Let’s start by saying what the GP is: the GP is the General Pratictioner , or the family doctor . Important for anything in the UK, otherwise, not having the GP you will have to go to the hospital by queuing for hours and hours. The registration to the GP is totally free and you can be visited for free for anything, by booking your visit, you can get the medical certificate for the job and get paid for the illness. But let’s see how to proceed.
How registration at the GP works
Go to the NHS website which is the English national health system , the direct link to search for the GP closest to you is this: NHS UK .
You will have to enter the postcode of your home, then it will show you a list with the structures closest to you. The structure of the General Pratictioner is more complex and different from the one we are used to in Italy, since inside there are several doctors and several nurses, it seems to be in a ‘mini’ hospital.
You can choose the GP structure you want based on different priorities
- based on proximity
- based on the number of patients
- based on reviews
Once you have chosen your facility, you can download the online request form and deliver it by hand, or request it directly in person at the reception, you will need to have with you:
- Identification document (passport)
- Proof of address (any letter from the bank or rental agreement will suffice).
Once these documents have been delivered they will give you a questionnaire of a couple of pages, in which you will have to answer questions concerning, clearly, your personal data and important, your clinical history, in order to better know everything clinically it concerns you.
After that, registration will take place with the release of the access code in order to access the online portal of the chosen structure. Using the access code, you can book your visit online . In this case, the visits are not walk-in, that is, the visit will not be accepted, if you show up without a previous reservation via a call or online, so remember to always have an appointment.
After about two weeks, the Medical Card will be delivered to your home, with the assignment of a specific doctor. Very useful is that in which case your doctor is not available that day, he can be replaced by another doctor who works in the same structure, a non-binding replacement you can choose whether to accept or not, at your discretion.
