# Patient Flags Service uses non-existent FHIR resource endpoint

**URL:** <https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/patient-flags-service-uses-non-existent-fhir-resource-endpoint/3745>\
**Category:** General enquiries\
**Tags:** fhir\
**Created:** [20 December 2024 16:38 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/patient-flags-service-uses-non-existent-fhir-resource-endpoint/3745 "2024-12-20T16:38:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@rik](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/rik)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2024 16:38 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/patient-flags-service-uses-non-existent-fhir-resource-endpoint/3745/1 "2024-12-20T16:38:56Z")

</div>

[digital.nhs.uk/developer/api-catalogue/patient-flags-service---fhir-api#get-/PatientFlag](http://digital.nhs.uk/developer/api-catalogue/patient-flags-service---fhir-api#get-/PatientFlag)

There is no such resource as PatientFlag and no such endpoint is allowed.

Also the mime type specified is wrong for FHIR: application/json. It needs to be application/fhir+json

FHIR can be extended in conformant ways, but not in the way proposed.

But is custom behaviour needed?  
This, as proposed: GET /PatientFlag?patient=9449306753

is possible in a FHIR conformant way already by just doing this:  
GET /Flag?patient.identifier=9449306753

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@rik](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/rik)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2024 16:39 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/patient-flags-service-uses-non-existent-fhir-resource-endpoint/3745/2 "2024-12-20T16:39:26Z")

</div>

A working example is here:  
e.g. [https://server.fire.ly/Flag?patient.identifier=9449306753](https://server.fire.ly/Flag?patient.identifier=9449306753)  
(or see this view: [https://vhewer.com/?url=https://server.fire.ly/Flag?patient.identifier=9449306753](https://vhewer.com/?url=https://server.fire.ly/Flag?patient.identifier=9449306753))

If some custom behaviour really is needed (though it seems not), a custom operation would be more appropriate, using the dollar prefix e.g. GET /$PatientFlags

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dunmail](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nhsdigitaldeveloper/user_avatar/developer.community.nhs.uk/dunmail/32/126_2.png) [@dunmail](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/dunmail)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2025 10:42 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/patient-flags-service-uses-non-existent-fhir-resource-endpoint/3745/3 "2025-03-05T10:42:33Z")

</div>

Is anyone from NHS England able to provide feedback on this?

It would be really useful to understand whether the strategy of implementing pseudo-resources such as `PatientFlag` is going to be pursued. This has significant implications for how implementers work with national APIs as they may not be able to use standard FHIR packages.