital issuing this new release now and what will it cover?
    The new SNOMED CT release is required to support COVID-19 and its management. Using consistent coding will will help improve care of individuals now as well as informing research into the best way to manage this virus across the whole population. It is vitally part of the effort to manage and combat the virus that clinicians use these new codes as soon as they are available in your local practice.
  • Are the new codes available in systems now? When should we start using them?
    The 1 April 2020 release has been communicated to all system suppliers.  Some have already implemented them, others will do so in the near future.  The new codes will be made available in appropriate data entry forms and templates as needed. The codes should be used as soon as they are available in your local system – refer to guidance from your system supplier or local management to know when this applies to you.
  • Who does this apply to?
    The guidance applies to all professionals recording COVID-19 related information. The initial focus has been on primary care systems. However, all suppliers have been advised of the requirement to comply with the new codes. If your system supports recording using the new SNOMED CT codes, you should do so.
  • How will data be shared between systems that are on different versions of the codes?
    This can happen today. Unrecognised codes will be stored as free text. NHS Digital are working to look at how any inconsistencies are managed and eradicated over time. It should not cause a problem today.
  • Why are there UK specific Covid-19 SNOMED CT codes? Why not use the international codes?
    For a number of practical and operational reasons the April 2020 release of SNOMED CT will be based on the July 2018 SNOMED International release, which does not contain the international SNOMED CT COVID-19 codes. In order to accommodate additional requirements for COVID-19 management and minimise other change impact, NHS Digital Classifications and Terminologies Delivery Services are recommending making minimal changes to include COVID-19 codes in April 2020. Scheduled changes are planned in October 2020 to phase in merger with SNOMED CT international content and Covid-19 specific content.
  • Does this mean UK data won’t be able to be aggregated with international data for research into the care and treatment of people infected with COVID-19?
    All international COVID-19 codes have counterparts in the April 2020 UK data and so can be aggregated.
  • Will there be other additional releases?
    Additional interim releases to accommodate novel COVID-19 requirements are planned. These will be to support new activities or observations, to manage new challenges specific to later waves of the disease or its recovery phases, or could be to support care in alternative settings
  • How was this list compiled?
    The current set is the result of collaboration (since January 2020) between NHS Digital terminology/clinical staff and representatives of primary care system suppliers (EMIS, TPP, Vision, Microtest), as well as extraction and analysis groups – PRIMIS and The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. There have so far been two ‘phases’ of work: the first produced data that was published in late February – much of this was a reworking of content developed to manage the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic. As the COVID-19 story has developed, more content has been developed to try and keep up (e.g. with aspects relating to transmission suppression) and this is included in the April data.
  • Can changes to the list be suggested?
    The current publishing process means that the current list to be released on April 1st 2020 cannot now be changed. However feedback is always welcome, released content can undergo certain controlled modifications or be withdrawn, and new content can be added for later releases.
  • What happens next?
    Further information and guidance will be provided over the coming weeks as well as new work to set out the plans to enable alignment across the whole health and care system.