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Registering with a primary care practice
The National Health Service is regarded as first and foremost for the benefit of people living in this country. Free primary care treatment should be based on residence in the UK, not on nationality, or the past or present payment of UK taxes or National Insurance contributions.
Access to NHS primary medical services is usually through a practice - i.e. one providing services under either a General Medical Services (GMS) contract or Personal Medical Services (PMS) agreement.
Any individual who requires treatment that a GP or health care professional regards as emergency or immediately necessary will receive that treatment free of charge, regardless of whether they are registered with a GP practice or not.
How do I go about registering?
In order to access NHS primary medical services it is necessary to register with a practice. Any individual is free to approach any practice and ask to be accepted as a patient. Practices can decide which patient they accept on to their list of patients and an application may be refused if the practice has reasonable grounds for doing so, such as if a person is living outside its practice area.
Practices are listed in the phone book, on the internet at www.nhs.uk, or at the public library. You can phone or visit a practice and ask if the doctor will accept you as a NHS patient.
A person can register with a practice as a NHS patient by applying in writing, or more usually by completing the GMS1 form or by presenting a NHS medical card. Where a person is staying in a place for more than 24 hours but less than three months, they may apply to be accepted as a temporary resident by completing form GMS3: Acceptance of patients.
Practices do not have to accept anyone on to their lists for NHS treatment, even UK citizens.
Practices have the discretion to offer treatment to all people (UK residents and overseas visitors from any country) as:
- fully registered - in which case the patient will get free primary medical treatment;
- a temporary resident - resident in the area for more than 24 hours but not more than 3 months - in which case the patient will again get free primary medical treatment.
Alternatively, practices may accept patients on a private, paying basis.
It is up to the practice to decide whether or not to accept the patient on to its list as a NHS patient, and to provide treatment free of charge, or whether to treat the patient on a private, fee-paying basis.
Anyone experiencing difficulties registering with a GP practice in their area should contact their local Primary Care Trust (PCT), who can help and, where necessary can assign patients to either a practice or to a service provided by the PCT.
How do I obtain a NHS number/or medical card?
The NHS number is given to patients when they are first registered with the NHS and appears on the NHS medical card. Some PCTs send new medical cards to patients when they join or change their GP practice. The NHS number is used for administrative purposes so that medical records are updated and patients can be traced when they access different parts of the NHS. There is no direct link between having a NHS medical card or NHS number and the right to access NHS treatment.
Overseas visitors
Overseas residents visiting the UK who require treatment that a GP or healthcare professional regards as emergency or immediately necessary treatment, will receive that treatment free of charge. However, for other primary medical services, GP practices may accept (or decline) such people as registered patients in the same way as they make decisions about people who are permanently resident in the UK.
If the practice does use its discretion to accept such an overseas visitor on to its list, the GP practice is required, under its contractual arrangements, to provide that treatment free of charge to the patient. Practices have the choice of accepting overseas visitors either as registered patients, or as temporary residents if they are in an area for more than 24 hours but less than three months. However, the practice needs to be satisfied that the person seeking registration or acceptance as a temporary resident is entitled to free NHS primary care services.
If the GP practice does not wish to accept the overseas visitor on to its list, it can offer to treat them as a patient on a private, paying basis. General practice is expected to exercise this discretion with sensitivity and due regard to the circumstances of each case.
People who have emigrated from the UK, but return sometimes for visits would not normally be entitled to free NHS treatment from a practice. Any person who leaves UK to live abroad will be removed from his or her practice's list after 3 months.
What documents do I need to bring with me?
You will need your NHS medical card if you have one or some other proof of address.
If you are an overseas visitor, it necessary to provide documentary evidence e.g. passport and work permit.
Please note the above information gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of law.
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