For private hospitals, surgical centres, and inpatient medical facilities. Used by both NHS-contracting private providers and standalone independent hospitals.
SIC codes for healthcare and medical services
The healthcare SIC codes in UK SIC 2007 cover clinical practice rather than residential or social care. Six codes in division 86 (Human health activities) handle the full clinical spectrum: hospitals, medical nursing homes, GP practices, specialist consultants, dental practices, and a catch-all for other health professionals like physiotherapists, opticians, and chiropractors. The right code depends mostly on whether the practice is general or specialist and whether it provides inpatient services. GP practices register 86210. Consultants incorporating to bill privately register 86220. Dental practices use 86230, and hospitals or surgical centres use 86101. Allied health professionals — physios, podiatrists, audiologists, chiropractors — fall under 86900. Multi-disciplinary clinics typically pair a primary clinical code with 86900 for activities that sit outside their lead specialty. The six codes below cover the clinical healthcare space.
SIC codes clinical healthcare practices typically choose
For nursing facilities providing continuing inpatient medical care under clinical supervision. Distinct from the 87xxx residential care codes: 86102 is clinical, not social.
The default code for GP practices and primary-care clinics. Used by NHS partnerships, private GP companies, and out-of-hours service providers.
For consultant-led practices in specialist disciplines: cardiology, oncology, dermatology, psychiatry, and so on. Often registered by consultants who incorporate to bill the NHS or private patients directly.
For NHS, private, and mixed dental practices. Covers general dentistry, orthodontics, and specialist dental work.
Catch-all for health practitioners outside medical and dental: physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, speech therapists, and registered allied health professionals.
Frequently asked questions
Which SIC code should a UK GP practice register?
NHS and private GP practices in the UK register 86210 (General medical practice activities) as their primary SIC code. It covers standard primary-care services delivered by qualified medical practitioners, including face-to-face consultations, prescribing, minor procedures, and referral. Out-of-hours providers and primary-care companies use the same code. GP partnerships organised as LLPs use 86210 as well.
What's the difference between SIC codes 86101 and 86102?
86101 is for hospital activities: inpatient and surgical care delivered in an acute hospital setting, whether NHS-contracting or standalone private. 86102 is narrower and covers medical nursing homes, meaning facilities providing continuing inpatient medical care under qualified clinical supervision rather than acute surgery. The distinction is the nature of care: 86101 is hospital-acute, 86102 is sub-acute medical inpatient. Residential care without continuous medical supervision uses the 87xxx codes instead.
Do allied health professionals like physios use the same SIC code as doctors?
No. Allied health professionals (physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, speech and language therapists, and registered audiologists) register 86900 (Other human health activities). The codes 86210 and 86220 are reserved for medical practitioners. 86900 is the catch-all for regulated clinical practice outside medical and dental. Multi-disciplinary clinics with both medical doctors and allied health staff sometimes register 86210 or 86220 as primary plus 86900 as secondary.