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Registering with a GP practice

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Where a GP practice list is open, patients can approach the practice and request to register.

Each practice operates to a boundary which is agreed with NHS Highland and patients should enquire if their home address is covered by the practice they are seeking to register with. Some practices have their boundary available to view on their websites.

Important: Registering with a GP practice

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To register permanently with a general medical practice (GP practice) you'll need to complete a registration form. You can download this registration form, complete it, and then email it to the GP practice.

Read more about registering with a GP practice at NHS inform

What if I can't register?

You can see if a practice list is open or closed on our GP practice pages.

Is the GP practice list open or closed?

If the practice list is open

If a GP practice list is open to new patients, you have approached to register and the practice have declined to register you, the practice has a contractual requirement to provide you with a letter stating the reasons for declining your registration.  In cases where practices with an open list have declined your registration due to 'capping' or 'not taking on patients', NHS Highland can assign you to that practice.

Provide a signed letter confirming your:

  • full name
  • date of birth or Community Health Index (CHI) number
  • current address

The letter should state that you have been unable to register with a GP practice and you now wish to be allocated to that GP practice. The signed letter can be handwritten or typed and emailed as a scan or photograph to:

email nss.psdenquiries-general@nhs.scot 

The practice you will be assigned to should include your home address within its boundary.

If the practice list is closed

Where a GP practice list is shown as closed, this has been agreed by the practice and NHS Highland. The practice will not accept new patients until a defined date, or once the number of registered patients falls below a pre-agreed level. 

The practice may, if its list of patients is closed, only accept an application for inclusion in its list of patients from a person who is an immediate family member of a registered patient. Immediate family includes:

  • a spouse or civil partner
  • a person whose relationship with the registered patient has the characteristics of the relationship between spouses or civil partners
  • a parent or step-parent
  • a son
  • a daughter
  • a child of whom the registered patient is:
    • the guardian
    • or the carer duly authorised by the local authority to whose care the child has been committed under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995(a)
  • a grandparent

Although a GP practice list is closed, other practices in the area may be registering patients based on your home address. 

Patients experiencing difficulties registering can ask for advice:

email nss.psdenquiries-general@nhs.scot 

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Last updated: 19 September 2024

Next review date: 1 October 2024

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