Some branches have subbranches, also know as non-accounting branches. Although there is a strong correlation between BIC Codes and sort codes, sort codes are not explicitly encoded into BIC codes.
A sort code is the name given by both the British and Irish banking industry to the bank codes which are used to route money transfers between banks within their respective countries via their respective clearance organizations. It identifies both the bank, and the branch where the account is held. It identifies both the bank and the branch where the account is held.