Registering with a Doctor
Once you have found a practice that is willing to register you as an NHS patient, you will be required to produce your NHS medical card at the surgery. This card contains personal information such as your name, date of birth, address, and details of the medical practice where you are currently registered.
If you don’t have an NHS medical card, perhaps because you were born outside the UK, you will be asked to fill in a GMS1 form. The reception desk at the surgery should have copies of this form. For a detailed guide, see GMS1 Form.
Once this form has been submitted and accepted, or your NHS card shown and approved, your medical records will be transferred to your new practice from your previous doctor's surgery, and your new medical card will be posted to your home address. It is likely that you will be invited to make an appointment with a doctor at the surgery for an initial consultation shortly after registering as a patient, where you will be asked questions about your lifestyle and general health. This initial health check enables the doctor to assess your medical condition, and treat you correctly in the future should any health problems arise.
For parents wishing to register their baby at a practice, a completed FP58 form should be presented at the surgery: this form can be collected from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages when the baby’s birth is registered. For a detailed guide, see FP58 Form.
If you are on holiday, or temporarily living away from home, it is possible to register with a local practice as a temporary patient. A temporary registration allows a patient to be placed on a doctor’s list for up to three months. In these situations, it can be helpful to get in contact with your existing GP so that your medical records can be forwarded if and when they are needed. If you decide not to register as a temporary patient, it is still possible to receive emergency treatment for the fourteen day period following an initial consultation. After fourteen days you will be required to register as a temporary or permanent patient.
Although NHS treatment is available to all UK residents, some patients choose to pay for private healthcare. As a result, some GP practices will only accept patients with private health insurance, or those who are willing to pay for medical treatment. For further details see Private Health Insurance. When you register at a private practice, you may be required to fill out questionnaires designed by the practice administrators. These forms might ask you for specific details of your insurance policy, including details of the cover to which you are entitled, and particular facts about your medical history and current lifestyle. However, the basic registration procedure ought to mirror that of NHS practices.
For more details of the registration process, see:
