No address no problem - registering at the GP with no fixed abode
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Healthwatch Buckinghamshire wanted to find out how easy it is for people who don’t have an address to register with a GP in Buckinghamshire.
From 22nd -24th January 2018 Healthwatch Buckinghamshire looked at the available websites of all GP practices in Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area (one practice did not appear to have its own website at the time).
On 15th February 2018 a volunteer from Wycombe Homeless Connection (WyHC) rang 37 practices and two branch surgeries in the Buckinghamshire CCG area. Healthwatch Buckinghamshire got responses from 35. We used the first call to a practice as a pilot and excluded this response from our analysis. As a result, the findings are based on 34 responses (33 telephone conversations and one recorded message).
Overall, over 80% of the practices contacted provided a helpful response. Healthwatch Buckinghamshire do recognise that many GP practices (particularly those in rural areas) may not be asked about registering homeless people regularly but sofa-surfing is potentially relevant anywhere in the county. Healthwatch Buckinghamshire also appreciate that certain information is helpful to practices (for example to match patient records and establish eligibility for NHS treatments). However, our findings show that there were a wide range of approaches taken by GP practices across the area. In some cases the practice policy (as portrayed by the response) does not seem to be aligned with the guidance in the NHS leaflet. However even when the response was helpful it was often not aligned with NHS guidance.
Healthwatch Buckinghamshire recommend that: the CCG and GP Federations use their communications routes to raise awareness of this issue and help to ensure a consistent approach; practice websites include a link to the NHS Choices webpage that gives information about how to register for a homeless patient (as well as other groups such as asylum seekers, refugees and for the gypsy, traveller and Roma communities); practices ensure staff are familiar with this guidance.