National Health Service Central Register

How is the Register used for Estimating Migration?

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) estimates migration for the purpose of producing population estimates for Scotland and areas within Scotland. Migration is very important because it is the main reason for population change in many parts of Scotland. There is no comprehensive source for measuring migration and the best available information is when people who have migrated register with a new GP. The NHSCR is used to calculate moves between NHS Board areas within the UK, with migration at council area and below estimated using anonymised data from the Community Health Index (CHI).