How to change your GP practice

Changing GP practice in England is free, and you do not have to tell your current practice: it is told automatically once your new practice has registered you. Most practices let you register online. Below are the steps, what you need, and what to do if you live outside a practice’s area or are only away for a while.

Step by step

1. Find a practice that covers your address. Most people need to register near where they live, though some practices accept patients from further away. Search by postcode on the NHS service Find a GP, or on our home page to see what patients say about the practices near you. The guide to choosing a practice has more on what to look at.
2. Register online, in the NHS App or on paper. Online, you enter a postcode, choose a practice that offers online registration and fill in a form, which takes about 15 minutes for each person. If you are already registered with a practice, you can change in the NHS App, which asks you to agree to share some of your details with the new practice. You can also fill in a paper form at the practice, download the form and take it in, or use a form on the practice’s own website where it has one.
3. Wait to hear back. You should be told when you have been registered. It is usually within 5 days of the practice getting your details, but it may take longer.

What you need to register

Only basic information: your name, date of birth and address. You will also be asked for an emergency contact, the GP practice you are registered with now (if any) and your carer (if you have one). You do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status. An NHS number makes it easier to find your medical records, but you do not need one. A practice may sometimes ask for extra documents for other reasons, such as finding or moving your records.

If you do not have a permanent address, you can register using a temporary address or the practice’s own address.

Registering outside your local area

You can register permanently with a practice outside your local area, for example near where you work. Not every practice accepts patients from outside its area. To check, use the filter “Accepts out of area registrations” on Find a GP, look at the practice’s website or contact the practice.

Registering outside your local area may affect the services you can get, including home visits and urgent care from your GP (out-of-hours care included), and community services such as physiotherapy and midwife appointments. The NHS suggests asking the practice to explain what happens for these services before you register.

Registering as a temporary patient

If you are living away from home for a while but do not want to change practice, or you are visiting from abroad, you can register with a practice as a temporary patient for up to 3 months. You fill in a temporary services form, which practices have. After 3 months you can apply again as a temporary patient, or register as a permanent patient.

If your application for temporary registration is refused, you can still get any treatment you need immediately for up to 14 days. The NHS also says you can call any GP practice for emergency treatment for up to 14 days if you are not registered or are away from home.

Registering a child or someone you care for

Children under 16 are usually registered by a parent or guardian, on a separate form. The practice may ask for proof of the child’s ID and address, such as a birth certificate, and for proof that you are the parent or guardian. The personal child health record (the red book) helps if you have it.

You can also register someone you care for, as a paid, unpaid, foster or young carer. If someone over 16 cannot make decisions about their care, a relative, their main carer, a lasting power of attorney or a person appointed by a court under the Mental Capacity Act can register them.

If a practice will not register you

A practice may refuse to register you if:

• it is not accepting new patients
• you live outside its area
• you have been removed from its patient list before

If it refuses, it must write to you within 14 days to explain why. If you have problems registering, the NHS website suggests contacting your local integrated care board (ICB), Citizens Advice or your local Healthwatch. The guide to complaining about a GP practice explains how a complaint works.

If you move but want to stay

If your address or other personal details change but you do not want to change practice, tell your practice directly.

Most of this guide follows the NHS page Register with a GP surgery; the sources are listed below.