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A new online registration service that has been designed to make the process of accessing GPs simpler and more convenient has hit its target ahead of schedule.
Over 2,000 GP practices now use the service, which allows patients to go online at any time of day to find and register with a local GP without having to visit the practice in person. More than 750,000 patients have already used the service since its launch in 2022, with one in three GP practices now offering the service.
GP practices process 6.8 million registrations a year, with many still using paper forms, often requiring patients to visit surgeries in person to collect and submit paperwork. The online tool has been shown to save GP practice staff admin time.
Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director of Primary Care and Community Services for NHS England, said: “Online GP registration is one of the many innovative ways the NHS is transforming how practices work to make it as easy as possible for patients to get the care they need.
“At a time when record numbers of patients are coming forward to see their GP, it helps free up the time of busy practice staff so they can spend more time focusing on patients, and less time filling in paperwork.”
Reducing barriers to GP registration
Patients do not need ID, an NHS number or proof of address to register with a GP. People registering online can also use translation tools alongside the service, making it more accessible for those whose first language is not English.
Latest figures show two thirds (66%) of patients use the online service to switch GPs, while 23% were visitors or migrants, including international students. Other submissions included patients registering with a GP for the first time (5%), newborns (4%) and ex-military patients (1%). Almost half (48%) registered outside normal GP surgery opening hours and one in 10 accessed the digital service in another language.
Professor Bola Owolabi, NHS England’s Director of Health Inequalities, and a GP in the Midlands, added: “We know health inequalities exist within our communities, which is why we are pleased to see our online Register with a GP surgery service is making such a huge difference, by reducing barriers to registration and widening access to good quality healthcare.
“Patients no longer have to visit a surgery to register as they can access the service any time, including outside working hours, using the internet or the NHS App.”