All GP surgeries in England have been asked to join more than 2,500 GP practices which have already signed up for a free-to-use NHS England service from October 2024.

The Register with a GP surgery service is a free digital and paper registration service that allows patients to choose to register in person or online at a time that is convenient to them.

This secure, centrally-managed service gathers patient demographic and medical information in accordance with practice needs and current NHS policy. It uses this information to match citizens to their Personal Demographic Record (PDS). This data is then sent electronically to GP surgeries for the purpose of registration.

All GP surgeries in England must offer the national Register with a GP surgery service from October 2024 as outlined in the GP contract.

Next step:

Please use this form to fill out the necessary information. This service offers numerous advantages, benefiting both patients and practices, including:

• Enhanced patient experience: the service is integrated with ‘Find a GP’, and the NHS App allowing patients to easily find practices within their catchment area. This significantly reduces unnecessary traffic from patients unsure of where to go, creating a seamless patient experience. 
• Verified patient information: patients are verified during sign-in using NHS login, enhancing security and trust in the registration process.
• Efficient NHS number matching: with a 90% success rate in matching patient information to Personal Demographics Service (PDS) records, we save time and avoid data duplication.
• Positive feedback: more than half of England’s GP practices (3,200) already use the service, and the feedback from both patients and practice staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Benefits and features - NHS England Digital