When the National Health Service was founded in 1948, it was founded on three main principles:
- that it meet the needs of everyone
- that it be free at the point of delivery
- that it be based on clinical need, not ability to pay
All people, including those with no fixed address, have a right to access health services, free of charge and this includes registration at a doctor surgery.
Know your rights
- A doctors surgery can only refuse to register you if NHS England has agreed that they can close their list to new patients or if they have other reasonable grounds.
- A doctor surgery cannot refuse to register you because you have no form of identification.
- A doctor surgery cannot refuse to register you because you do not have a fixed address. If you are unable to provide an address, the doctor surgery can register you by registering its own address as the address of the patient.
We know that in practice, doctors surgeries may not always follow these rules. NHS England have created a GP Access Card which you can show if you are refused registration.
If you are still refused, between now and May 31st 2021, we have a special helpline open to help Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people get registered at a GP. If you would like help, you can call Billie at Friends, Families and Travellers between Tuesdays and Fridays on 07917 357241. Sometimes our lines are busy, but if you leave a voicemail with your name and contact details, we will call you back as soon as we are able.
Correct as of February 2021.
