I should arguably know the answer to this but I don’t and I’m wondering if anybody else does. I’m in the process of trying to move. I’m not planning on moving far but I can see a time coming when I will not be able to drive and driving is essential while I live in my current flat so I need to change this while I can. Flats aren’t selling well in my area (maybe not in any area) and so if I get a buyer at a realistic price, I need to accept their offer and move in a reasonable timescale but this means I may have to move out before I have found somewhere else to buy.
Alongside the very many concerns that I have about this, I have no idea what I do in terms of making sure that I stay registered with a GP during a possible short-term period of not actually having a fixed address.
Access to my GP practice is still extremely limited and getting an appointment is pretty much impossible - last time I tried to get an appointment I was just referred to the nearest Walk-In Centre which I can access without being registered as far as I understand - but I obviously need to stay registered with my GP in terms of accessing my prescriptions and, I guess, maintaining appointments with specialists at the hospital, although my next planned appointment is not for some time so I should be sorted before then.
If the above situation does arise, I could try saying nothing until I have moved into a new flat and then re-register with a new GP if necessary but I would prefer to be above board if I can so I’m just wondering if anybody has any information or advice on managing the situation?
I moved house about 3 years ago and had the same concern. It turned out to be a non-issue.
You keep the same GP until you register with the new GP. The new GP’s will then take care of the address change and GP transition within the NHS system. All your health records and prescription records will then be accessible to the new GP. Bottomline, you only need to be concerned about finding a new GP.
Hi MAnnie,
Thank you for getting back to me, that’s reassuring. I seem to spend most of my time worrying about accessing adequate healthcare at the moment and the thought of losing the support I am clinging on to by my fingertips was almost enough to make me consider shelving any plans to move which is utterly ridiculous. Moving is an exciting but very daunting prospect for sure.
Thanks again for your reply. Jx
Hi some times its easy to move your GP but some times its not. I have just moved, and the clinic i go to fort my botox said if you change doctors to one nearer were i live i cant go there for my treatment. because i will be out of the catchment area. So i will be staying with my same doctor, the only thing they wont do is house calls.
Zoe
If you are staying in the same NHS area you should have little difficulty, if you are moving to a different area it can take six months to transfer your records because the computer system in one place does not speak to the computer system in another! When you get to the point of moving ask your GP for a letter and a list of medications and take at least 2 months meds with you. When I moved from Wilts to outer London I thought it couldn’t have been worse if I had emigrated.
Thank you for getting back to me. I’m staying in the same area and will almost definitely end up closer to the hospital and specialist nurse service but I don’t know if I can co-ordinate moving out and in at the same time so may end up temporarily staying with anybody who will have me on a rota basis for a little while. I’m guessing that the best thing to do is to just stay with my GP and hope they don’t notice that I’ve moved until I have a permanent address. I would like to contact my GP surgery and ask but they are happy to ditch anybody at the moment and I can’t afford to fall out of the Hospital system because I don’t fancy my chances of getting back in. The NHS definitely doesn’t make anything easy. I will definitely make sure I’m topped up on medication – thank you for the tip.
