Your family doctor (GP) is usually your first contact with the National Health Service. Talking to your doctor is a good starting point if you or the person you care for has any health-related problems. Your family doctor can give you general medical advice and treatment and can prescribe medication. Doctors can also refer you to to other community-based professionals. 

Registering with a family doctor

Everyone should be registered with a family doctor. If you do not already have a family doctor you should join a GP surgery, even if you currently have no health problems. This is important, because it means you will have a doctor close by who has access to your medical records and is aware of your medical history, and who can provide emergency home visits.

Do not wait until you are ill to register with a family doctor.

Each GP surgery (doctor’s practice) has a boundary area. You will be able to register with a GP surgery only if you live within its boundary area. If you move to another area outside this boundary you will have to notify your doctor and register with a new practice in your new area. If you remain with your original doctor, and don’t tell them you have moved, you may find that they won’t make home visits because you live too far away.

GP surgeries have a maximum number of patients that they can look after. It could happen that a doctor within your area will not accept you on to their patient list because it is already full. If this happens, try a different practice in your area.

If you can’t find a practice that will take you, it is the responsibility of your primary care trust (in England), health board (in Wales and Scotland) or health and social services board (in Northern Ireland) to find one for you.

When you have found a doctor’s practice in your area, you will need to go into the surgery to register. Take your NHS medical card with you if you have one. You may be asked to fill in a registration form (GMS1) when you go in to register. You will need to know the name of your previous doctor so that your new practice can get your medical records.

After you have registered with your new doctor, you will be asked to go into the surgery to have a ‘new patient check’. This is a routine health check-up, usually carried out by the practice nurse. It will give your new doctor information about your immediate health needs and medication.

When you register, your doctor’s practice should give you information that tells you:

• the name(s) of the doctor(s) in your practice
• the surgery opening hours
• how the appointment system works
• how to request and collect repeat prescriptions
• what to do if you need treatment outside surgery hours or at home.