On: NHS patient data to be made available for sale to ...

[gmac]

Indeed (for info, for those based elsewhere, a UK postcode covers about 15 households on average).

[rahimnathwani → gmac]

The range is wide, though. I've seen at least one residential postcode which covers just two addresses.

[dalore → gmac]

Do they mean full postcode or just the first part though? Both are called postcodes.

[gmac → dalore]

Good question, but if they mean the first part only then calling it a postcode would be rather sloppy (this ought really to be called a postcode area or district[1]).

On a similar note, it seems ludicrous to provide a full date of birth rather than the year alone.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcodes_in_the_United_Kingdom...