Summary and quotes from NHS London guidelines on patient registration16
| The practice must take steps to ensure a patient receives care and should not withhold treatment from patients who need it ‘… neither registration or appointments to see the doctor should be delayed because of the unavailability of a new patient check appointment.’ ‘Registration and appointments should not be withheld because a patient does not have the necessary proof of residence or personal identification.’ ‘General practices are also under a duty to provide emergency or immediately necessary treatment where clinically necessary irrespective of nationality or immigration status. They are also required to provide 14 days of further cover following provision of immediate and necessary treatment.’ |
| Immigration status is irrelevant so practices should not even ask about it ‘Immigration status does not affect eligibility to primary care (see page 7 [of Guidelines16] for secondary care regulations) — practices should not enquire about patients’ immigration status.’ ‘There is no set length of time that a patient must reside in the UK in order to become eligible to receive NHS primary care services.’ ‘A patient does not need to be “ordinarily resident’ in the UK to be eligible for NHS primary care — this only applies to secondary care …’ ‘The length of time that a patient is intending to reside in an area in the UK [dictates] whether a patient … is registered as a temporary or permanent patient.’ |