Your right to switch
The NHS Constitution gives every patient in England the right to choose their GP practice and to be accepted by that practice unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse. The NHS (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 codify this: a practice cannot refuse you on grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, religion, appearance, disability, or medical condition.
You do not need to tell your old GP. You do not need their permission. You do not need to explain. Registering at a new practice automatically deregisters you at the old one.
How to switch
The fastest route is the NHS's online registration service at nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/how-to-register-with-a-gp-surgery. It takes about 10 minutes and feeds straight into the practice's system.
You complete the GMS1 form (paper or digital). Photo ID and proof of address are useful but not legally required — a practice cannot refuse you for not having them. They can do an online ID check or accept your word, and verify via NHS Spine.
Practice boundary and out-of-area registration
Every English GP practice has an inner and outer boundary. If you live inside the inner boundary, the practice has a duty to accept you (subject to list being open). Between inner and outer, they can accept you. Outside the outer boundary, since 2015 you can still register as an out-of-area patient under the Choice of GP scheme.
The practice can decline out-of-area registration only if they reasonably cannot visit you at home when needed. If you do not need home visits, they should accept. If they refuse, you can request to register without home-visit cover and your urgent home-visit needs are covered by the NHS England commissioned out-of-area service.
If a practice refuses
A practice may only refuse registration on documented reasonable grounds:
- Their list is formally closed to new patients (they must have notified the ICB).
- You are outside their boundary and they decline out-of-area registration on home-visit grounds.
- Documented history of violence at a practice (including yours) — this puts you on the Special Allocation Scheme list.
They must give you the refusal in writing within 14 days and state the reason. If you think the refusal is unlawful, complain to the practice manager and to your ICB. If no local practice will accept you, the ICB has a duty under the NHS Act 2006 section 13O to allocate you to one within 24 hours — including, if necessary, requiring a closed practice to take you.
What happens to your records
The electronic record transfer happens via GP2GP, usually within a few working days. Your new GP sees the full consultation history, prescriptions, allergies, test results and clinic letters as if you had always been registered there. Paper records (older or scanned) follow within 6–8 weeks via NHS England Primary Care Support.
Before you switch, it is sensible to make a Subject Access Request for a copy of your full record. The transfer is reliable but having your own copy means you can spot anything that did not move across, and you control the narrative if you have to complain later.
Common reasons people switch
- Repeated dismissal of symptoms — see when your GP won't listen.
- Refusal to refer where NHS guidelines clearly support referral — see NHS referral refused.
- Receptionist gatekeeping that blocks access to appointments.
- Moving house outside the practice boundary.
- Wanting a practice with specific expertise (menopause, ADHD-friendly, long Covid).
Switching is not a complaint and does not start a complaint. If you want to register a formal complaint about your old GP as well, see our formal complaint guide — you can do both in parallel.
Frequently asked questions
›Do I need permission from my current GP to switch?
No. You do not need to tell your current GP, ask their permission, or give any reason. You simply register with the new practice and the NHS transfers your record automatically.
›Can a GP practice refuse to register me?
Only on reasonable grounds — for example, you live outside their practice boundary and they do not accept out-of-area patients, their list is formally closed to new patients, or there is a documented history of violence. They cannot refuse for any other reason and the refusal must be in writing within 14 days.
›Does my medical record transfer automatically?
Yes. Your GP record is transferred electronically via the GP2GP system, usually within a few working days. Older paper records follow within 6–8 weeks via NHS England Primary Care Support.
›Can I register with a GP outside my home area?
Yes, since 2015 you can register with any GP in England that accepts out-of-area patients. The practice can decline if they cannot reasonably visit you at home, but they must still let you register if home visits are not needed.
›What if no local GP will take me?
Contact your Integrated Care Board (ICB). They have a legal duty under the NHS Act 2006 to allocate you to a practice within 24 hours of a request. The ICB allocation is binding on the practice.
›Will my new GP see my old GP's notes?
Yes — the full electronic record transfers via GP2GP, including consultations, prescriptions, test results, allergies and clinic letters. Your new GP sees the complete history.