A new Digital Firearms Marker will help make firearms licensing safer. The marker will be deployed on 6 Feb 2023 for practices using EMIS Web (EMIS) systems.  

GPs should add the appropriate SNOMED code to a patient’s record when they receive notification of a firearms certificate application or when a certificate is granted. This will now create a Digital Firearms Marker on a patient’s record.  

If a potentially relevant condition of concern is added to their medical record during the application process or after a certificate has been issued, an alert will pop up. The alert will help enable GPs to determine if the police need to be made aware of the new condition. 

NHS Digital has developed the marker in collaboration with the BMA, RCGP, Department for Health & Social Care, and Home Office. It is scheduled for deployment on Cegedim/Vision systems in March 2023. 

Find more information about the marker, the set of conditions, and what to do when an alert pops up.