Everyone in England is entitled to register with a GP. Many people who experience health inequalities can face barriers when trying to register. Practices should not turn people away because they do not have proof of ID, address or immigration status. People can also register if they do not know or do not have an NHS number.
Being registered with a GP has many benefits, the most important one at the moment is that GPs can identify those people who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 and ensure that they are invited to get a vaccination.
We want to support all people, particularly those in inclusion health groups to register with GPs. We want to work together with colleagues working in the voluntary community and social enterprise sector to ensure that this message comes from people trusted in/by these communities.
Please help us by using the resources below to support the people you are working with to register with a GP.
Access Cards
In partnership with a number of organisations we are distributing ‘access cards’, both physical and digital, which support the message that everyone is entitled to register with a GP.
On the back of the card is the NHS England and NHS Improvement Customer Contact Centre number, for people to use if they have been refused registration.
VCSE organisations can get physical copies of the access card from their local Healthwatch, to share with the communities they work with, or download a digital copy of the access card from the FutureNHS platform. Some VCSE partners will be receiving batches of the cards to distribute directly to their service users