Patients’ GP practices

Choosing a patient's GP practice

In a patient's Details, start typing their GP practice: its name, town or postcode. Matching practices appear and narrow with each letter; choose one with the mouse, or the arrow keys and Enter. The practice is then linked to the patient, and its address and phone number show in the GP panel on their record, ready for letters and referrals. GP name is for the named doctor, if the patient knows it.

Patients see the same type-ahead when they book online and on the medical history form, so most practices arrive already linked.

The NHS list

Every GP practice in England and Wales is built in, from the NHS Organisation Data Service, and refreshed each month: new practices appear, and closed ones stop appearing as you type (patients already linked to a closed practice keep it, marked closed). There's nothing for you to keep up to date. The NHS doesn't publish practice email addresses.

Practices that aren't listed

If a practice isn't there (Scotland, Northern Ireland, a private GP), type its name anyway: it's kept as written. To have its details on hand, add it under GP practices (the link under the practice box, or /admin/gp-practices): a practice or a named GP, with an address, phone and email. It then appears in the type-ahead for your clinic only. Owners and reception can change or archive them; archived ones stop appearing, and patients linked to them keep them.

Practices typed before, or imported

Practices typed as text (before the list, or from an import) are linked automatically when the name clearly means one practice, for example "Holmlands Medical Centre" or an NHS practice code. When two practices share a name, the town or postcode in the text decides; if it still isn't clear, it's left as text for you to choose. This runs again each month.