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Registering with a GP

Sign up with a local GP surgery before you get ill.

Hi, I've just moved here. I'd like to register as a new patient, please.

Computer voice · not a real clip

All 15 phrases

Signing up5

  1. I'd like to register as a new patient, pleaseThe standard opening line at reception or on the phone.
  2. Are you taking on new patients at the moment?Practices can close their lists or only take people from certain areas, so ask this first.
  3. Am I in your catchment area?Each practice covers a set of postcodes.
  4. Can I register online?Many practices take registrations through the NHS website or their own site, so you don't need to queue.
  5. Can I register as a temporary resident?For people staying in an area for more than 24 hours but less than about three months who still need to see a GP.

Papers and costs4

  1. Do you need proof of address or ID?Practices often ask, but NHS England guidance says nobody should be refused for lacking proof of address, ID or immigration status.
  2. I don't have an NHS number yetThat's fine.
  3. I've paid the health surchargeFor visa holders: the immigration health surcharge (IHS) gives you NHS access on broadly the same terms as residents.
  4. Is there a charge to see the GP?No.

At the surgery6

  1. I'll ring the surgeryBritish people call the GP practice 'the surgery'.
  2. Which surgery are you with?What pharmacists, hospitals and new employers ask.
  3. Is there a new patient check?Some practices send you a questionnaire or book you in with the nurse for blood pressure, weight and medical history.
  4. I'm on regular medication. How do I keep getting itBring your old prescription or the boxes.
  5. Could I see a female GP?You're allowed to ask.
  6. Once I'm registered, can I use the NHS AppYes.
Check yourself15 questions

Question 1 of 15

In the UK, you register with...

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About this pack
Price
Free
Account
Not needed, saved on this device
Reviews
1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later
Moments
0 of 15 phrases have a clip
Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
Phrases
Picked by Talk.
How Talk picked them
Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 15 phrases.
Licence
Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Meanings and examples
Written by Talk in plain English.
Dictionary details
From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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