I am delighted to inform you that we have deployed the technical changes which enable our sorting machines to identify and extract volume using the new NHS barcode.

As we have previously explained, the barcode is designed to mitigate the impact on NHS letters at times of local and national disruption. The process map below presents a high-level overview of the extraction process and its application where required.

As a reminder, customers who post qualifying mail on behalf of the NHS must register their Supply Chain IDs with DSACC if they want to use the new NHS class identifier. Customers can register using the registration form. The NHS option is suitable for urgent letters such as appointment letters and test results sent by Departments of NHS Trusts and Health Boards in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, excluding GPs, care homes, optical and dental practices.

In respect of Mailmark reporting, at least initially, customers using the new NHS barcode will not see the volume in either their PDFs or Mailmark Direct Data reports. We aim to deploy an update to rectify this by the end of August.