The National Clinical Coding Qualification is a minimum national standard qualification for clinical coders employed in the NHS. It is designed to support high quality coded clinical data, to recognise competence in the application of national standards, and to value the work of clinical coders.
The Institute for Health Record and Information Management (IHRIM) deliver the National Clinical Coding Qualification (UK) in association with the NHS England, and candidates who pass both practical and theory examination papers are awarded Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC) status. Examinations are held twice yearly, and dates and application deadlines can be found on the IHRIM website.
Accreditation of NHS clinical coders aims to:
Provide recognition of the clinical coding profession.
Support the recruitment and on-going assessment of clinical coding staff.
Give organisations confidence in data quality.
Provide a recognised benchmark.
Support NHS Wales organisations in meeting the targets identified in the National Audit Programme.
Study for the NCCQ is just one part of a curriculum of continuing professional development for clinical coders, both before and after gaining Accredited Clinical Coder status, details of which can be found on our training pages.