From 2015, all GP practices in England are free to register new patients who live outside their practice boundary area i.e. ‘out of area patient’.

An ‘out of area registered patient’  was a new classification of registered patient that can be provided access to the full range of services as any other patient except home visits, out of hours or immediately necessary treatment due to accident or emergency when outside the practice area.

 Home visits and access to urgent care when at home were the responsibilities of the patients home Primary Care Trust rather than the registered practice.

There are clinical conditions or care needs which mean registration without the ability to do home visits would compromise clinical care, and the patient’s needs would be better met through registration with a practice near to where they live. (For example, the patient does not have any complex long term Classification: Official 11 conditions that mean they are receiving a package of home-based care or community-based support which would be difficult for the practice to coordinate remotely; or, the patient relies on frequent home visits from their current GP practice.)

Greenwood Surgery IS able to register patients outside our catchment area however this is subject to the following requirements:

1)  If you’re an existing patient and move out of the catchment area you will be you will be required to re-register filling in a new patient form. Once the new registration is confirmed the practice is not an under any obligation to perform a home visit but would be triaged in the normal way.

2) If the situation arises where it is no longer clinically appropriate or practical for you to be registered away from home, you may be asked to consider registering with a practice closer to home where your care may be better provided at that time.