New Patient Information

Join the Practice

The surgery welcome new patients who live within our practice area (please see the Practice Area Map). We are unable to accept any out-of-area registration requests due to the practical and clinical needs of our in-area patients. Please see our registration policy document for more information here.

As it often takes some time for records to be forwarded from your former practice, all newly registered patients will be asked to complete a health questionnaire and are offered a consultation with the doctor. 

Anyone in England can register with a GP surgery. You do not require proof of immigration status or NHS number to receive care or see a GP. You do not require proof of ID to register with a GP, but it may help if you have one of the following:

  • Passport                   
  • Birth Certificate
  • HC2 certificate
  • Rough Sleeper ID badge
  • Hostel or accommodation registration or mail forwarding letter

Practice Area Map

Please note that we do not take new patients from Wheatfields (Aldington), New Romney, St Mary in the Marsh & Dymchurch.   

Temporary Registrations

You cannot register as a temporary patient at a practice in the town or area where you are already registered.

If you are not registered with a GP, you will be unable to see one unless it is urgent. In most cases, calling 111 is a better option.

Immediately Necessary Treatment

If you are ill while away from home but need GP treatment, you can receive urgent treatment at a local GP surgery for 14 days. After 14 days you will need to register as a temporary or permanent patient.

Temporary Patient Registrations

You can be registered as a temporary patient for up to three months. This will allow you to be on the local practice list and still remain a patient of your permanent GP. After three months you will have to re-register as a temporary patient or permanently register with that practice.

To register as a temporary patient simply contact the local practice you wish to use. Practices do not have to accept you as a temporary patient, although they do have an obligation to offer emergency treatment or direct you to an appropriate service.

Try to have the following information with you when you see a temporary GP for the first time:

  • details of any medical conditions you have
  • details of medical conditions you've had in the past
  • the name of any medicines you're currently taking
  • details of anything you're allergic to
  • contact details for your permanent or previous GP surgery
  • your NHS number

Non-English Speakers

These fact sheets have been written to explain the role of UK health services, the National Health Service (NHS), to newly-arrived individuals seeking asylum. They cover issues such as the role of GPs, their function as gatekeepers to the health services, how to register and how to access emergency services.

Special care has been taken to ensure that information is given in clear language, and the content and style has been tested with user groups.

Open the leaflets in one of the following languages:

england English Iran Farsi Urdu Urdu
albania Albanian Bengali Bengali india Hindi
egypt Arabic Croatian Croatian lithuania Lithuanian
bulgaria Bulgarian Punjabi Punjabi poland Polish
china Chinese (Cantonese) Somali Somali portugal Portuguese
china Chinese (Mandarin) Gujerati Gujerati spain Spanish
russia Russian Turkish Turkish French French