Do private GPs have registered patients in the same way NHS GPs do?

A patient registered with an NHS GP infers a number of different responsibilities upon the NHS GP, including:

A patient cannot choose to ‘switch’ this registration from their NHS GP to a private GP. Certain services can only be delivered by the NHS GP (e.g., COVID vaccines), and the NHS GP record is considered the global/central record for the patient (even if they choose to predominantly be seen privately).

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What does “registering” with a private GP entail then?

Some private practices ask that patients ‘register’ with them – this can lead to some level of confusion, as a private GP registration process does not have the same implications as NHS registration.

Registered with a private practice is essentially an opportunity for the practice to take a background on the patient, including reviewing any relevant notes from the NHS GP or other care providers. It can be helpful if a patient can bring or share a copy of their NHS record.

Practices may use this registration process simply to ensure they are well positioned to deal with the patient’s care in the future (e.g., the patient is registered on the system, with an up to date medication list etc) - or they may use it as a way of screening patients (e.g., advising a patient their diabetes is better managed in the NHS).

Even after “registering” with a private GP, the NHS will still consider the patient’s registered GP to be their NHS practice. The NHS practice will hold the ‘central’ record (viewable via the NHS app), and will be the point of contact for NHS community and secondary care services.