Anyone wishing to register with this surgery will be given forms to complete which gives our practice some information on your medical history. They will also be given an appointment with our Health Care Assistant for a routine health check. This examination is brief but gives us useful information until your complete medical records arrive from your previous doctor. Patients should bring a urine sample with them for this appointment. All children over the age of five should be brought in to see the nurse also. Formal registration is always at the discretion of a doctor.

If the new patient has very limited command of the English language, they are requested to be accompanied by either a relative, friend etc who is able to interpret for them.

Out of area registration:

New arrangements introduced from January 2015 give people greater choice when choosing a GP practice. Patients may approach any GP practice, even if they live outside the practice area, to see if they will be accepted on to the patient list.

GP practices have always had the ability to accept patients who live outside their practice area. Regardless of distance from the practice, the practice would still provide a home visit if clinically necessary.

The new arrangements mean GP practices now have the option to register patients who live outside the practice area but without any obligation to provide home visits.

Out of area registration (with or without home visits) is voluntary for GP practices meaning patients may be refused because they live out of area.

If your application is considered the GP practice will only register you without home visits if it is clinically appropriate and practical in your individual case. To do this we may:

• Ask you or the practice you are currently registered with questions about your health to help decide whether to register you in this way
• Ask you questions about why it is practical for you to attend this practice(for example, how many days during the week you would normally be able to attend)

If accepted, you will attend the practice and receive the full range of services provided as normal at the surgery. If you have an urgent care need and the surgery cannot help you at home we may ask you to call NHS 111 and they will put you in touch with a local service (this may be a face to face appointment with a local healthcare professional or a home visit where necessary).

We may decide that it is not in your best interests or practical for you to be registered in this way. In these circumstances we may offer you registration with home visits, for example, if you live just outside the practice area or we may not register you and advise you should seek to register (or remain registered) with a more local practice.

If accepted but your health needs change we may review your registration to see if it would be more appropriate for you to be registered with a GP practice closer to your home.

This new arrangement only applies to GP practices and patients who live in England. For further information visit the NHS Choices website.