It is important for all our new and old patients to be aware that from the 1st April 2004, you will no longer be officially registered with a specific GP but with the Practice as a whole. This means that you will have the freedom to choose any of our GPs and it will not be necessary for you to re-register if at any time you wish to change to another GP within the Practice. Nevertheless, at the outset, you will be allocated to an individual GP in order to distribute workload across the Practice evenly. All of us recognise the need for continuity of care for patients so that you can benefit from a GP whom you can come to know and trust, and who is familiar with your medical history.

All new patients are requested to have a new patient health check as part of the registration procedure. This initial check provides the practice with basic essential information about you and can often reveal some very important conditions. We recognise that this may often be an inconvenience when patients are essentially well but we will not be in a position to look after you in the best informed way without it. This check will cover a brief medical history, details of medication you may be taking and include a few very simple examinations. Please bring a urine sample with you. Specimen bottles are available at Reception.

New patients are also asked to complete a medical questionnaire to provide us with initial information and to corroborate subsequent correct entry of your medical history from medical records that are often received some time later. It would be very helpful if you could complete the appropriate forms below which can be viewed and printed with Adobe Reader.

Please note: In order to complete your registration you will be asked to bring photographic ID (driving licence or passport) and an official letter as proof of address (i.e. utility bill, council tax bill, tenancy agreement, car insurance certificate - not mobile phone bill) with you for each person over 18 years of age. Children will need to have photographic ID (if available).

	New patient questionnaire (part 1 of application)
	NHS form to also be completed (part 2 of application)

The Fairlands Practice is primarily an NHS general practice. However, we do also offer a number of independant private services that are mainly based at the Fairlands Medical Centre. You can see details of these from the menu at the top of this page. These services are available for all of our patients as well as being open to anyone else. Reception will be happy to arrange appointments or give any advice required.

Private consultations
The doctors also provide private consultations where patients choose to request this so long as they are not already registered with the practice for NHS services. We regret that NHS regulations do not at present permit us to provide private medical checkups such as those available from BUPA, etc., to patients who are on our NHS lists.

Other private services
There are a number of services that are not available to our registered patients as a free NHS entitlement. A full range of such non-NHS services is provided and are charged at recommended BMA rates. These services include completion of private certificates, insurance claim forms, insurance and other private medical examinations, etc..

Temporary residents

We are happy to see any relatives or friends who are staying with you if they need to see a Doctor or Nurse. They must be resident in the UK . When they come for their appointment they will be asked to complete a temporary resident form before seeing the Doctor or Nurse. We request to see proof of identity on registering with us for this short period.

Overseas visitors

If the UK is going to be your permanent place of residence, and you have supporting documentation e.g. a utility bill in your name & valid photographic identification you are welcome to become a registered patient at the practice.

However, if you do not reside permanently in the UK you will be seen as a private patient and a fee charged at the recommended BMA rate unless the Doctor deems it be emergency treatment. Consultation charges will be payable before the patient sees the Doctor and will include a private prescription fee although the cost of any medication will apply at the chemist.

Please note that following GMC guidelines, patients who are requesting more than their normal quanties of medication will need to discuss it with a doctor during a consultation.

Change of personal details

If you change your name, important registration details, address or telephone number please let us know so that we can update our records. Please remember to let us know these details for each family member as well. We also need to know of any important changes in your health circumstances that you think we may not otherwise know by direct communications from hospitals and other correspondance etc.

A form is supplied below for you to print using Adobe reader and we would be very grateful if you could let us have details of such changes.

Change of personal details

Access to health records

Patients are entitled to see their medical records, with certain exemptions, and new legislation comes into force at the beginning of November 2003. The Freedom of Infomation Act requires us to provide a publication scheme which gives full infomation on how to obtain such information. We have published this scheme on this site at the following link.

Freedom of Information

Requests for access to your records should be made in writing to the Deputy Practice Manager. An administration charge for copying your records will apply at a rate of 40p per side (maximum charge £10).