Registering Patients on to your List

BMA FAQs on patient registration here

NHS Counterfraud Guidance to GPs on GP Registration Fraud

(We can confirm that patient signatures on forms are still a contractual requirement*)

It is a matter of your discretion as to who you register onto your NHS list. There is no obligation for practices to check a patients entitlement to register. Practices are often advised by other bodies to undertake these checks.

Whatever practice is adopted by the practice to evidence NHS entitlement to Primary Care Services must be consistently applied to every applicant to avoid intentional or unintentional discrimination.
Any information provided to prove entitlement (eg passport, identity papers) must only be used for the purpose inteneded (i.e. proof of identity).
Individual practices should determine whether (and how) to store this information for the period of time that the relationship with the patient exists. i.e. until the patient is de-registered
Destroy photocopy or scanned evidence from the records when the patient deregisters

If a practice complies with the above principles and acts in a consistent way then we do not believe that there is any contravention of the Data Protection Act and the DOH Guidance for NHS entitlement for Overseas Visitors will have been complied with.

(*Note missing signatures have been flagged in QOF visits. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040291.htm See schedule 6, Part 2, Para 15, sub-paragraph 3 & 4 patient or nominated representative signature is required)

Registering Patients on to your List

Overseas Patients

Removing patients from practice lists

Failed Asylum Seekers and NHS treatment