# File 1 Formatting Table >Last modified: 24 Jul 2026
Variable names, formats and values to include in File 1s.

**Table 3: File 1 formatting specification (multiple rows per individual)** | Order | Field Name | Data Type | Description & values | |---:|---|---|---| | 1




| STUDY_ID




| varchar(50)




| Unique per participant
Relate to the same person when used in File 2
Same for each row of data for each individual
Same for each individual across subsequent File 1s.
ExplanationUnique LPS-generated identifier (also to feature in 'File 2' attribute data file).| | 2


| ROW_STATUS


| char(1)


| C = Current
H = Historical/Alternative
ExplanationIndicates whether the row of information per participant is the 'current' row of information or a row containing historical or alternative values. | | 3










| NHS_NUMBER










| varchar(10)










| Preferrably new NHS ID format, but old NHS ID is preferred to no NHS ID.
Where LPS have 'Community Health Index' (CHI) number leave this null and instead populate NHS_S_Study_Number (field 22) with CHI.
Include each known NHS ID as a separate row of information. The NHS ID which is likely to be most accurate should be included in the 'current' row. Leave null if not known or if inclusion is not permitted by your DSA.
Explanation NHS number, formatted with no spaces. This should only be provided if the LPS’s DSA with NHSE permits onward sharing of NHS IDs. See [Appendix B](../appendix/b_nhs_dsas.md) for more information. | | 4

| SURNAME

| varchar(255)

| Provide current name in 'current' row
Provide previous name(s) in separate rows of historical data | | 5

| FORENAME

| varchar(255)

| Provide current name in 'current' row
Provide previous or alternative forename(s) in separate rows of historical data | | 6 | MIDDLENAMES | varchar(255) | Space delimited middle name(s) | | 7



| ADDRESS_1



| varchar(255)



| First line of address.
Provide current value in 'current' row
Provide previous address data (all address fields, postcodes and start/end dates) as separate rows of historical data | | 8 | ADDRESS_2 | varchar(255) | Second line of address | | 9 | ADDRESS_3 | varchar(255) | Third line of address (where available) | | 10 | ADDRESS_4 | varchar(255) | Fourth line of address (where available) | | 11 | ADDRESS_5 | varchar(255) | Fifth line of address (where available) | | 12



| POSTCODE



| varchar(8)



| Postcode, where possible in formal space separated format, i.e.
4 & 3 = "YYYY ZZZ"
3 & 3 = "YYY ZZZ"
2 & 3 = "YY ZZZ" | | 13



| ADDRESS_START
_DATE


| varchar(10)
dd/mm/yyyy


| If not known leave as null.
For partial information use '00' where not known. E.g., if month and year are known, include '00' for day, e.g. 00/01/1988.
ExplanationThe (best available estimate) date the participant moved into this addresss | | 14





| ADDRESS_END
_DATE




| varchar(10)
dd/mm/yyyy




| Leave as null if current address
For partial information use '00' where not known. E.g., if month and year are known, include '00' for day, e.g. 00/01/1988.
Use 00/00/0000 where you do not know the date but do know it is not the current address.
ExplanationThe (best available estimate) date the participant left this addresss | | 15


| DATE_OF_BIRTH


| varchar(10)
dd/mm/yyyy

| If not known leave as null
For partial informaton, use '01' where the day is not known. E.g., if only month and year are known, include '01' for day, e.g. 01/05/1988. | | 16

| GENDER_CD

| char(1)

| 1=male, 2=female, 7=other, 8=unspecified, 9=unknown
Explanation Current gender (where recorded separately from 'sex') | | 17

| CREATE_DATE

| varchar(10)
dd/mm/yyyy
| The date on which the LPS created the file
Do not include 'time' | | 18



| UKLLC_STATUS



| char(1)



| An overall permission flag, which is set to 1, unless a participant should be withdrawn, where it is set to 0 to stop the future use of the participant’s data in the UK LLC TRE and to stop any flows of linked records.
ExplanationThis indicates if a participant is considered active in UK LLC. In an LPS’s first File 1, ALL participants must be active. In subsequent iterations, the flag indicates when a participant has withdrawn consent. | | 19



| NHS_E_Linkage
_Permission


| char(1)



| 1=included
0-identifiers should not be forwarded for linkage to NHS England or other English NHS sources.
ExplanationIf value is set to '1', participants are linked with their English health records (where available).
For data linkage to NHS England, there are two data flows. There is one flow for registry data (e.g. demographics, mortality, cancer) and one flow for all other health records data. Both data flows are controlled by the same permission flag (nhs_e_linkage_permission) in the File 1 sent to DHCW.
| | 20


| NHS_Digital_Study
_Number

| varchar(50)


| Participant’s NHS England flagging ID (MR Study Number)
9=unknown.
ExplanationThis is a study-level identifier assigned by NHS England (previously NHS Digital) where a study has previously linked to NHS England data.
| | 21





| NHS_S_Linkage
_Permission




| char(1)





| 1=included.
0-identifiers should not be forwarded for linkage to Public Health Scotland (PHS).
Additional governance is required for linkage to Scottish Health records. See 'Explanation' for details.
ExplanationIf value is set to '1', participants are linked with their Scottish health records (once these linkages are established)

Additional governance
The NHS Scotland Public Benefit and Privacy Panel (PBPP) for Health and Social Care must undertake its own assessment of LPS's consent and fair processing materials as consent is the only legal basis for linkage to Scottish health records.
The PBPP requires confirmation that a substantial number of LPS participants were recruited from or currently live in Scotland. If your LPS is interested in linkage to Scottish health records, please contact [info@ukllc.ac.uk](mailto:info@ukllc.ac.uk) .
If your LPS has not been assessed by the PBPP, please ensure the NHS_S_Linkage permission flag is set to '0'.
| | 22


| NHS_S_Study
_Number

| varchar(50)


| Participant’s PHS ID
9 = unknown.
ExplanationUnique identifier assigned by Public Health Scotland to a research/data access project | | 23


| NHS_W_Linkage
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1=included
0=identifiers should not be forwarded for linkage to NHS DHCW.
ExplanationIf value is set to '1', participants are linked with their Welsh health records (where available) | | 24


| NHS_NI_Linkage
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1=included
0=identifiers should not be forwarded for linkage to the HSCNI.
ExplanationIf value is set to '1', participants will be linked with their Northern Irish health records (once these linkages are established) | | 25


| NHS_NI_Study
_Number

| varchar(50)


| Participant’s HSCNI BDS ID
9=unknown.
ExplanationUnique identifier assigned to each individual in Northern Ireland (NI) registered within the Health and Social Care system | | 26



| Geocoding_
Permission


| char(1)



| 2=included for full address
1=included for postcode only
0=objects and data should not be forwarded for geocoding to Leicester.
ExplanationIndicates whether address data can be geocoded to property, postcode level, or not at all.
| | 27


| Small_Area
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1=included for LSOA/DZ/SOA or higher
0=objects and data should not be forwarded for linkage to SeRP.
ExplanationPlace-based information can be linked using encrypted Lower Super Output Area (LSOA)/Data Zone (DZ)/ Super Output Area (SOA) and higher-level indicators originating from linked sources.
| | 28


| Environment
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1= included
0= objects and data should not be forwarded for linkage to Leicester/SeRP.
ExplanationUK LLC can link sources of natural and built environment data subject to prior notification via Vanguard/email. | 29


| Property_Level
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1= included
0= objects and data should not be forwarded for linkage to Leicester/SeRP.
ExplanationUK LLC can link sources of property-level data subject to prior notification via Vanguard/email. | | 30


| Multiple_Birth


| char(1)


| 0=Singleton
1=Multiple birth
9=Not known/Missing | | | 31




| National_Opt_Out




| char(1)




| If it is a consented cohort, set this to 0.
0=National Opt Out not applied (set as 0 where explicit consent is in place)
1=National Opt Out is applied (set as 1 where there is no explicit consent in place and Section 251 is used).
ExplanationThis is where LPS using an opt out approach to linkage permissions in England and Wales need to apply the National Opt Out. | | 32


| DFE_Linkage
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1=included
0=identifers should not be included in DFE linkage via ONS
ExplanationParticipants' permissions to link to education records via the Department of Education. | | 33


| DWP_Linkage
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1=included
0=identifers should not be included in DWP linkage via ONS
ExplanationParticipants' permissions to link to employment records via the Department for Work & Pensions. | | 34


| HMRC_Linkage
_Permission

| char(1)


| 1=included
0=identifers should not be included in HMRC linkage via ONS
ExplanationParticipants' permissions to link to tax records via His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC). |