In response to the emphasis which is being put on the importance of ethnicity in patient populations and in healthcare, we have created a suite of searches to help practices to identify those patients who do not currently have a correct ethnicity code on their record.


To locate the searches, navigate to the Population Reporting module > Ardens Searches >1.31 Administration - Registration > Info - Ethnicity folder.



The main Ethnicity Searches folder consists of 3 searches and 2 reports, plus a 'Read me' which gives some additional instructions.


The 'read me' explains that the searches may fail to run if all run in a block, due to the sheer volume of data being searched. In order to ensure they can run at all, we have broken the suite into patients with Ethnicity codes for the 2001/2011, patients with other ethnicity codes and patients with no ethnicity on their record.



If you attempt to run the whole folder and if the searches fail to run, please first run each 'search' (the ones with the magnifying glass) and then run the reports. To run the report without re-running the parent search, please click the report and chose 'run':



choose 'Advanced options':



And un-tick 'Re-run parent searches':



You should then be able to run all of them.


The figure in the % column of the 'NO Ethnicity code' search will show you the percentage of patients in the practice with no record of a correct ethnicity code.


BAME Population 

This folder includes a search and report to identify an accurate population for the practices BAME patients and is used further to support in areas such as PCN DES. The report will display the breakdown of patients and the latest ethnicity code recorded. 



Data quality searches FOR REVIEW

This folder includes searches to identify patients whose ethnicity is not clearly recorded, you may want to review these patients:


  • ?Review ethnicity: Ethnicity not specific enough for BAME determination - will include patients where the ethnicity code for the patient is not specific enough to identify the patient in the BAME population e.g. they may be recorded as 'British or mixed British', which does not make it clear if the patient falls within the BAME population.
  • Data quality - ethnicity code absent or latest generic - will include patients where an ethnicity code is not present in their record or where a generic code (top level code) has been used e.g. Ethnic category - 2001 census, you may want to add a more specific ethnicity code.
  • Data quality - previous code useful for BAME determination, latest unclear - will include patients who were previously recorded with a code that identifies them as BAME population, however since then they have been recorded with a code that is not specific for determination e.g. top level code.
  • Data quality - previous useful ethnicity code but latest generic - will include patients who were previously recorded with an accurate ethnicity code but have since been recorded with a more generic code. 


Ardens has also created Ethnicity alerts to identify patients missing a ethnicity code recorded when accessing a patient record. Please see further information here.


Ethnicity Coding (NHSD 2016)

This folder includes a search to identify patients with a valid NHS Digital ethnicy code, along with a breakdown of each ethnicity group.



If you require any further assistance on the process above, please contact Ardens support on: support-emis@ardens.org.uk