If you move out of our catchment area then we will need to ask you to register at a different practice. We appreciate that this can be challenging and that if you have not moved that far you may prefer to remain registered with us, but there are several reasons why it is important that we do this.

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The main reason is that we need to be careful about our list size if we are to continue to try to deliver the care that we think our patients deserve. We have the capacity to care for the patients who live within our practice boundary, but if we have patients registered with us who live outside our practice boundary then this will stretch our resources and impact patient care. Many practices have had to close their list to new registrations as a result of this situation and we do not want to ever have to do that. NHS England says that patients are allowed to ask to be registered near where they work rather than where they live, but this is dependent on the capacity of the registering practice and with the constraints of our building and car parking facilities we do not have the capacity for this at the current time. 

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There are also issues connected with your direct care if you live away from your GP practice. Other services, such as community nursing, midwifery services, and mental health services are closely linked to where you live and if you live outside our area then we may not be able to connect with these services in the same way, if at all, should you need them. This can create real problems in providing good care. It would also not be possible to do a home visit for someone outside our area.

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We also need to be fair to all our patients and so although you may feel that you would not need these services or a home visit in the foreseeable future, we should not discriminate against those who would need these services. 

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We are mindful that changing GP practice can be stressful, especially if you have been registered with us for some time, and we want to make the transition as smooth as possible. If there is an active health concern at the time you move house then we certainly don't want your health to suffer and will be supportive over the transition period. We would usually aim for you to be settled with your new GP within 3 months of moving. We can also help to introduce you to your new practice if your health needs are complex. 

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When you do move it is always better if you register directly with a new practice before being deregistered with us, since your record will then transfer directly from our system to your new GP. Usually this is as an electronic transfer which can take as little as 10 minutes to complete. If someone moves and does not register with another practice then we will need to let you know that you will be deregistered with us, which means your record has to return to a central location within the NHS. You will still easily be able to register with a new practice, but it will take longer for them to be able to get hold of your record which can lead to delays to your care, such as getting repeat prescriptions.