Out of Area Registration Policy
Out of Area Registrations Policy
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 will:
· Ask the practice you are currently registered with or were last registered at for a summary of your medical record
· 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)
· Ask you if you require home visits
· Ask if you are under the care of a community team local to your home address
· Give you notification of acceptance within 21 working days
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 (www.nhs.uk) .
How to get Urgent Medical Care
If you are registered as an ‘out of area’ registered patient, we are aware that you live outside the practice area (catchment area). You may on occasion, develop an urgent illness or injury at home that means attending the GP surgery as normal would not be appropriate. However, we are not required to provide you with a home visit.
If you require a GP please contact the practice in the first instance. If we determine you need access to services local to where you live, we may ask you to call NHS 111. In these circumstances NHS 111 will direct you to the local service that has been established by NHS England for patients such as you. This local service could be a GP practice near to where you live, the local walk-in or urgent care centre, A&E or minor injuries unit. This local service will then decide if you can attend for an urgent face to face appointment with a healthcare professional or if a home visit is needed - which will be based on your individual circumstances.
If this is in the out-of-hours period when GP surgeries are normally closed – between 6:30pm and 8:30am weekdays and during weekends – NHS 111 will direct you to the local out-of-hours provider.