Correctly Entering an Address Practices have reported that addresses continue to reappear on their monthly “not-geocoded” lists. This could be for a number of reasons. The most common reason for an address to not have a quintile value is that it has been entered incorrectly e.g: • •
An incorrect format of address is used (please see below) Other providers have made changes in NES
How it works: Your PMS will have an extension that allows you to check whether an address is geocoded, however NES also has a geocode extension, which runs automatically. An address change in NES will not prompt NHI to need syncing again and therefore you may have an address entered correctly in your PMS and incorrectly in NES. It is important to note that if an address is changed in NES, even a small difference to the formal address could prevent the address from being geocoded in NES.
Please be aware that the following formats will prevent your address from creating a quintile in NES: • • • •
CAPITAL LETTERS Extra words that are not part of the formal address: e.g Flat, apartment name or business name Full stops Postal addresses (only residential addresses can provide a quintile code)
Please ensure that everyone in your team has a clear understanding of entering an address. The PHO will work with practices and external providers to ensure that the importance of entering an address into NES, and its effects is well understood. You can check the correct format of an address by going to the NZ Post Address Finder: https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/address-postcode-finder As you type an address, known addresses will appear. These are the correct formats of the address and the only address formats that will produce a quintile value.