If you become unwell while away from home, or if you are not registered with a GP but need to see one, you can receive emergency treatment from a local GP practice for up to 14 days. After this period, you will need to register as either a temporary or permanent patient.

You may be registered as a temporary patient for up to three months. This allows you to access care at the local practice while still remaining a patient of your usual GP. After three months, you would need to re-register as a temporary patient or register permanently.

To register as a temporary patient, simply contact the local practice you wish to use. While practices are not obliged to accept you as a temporary patient, they do have a duty to provide emergency treatment. Please note that you cannot register as a temporary patient in the same town or area where you are already registered.

Temporary residents can only be provided with immediately necessary treatment for urgent issues. Unfortunately, we are unable to manage ongoing conditions, initiate new investigations, or arrange outpatient referrals. In some cases, we may be able to provide a one-off prescription to cover you until you can obtain medication from your regular GP, or we may refer you to hospital in an emergency. For all long-term health matters and routine referrals, you should return to your usual GP practice.

Please be aware that we do not have access to your full medical records, nor do we receive funding for ongoing prescriptions or referrals for temporary patients.

If you only require an urgent prescription (for example, if you have forgotten or run out of your medication), you can:

• Contact NHS 111, who can arrange for a local pharmacy to issue a temporary supply, or
• Request a repeat prescription directly from your own GP practice (by post, email, or online). Many practices can send prescriptions to a local pharmacy through the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).

Please note: under NHS regulations, we are not your registered GP and your usual surgery remains responsible for your ongoing healthcare needs. If your condition is not urgent or immediately necessary, please let the receptionist know. In such cases, we may cancel the appointment to avoid disappointment if the doctor is unable to meet your needs.

For more information go to Register with a GP surgery - NHS