Around 2,100 GP surgeries had enrolled into the digital service by the end of November
The NHS has announced that its pledge to roll out an online GP registration service to 2,000 GP practices by the end of the year has been achieved ahead of schedule.
The goal was set out in the NHS’s Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care in May.
Managed by NHS England, the online Register with a GP surgery service was developed to simplify the process for both patients and GP practices.
Every year, approximately 6.8 million registrations are processed at GP practices, with many still using paper forms, requiring patients to visit surgeries in person to collect and submit paperwork.
The new online tool has been designed to not only save GP practice staff admin time but also make the registration process more convenient for patients.
Since its launch in 2022, over 750,000 patients have used the new service, with one in three GP practices now offering the service – 2,100 of which had enrolled in the new service by November.
Recent figures have shown that 66% of patients used the online service to switch GPs; 23% were visitors or migrants, including international students; and 5% were patients registering with a GP for the first time.
It is no longer mandatory to provide ID, an NHS number or proof of address to register; the online service also offers translation tools for those whose first language is not English.
The digital service automatically checks if patients live in the catchment area for their new GP surgery and matches patients to their NHS records.
Free and available to all practices across England, patients can access the service through GP surgery websites, as well as the NHS website and app.
Dr Amanda Doyle, national director, primary care and community services, NHS England, said: “Online GP registration is one of the many… ways the NHS is transforming how practices work to make it as easy as possible for patients to get the care they need.”
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