---
title: "Get capability statement"
method: GET
path: "/metadata"
tags: ["Metadata"]
---

# Get capability statement

`GET /metadata`

### Returns the target endpoints CapabilityStatement 

The sender must initially request the receiver's [CapabilityStatement](https://www.hl7.org/fhir/capabilitystatement.html) (GET /metadata) to establish how to interact with the receivers API (its capabilities). If the receiver does not support BaRS functionality the BaRS API will provide an error response to indicate this and the sender will pursue an alternative workflow. 

A receiver may only implement a subset of the functionality within the standard and the CapabilityStatement will make this clear to a sender. 

What is returned is a server level response to indicate what functionality the target API supports and how to interact with it. This includes its Version, Security, Endpoints and their associated parameters as well as which MessageDefinitions are supported.

Any given endpoint will describe its full capabilities as a client and as a server in response. As the Sender and Receiver roles are interchangeable in certain Application Workflows, all capabilities should be described. 

The BaRS proxy will also respond with its own CapabilityStatement, which can be used as an example, by calling this endpoint and omitting the NHSD-Target-Identifier header.

## Response `200`

Success

## Other responses

- `4XX` — Below are examples of potential HTTP status codes and their associated error codes, which could be returned in the event of a fault. Guidance on error handling within BaRS can be found [here](https://simplifier.net/guide/nhsbookingandreferralstandard/Home/Design/Design--Core#Error-handling). | HTTP status | Error code | Description | | ----------- | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | 400 | SEND_BAD_REQUEST | The API was unable to process the request. | | 400 | REC_BAD_REQUEST | The Receiver has responded stating the message was malformed. | | 401 | SEND_UNAUTHORIZED | The API deemed you unauthorized to make this request. | | 401 | REC_UNAUTHORIZED | The receiver deemed you unauthorized to make request. | | 403 | SEND_FORBIDDEN | Missing or Expired Token. | | 404 | PROXY_NOT_FOUND | No related people exist for given NHS number. | | 404 | REC_NOT_FOUND | Patient record for given NHS number has been invalidated and not superseded by another NHS number. | | 405 | SEND_METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED | HTTP Verb is not correct for this scenario.| | 405 | REC_METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED | Receiver does not allow this.| | 405 | PROXY_METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED | Proxy does not allow this.| | 406 | SEND_NOT_ACCEPTABLE | Senders message had an incorrect content type defined for a response.| | 408 | REC_TIMEOUT | The downstream domain processing has not completed within the configured timeout period. | | 409 | SEND_CONFLICT | | | 409 | REC_CONFLICT | | | 409 | PROXY_CONFLICT | | | 422 | SEND_UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY | Message was not malformed but deemed unprocessable. | | 422 | REC_UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY | Message was not malformed but deemed unprocessable. | | 422 | PROXY_UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY | Message was not malformed but deemed unprocessable. | | 429 | SEND_TOO_MANY_REQUESTS | The user has sent too many requests in a given amount of time| | 429 | REC_TOO_MANY_REQUESTS | The user has sent too many requests in a given amount of time|
- `5XX` — Below are examples of potential HTTP status codes and their associated error codes, which could be returned in the event of a fault. Guidance on error handling within BaRS can be found [here](https://simplifier.net/guide/nhsbookingandreferralstandard/Home/Design/Design--Core#Error-handling). | HTTP status | Error code | Description | | ----------- | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | 500 | REC_SERVER_ERROR | The receiver server has encountered an Error processing the request. | | 500 | PROXY_SERVER_ERROR | Proxy Error. | | 501 | SEND_NOT_IMPLEMENTED | The Request was not recognized. | | 501 | REC_NOT_IMPLEMENTED | The Receiver did not recognize the request. | | 501 | PROXY_NOT_IMPLEMENTED | The Proxy did not recognize the request. | | 503 | REC_UNAVAILABLE | The Receiver was unavailable to service the request.| | 503 | PROXY_UNAVAILABLE | The Proxy was unavailable to service the request. |

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/nhs/apis/booking-and-referral-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/nhs/apis/booking-and-referral-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/nhs/booking-and-referral-api/versions/62e13e4e1370/schema)