Transcript

Dr. Ann Robinson, general practitioner: It's very important you establish, I think, a good relationship with your GP. And sometimes, like all relationships, it takes a little bit of work on both sides, and a bit of honesty, and sometimes a little bit of straight-talking as well.

I think the first thing is to choose the GP practice that you belong to. But nothing's carved in stone. So, if you choose a GP practice and it's not working for you, you've tried to make it work and it's just; the chemistry is not there, then just pick yourself up and go elsewhere.

Nowadays more GP practices are actually; the lists are open. If they're not open, they have to let the local authority, the PCT (Primary Care Trust), know that they're officially closed.

GP surgeries are no longer allowed to do what we used to kind of covertly and subtly do, which was to, rather, screen out who to let in. The easiest way around this is to phone the PCT first, and the number is in every phone book, and say, "Which of my local practices are officially open?" And, armed with that list, you then don't need to take any nonsense from any receptionist.

You don't need to present anything except yourself and your NHS number. But it's terribly important to take your NHS number with you, because without that you cannot be registered.

Then, all you do is go into the GP surgery that you've identified (and word-of-mouth and what neighbors say is always, I think, probably the best recommendation), and go in with your NHS number and fill in the forms and then you're registered.

Nowadays records are transferred over automatically, although of course it's incredibly helpful, if you have a complicated medical history and are on lots of drugs, it's very helpful if you get a printout of that from your last surgery before you leave.

So, armed with all of that, you can go into your surgery. Now, it's quite valid to ask to meet the GPs and the nurses before you join the practice.

I think all those things help to make a good thing. And it's very good to state up front what your expectations are, where you're coming from, what you'd like to see, and then take it from there.

10087 December 2011