Guidance and policy

Guidance and policy

National standards, regulatory requirements, and strategic documents that underpin Scan4Safety implementation across the NHS

National standards and requirements

GS1 Standards in Healthcare 

GS1 global standards provide the unique identification system that underpins Scan4Safety, enabling consistent identification of patients, products, places, and processes across NHS organisations.

NHS Data Standards

  • DCB1077 – Patient wristband identification standard
  • DAPB0108 – NHS data standards for barcoding
  • DCB0129 (for manufacturers) and DCB0160 (for health and care organisations) – Clinical safety standards for health IT systems

Blood Product Standards

  • ISBT 128 – The international standard for medical products of human origin, used in blood product tracking
  • GIAIs and GIAIs for sample management

Regulatory and Compliance Guidance

HSSIB Recommendations 

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body has issued several recommendations related to Scan4Safety adoption and positive patient identification. These include:

Strategic Policy Context