# Given name in Healthcare Worker API

**URL:** <https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373>\
**Category:** Healthcare Worker API\
**Tags:** fhir\
**Created:** [28 May 2026 16:20 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373 "2026-05-28T16:20:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bob\_Walker](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/bob_walker/32/869_2.png) [@Bob\_Walker](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/Bob_Walker)\
**Post date:** [28 May 2026 16:20 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/1 "2026-05-28T16:20:36Z")

</div>

[https://digital.nhs.uk/developer/api-catalogue/healthcare-worker-fhir#get-/Practitioner](https://digital.nhs.uk/developer/api-catalogue/healthcare-worker-fhir#get-/Practitioner)

The docs given an example of a Practitioner given name as:

```auto
"given": [
    "Jane Allison"
]

```

Is this right? Why is it a list if the names are concatenated into one entry?

For example, my test user (`555276865103`) in the INT CIS2 LDAP has a `givenName` of `Bob`, and a `nhsMiddleNames` of `DSAtestuser`.  
This is returned by the HCW API as:  
`“given”: [`  
` “Bob DSAtestuser”`  
`]`  
which is consistent with the docs, but means I have to do some hoop-jumping to separate the first and middle names and leaves me unsure of what I’ll get for users with multiple middle names.

I can deal with it, I just wanted to confirm the expected behaviour.

Thanks!

Bob

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tony.heap](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/tony.heap/32/47_2.png) [@tony.heap](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/tony.heap)\
**Post date:** [29 May 2026 11:07 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/2 "2026-05-29T11:07:14Z")

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From my memory of testing it in INT, that’s how it works currently. But I agree it’s not great. I will see if we can change it, but I can’t guarantee when that would happen.

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**Author:** ![Kevin\_Mayfield](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/kevin_mayfield/32/473_2.png) [@Kevin\_Mayfield](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/Kevin_Mayfield)\
**Post date:** [3 June 2026 05:52 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/3 "2026-06-03T05:52:47Z")

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Would it be possible to support “text” in the name?

Most of the NHS organisations I’m working with tend to use the name in this format “SURNAME INITIALS” - I think this convention from NHS England via ODS.

Long term I’d like to use this API to lookup the detail of practitioners for us (NHS NW Genomics) and the other NHS organisations we are working with

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tony.heap](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/tony.heap/32/47_2.png) [@tony.heap](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/tony.heap)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2026 13:34 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/4 "2026-06-12T13:34:58Z")

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@Kevin_Mayfield I don’t quite understand what you’re asking for. Can you elaborate?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tony.heap](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/tony.heap/32/47_2.png) [@tony.heap](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/tony.heap)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2026 13:36 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/5 "2026-06-12T13:36:41Z")

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@Bob_Walker This feature has made it onto our backlog. I’ve done the design but I can’t say when it will be delivered yet.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin\_Mayfield](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/kevin_mayfield/32/473_2.png) [@Kevin\_Mayfield](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/Kevin_Mayfield)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2026 17:45 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/6 "2026-06-12T17:45:43Z")

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FHIR has text element which can hold the full name.

 ![Screenshot 2026-06-12 at 18.39.03](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/original/1X/fff59a76435208a00b542bef44095aa0845d76c3.png)

I hoping we will onboard to this API and use this API as the ‘master record’.

So when we use it our use will look something like this

```json
"practitioner" : {
    "reference": "{optional} to healthcare worker API"
    "identifier" : {
      "system" : "https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/Id/gmc-number",
      "value" : "C3456789" <-- {Recommended}
    },
    "display" : "{mandatory} Dr Samuel Darwin" <- text from healthcare worker API???? This
  },

```

We don’t expect any of the Trusts or Laboratories to follow the link to SDS, ODS or this API. The display name and GMP/GMC is code is normally sufficient.

I can easily build this ourselves from Healthcare Worker API but would helpful it it was populated. We’re only doing this in HL7 FHIR e.g. [PractitionerRole C3456789 Example - JSON Representation - NHS North West Genomics v2.0.8](https://nw-gmsa.github.io/PractitionerRole-ee9b8fcc-c233-43e1-b7fb-b58ce4cf1db8.json.html), in other standards e.g. V2 it’s mix of full and surname+given etc.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tony.heap](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/tony.heap/32/47_2.png) [@tony.heap](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/tony.heap)\
**Post date:** [15 June 2026 10:35 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/given-name-in-healthcare-worker-api/12373/7 "2026-06-15T10:35:04Z")

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Hi Kevin,

That makes sense now. I’ve added it to our “user needs” lists.

Although we might need to think about the format - we have an existing “full name” field in the underlying SDS database (the “Cn” field) which is “an unstructured concatenation of some or all of the Person Title, Person Given Name, Person Family Name and Person Name Suffix elements, or other elements that make up a person’s full name.”

So that would be a different format from what you suggest (surname initials).

Also, I note your requirement for professional registration number. That is also on our backlog.