How to Find a GP in the UK: All You Need to Know

As a normally healthy person, it was chaotic when I had all the weird rashes that came on and off. I knew I need to find a GP, also known as the General Practitioner.

I knew from my local friends here that the primary care doctors are known as the GP, and they are best if I have any non-urgent medical conditions that could not resolve on its own.

But what are the processes involved to find a GP? I found this really hard to tell when I came initially and struggled a bit to understand how the entire healthcare system works.

Do I need to pay for a GP?

How long is the wait?

What should I expect when seeing a GP?

What services does the NHS provide for free?

What are the differences between NHS and private GP?

…

Now, as I have gone through it, let me share what I’ve learned with you and how you can make good use of the system.

Registering with a GP Surgery

When I first came to the UK to study, my school advised us to register to a GP nearby as soon as possible.

YES, unlike many places in the world, you have to register to a fixed clinic, and you are expected to go to that particular place to see your doctor every time, though you don’t necessarily have to see the same doctor.

The good news is that you don’t need an address proof, nor ID to register with your GP, and it is completely free.

But how do you find a GP and choose which GP surgery you want to be registered in?

Find a GP

For my first year in the UK, it was pretty simple. As I had absolutely no idea of the differences among different GP surgeries, I followed my school’s guidance to pick the GP right next to my school.

If I were to choose again, I would probably do a search on my own to see how many clinics are available nearby and check the google reviews just to confirm.

During the registration, all I had to do was to go online to that recommended clinic site, and fill out my personal particulars, previous medical history, current medications and allergies. It was pretty simple, and within a few weeks I was officially in the register by receiving a confirmation email.

As I was quite healthy that year, I did not have a chance to visit my GP at all despite being registered. However, I heard rumours from other people that it was not particular good due to high volume of students day-in and day-out.

So, as I moved to another region of the city the year after, I decided to change my GP.

Changing GP

Changing a GP is just as simple as registering for a GP, as it is literally the same process.

You don’t have to inform your previous GP as you can directly write down your previous GP site in your registration form for the new GP, and your new GP surgery will facilitate the whole transition.

This time, as I have lived in the area for a year, I had a better knowledge of the mainstream medical groups in my city and picked one of them located just next to my new home after doing a quick search.

All I had to do was to fill out a streamlined online form again, which included my personal particulars, NHS number (nice to have but not necessary), previous medical records, address, previous GP address etc. This time I only waited for a week to get registered and I soon received a physical confirmation letter.

Though not suitable for urgent medical situations, registering with a GP gives me a peace of mind, knowing that there is somewhere to go if something happened to me medically..

Registering early on, even when healthy, means your care is established for any urgent needs that arise.

Booking GP Appointments

Making a GP appointment isn’t difficult at all, as there are usually several options: filling out forms in the surgery website, phoning directly, or by going to the surgery in person. This all depends on the GP surgery you use.

The current waiting list in my area for a routine appointment is 3 WEEKS… That’s why I prefer going to the pharmacy for anything that can certainly heal on its own.

But based on the information you provided, the surgery will be able to triage you. If they consider your condition as urgent, you might even get seen within a day! I know someone with signs of recurrent urinary tract infections that had their appointments on the same day as booking.

Depends on your need, the GP might even arrange a home visit or phone consultations. It is really quite flexible in my opinion! Of course, I never use any of these as I have no problem going to the surgery, and it is always better to get seen in person.

The most notable thing is that booking a GP appointment is completely FREE in the UK. You don’t have to pay for seeing a doctor at all unless you opt for a private one, which is really a separate issue that we will talk more in later sections.

Visiting the GP

Hopefully, within three weeks you finally successfully find a GP to consult you.

You arrive to the surgery, and check in at reception upon arrival. Bring your past prescriptions if this is the first time you see you doctor.

Preparing for the Consultation

Now, it might take a while before the GP brings you in as they usually have a very busy and hectic schedule packed with 10-minute appointments. Try to be patience during this time.

Before seeing the GP, I also tend to prepare for what I am going to tell my GP, these include:

• Why I came to the surgery: Is it because of a symptom that you are experiencing?
• Details of your chief complaint: When did it start? How would you describe it? Has it been worsening? Anything similar before? What did you try?
• What do you think it might be? Is there anything that particularly worries you?
• What do you want to get from your GP: Medications? Diagnoses? Specialist Referrals? Lab Tests?
• Medical conditions you have
• Medications you are taking: these include long term meds and over-the-counter meds and supplements, it would be better if you can bring your past prescriptions if you are a new patient
• Any medication allergies?
• Major surgical history
• Family History
• Smoking and drinking history

This is not an exhaustive list and your GP may or may not ask all of these questions, but it is a useful guide to how you can construct your answers. As my dad has a very long list of medical conditions and medications, I always help him organise every thing he needs into his smartphone, so that he doesn’t have to test his memory when seeing a new doctor.

During the Consultation

The consultation usually lasts 10 minutes and you are expected to bring up one medical problem only. If you anticipate your case to be complicated, such as if you are bring in a child or a person with disability that require extra time, a double appointment with two 10-minute sessions is recommended.

Basically, a consultation is straightforward and the GP will guide you through it. Tell the GP about what you have prepared beforehand and ask any questions that you think are relevant.

After the history taking, the GP may perform a physical examination to check the function of your affected body parts. If this is an intimate procedure, you can always ask for a chaperone, which is an additional trained staff member that protect you and the doctor by being present.

Then, the GP will explain the diagnoses or next-steps if a referral or lab test is needed. You will be given a management plan.

Though seeing a GP is entirely free, prescriptions carry a fixed fee of £9.65 per item. This is quite cost-saving if the medication is an expensive one, but could cost you more money if it is just a paracetamol. The doctor may encourage you to buy over-the-counter medications from a pharmacy directly to avoid paying extra fee.

Remember to ask for clarification if any point you find there’s a need!

After the Consultation

Before leaving, remember to stop by the reception and book any follow up appointments if needed.

Now, if the GP has ordered a prescription for you, it will be sent directly to the pharmacy you nominated. You can head towards the pharmacy to collect the meds you need, which will be checked by a pharmacist.

If you need to do a blood test, from my experience, GPs don’t usually take bloods anymore. I had to go to the hospital to get my bloods done on a separate day. It was not quite convenient, but understandable due to the ongoing peak GP workload over the country.

Free Services Provided by the NHS

Just in case you are not aware, the National Health Service (NHS) is the healthcare system that allows you to find a GP for free.

Free services of the NHS include a wide variety:

• GP: Screening Services (e.g., cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, bowel cancer screening), Vaccinations
• NHS Walk in centres and minor injuries units
• Services provided as part of the “NHS 111” telephone advice line
• Services provided by health visitors and school nurses
• Accident and emergency treatment at a hospital
• Hospital services (for ordinary resident only)

In the NHS care, there are 4 types of things that patients usually have to pay for: prescriptions, dental care, eye care, wigs and fabric supports. Exemptions apply if you are older than 60, currently pregnant, aged 16 or below, or being a a full-time student between age 16-18.

Private Healthcare in the UK

The waiting list to seeing a GP is REALLY LONG. What if I really don’t want to wait for it?

Well, private GP might be an option if you have some spare money (expect at least £80+ just for a single consultation).

Unlike many other countries, private healthcare is UNCOMMON in the UK. Most doctors that you encounter will never end up being a private doctor if they decide to stay in the UK for life.

And for the British Citizens, they believe that they have paid for the NHS through taxation already, and should therefore use it instead of the expensive private alternative whenever possible.

If you don’t live in major cities, you might not even be able to find a private GP at all, even if you have the money.

My advice is that you should only go to private if the procedure that you are waiting for has a crazy long list, like 5 years for a hip replacement… Or if your condition urgently needs medication but a specialist referral is at least 1-2 years…

I would argue that private healthcare in the UK is simply not well developed. It is not accessible to all and mostly congregates in London only. This probably explains partially why the NHS is so burnt out and have such a huge backlog.

Conclusion

It may seem utterly difficult to find a GP and book an appointment in the UK for the first time. The guide tries to make the process simple for everyone to know the flow from registering for a GP till the end of the consultation. What are your experiences with your GP? Comment below and let me know!

Here I summarised a list of FAQs which include the key takeaways of the article: