GPs (doctors) and health checks

Non-emergency advice

If you need non-emergency advice on medical issues, you can use the NHS 111 service. Use this service if you cannot wait for a GP appointment. This service is available 24 hours, seven days a week.

Register with a GP

A GP surgery must accept you unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse.

Find a GP

You cannot be refused due to age, gender, social class, appearance, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or medical condition.

A GP may refuse you if:

• it has no capacity to take on new patients
• it does not accept patients who do not live within its practice boundary
• your circumstances mean it may not be appropriate for you to register with a practice that is a long way from where you live

If a GP surgery does not accept you

The surgery must write to you stating the reasons why they have refused you as a patient.

If you feel you have been unfairly treated or are having problems registering with a GP

Contact the NHS customer contact centre.

Going to the GP

You can make an appointment with a GP either by phone or you may be able to book online on your GP's website. This can often be quicker.

You might be asked to give some details about why you want to visit the GP. This is to help the healthcare staff and your GP better prepare for your appointment, or be able to signpost you to more suitable health practitioner.

Once you have booked your GP appointment, make sure you give yourself enough time to get there. If you miss your appointment slot, you might be asked to book another appointment.

NHS Health Check

The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health. It can tell you whether you are at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as:

• heart disease
• diabetes
• kidney disease
• stroke

The check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who do not have certain pre-existing conditions.

NHS Health Check tells you if you are eligible, what happens during a check and how your results are described.