Online Access

Getting started with GP online services

From your 16th birthday, you can access your GP surgery online. You can do this when it suits you, using your smartphone, tablet or computer. All patients in England can use this service if they want to. You can:

Book and cancel appointments with your doctor or nurse.
Order repeat prescriptions.
See your GP information including medicines, allergies, illnesses, immunisations and test results.

You may want to use online services now, or it might be something you’d like to do in the future. You will still be able to phone your GP surgery or drop in to see them. This is another option to make things easier.

What can you do with GP online services?

Check your test results, for example, blood tests.
Check medicines you are taking or have taken in the past.
Check if you have an allergy that may affect what medication you can take.
Look at what vaccinations you have had. It’s useful when you are going on holiday, changing schools, going to uni or starting a new job.
If you have a long term condition, you can check what the doctor told you to do when you last saw them, to make sure you are doing the right things to manage your condition.

Why have GP online services?

You can book appointments that ﬁt around your life, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week.
It’s a lot quicker than having to ring up or even go to the surgery.
You can save time.
In most GP systems you can add a message when booking your appointment to let the doctor or nurse know why you want to see them. This is useful if it is something that might be embarrassing to say over the phone. It also helps give the doctor or nurse some background info for your appointment which saves time during the appointment.
You can order repeat prescriptions, without having to look for your prescription order slip.
If you have a long term health condition, like asthma or diabetes, you can check your test results online and ﬁnd out more about your condition. This can help you to manage your condition better.

How can you get it?

It’s easy. Your surgery will need to check who you are, to make sure only you see your record. This is how it works:

Go to your GP surgery and tell the receptionist that you would like to start using online services.
You’ll need two IDs: One that shows your face, such as a passport or driving licence and another one, such as: –a secondary or higher education certiﬁcate.– proof of age card issued under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme. – student loan account. – bank or savings account statement. – credit card. – mobile telephone contract account. If you don’t have ID, it doesn’t mean you can’t use online services. Speak to your surgery and they will be able to help you register another way.
If you want to register to view your record as well as book appointments and order prescriptions online, your surgery will give you a form to ﬁll in and sign. There may also be a short delay while your surgery sets up your online access.
Your surgery will then give you a letter with your username, and password so you can log in and start using online services. Remember to keep the letter safe and don’t just leave it lying around.
Your surgery can refuse to let you use online services. If they do, they will discuss their reasons with you.

Keeping your information safe and secure.

You should not share your username and password with anyone.
Your GP information is important and private, so you should keep it safe and secure. Never share your medical information with others on any social media, like Facebook.
If you use a computer that other people also use, such as at the library, at school or at home, make sure other people can’t see what you are looking at on the computer screen. Keep your private info private.
Make sure you log out when you ﬁnish looking at your information, so that no one else can see it or change your password without you knowing. Make sure your password is not remembered by the website either.
If you think someone may be looking at your private info without your permission tell your surgery straight away. The staff can turn off the online access and restart it by giving you a new PIN and password.
No one should force you to show them your GP info or to tell them what’s in there. You have the right to say no! If this happens, tell your surgery as soon as you can. For more information on how you can protect your GP online information, read the ‘Protecting your GP online records’ guide at nhs.uk/GPonlineservices

What else?

On rare occasions, you may see your test results before your doctor has commented or spoken to you about them, for example, when you can’t contact your surgery because it’s closed. You will need to wait until you can see their comments or talk to your own doctor.
If any of your online information is not correct, you should tell your surgery. You may see things that you did not know were in your GP record. If this happens and you ﬁnd it upsetting, tell your surgery.
If you see someone else’s information in your online record, log out immediately and tell your surgery as soon as possible.
You can choose another person to share your online information with, such as your mum or dad. If you want to do this, speak to your surgery and they may be able to allow the person you choose to have their own login details to look at your information. You don’t have to give mum or dad access to your record, you can choose to only let them book appointments or just order repeat prescriptions for you.

What to do if you have problems with the service?

If you lose or forget your login details, go to the website you use to login and click the ‘forgotten details’ button, then follow the instructions. Contact your GP surgery if you are having problems or use the website’s help button.