Switching GPs?

I'll be moving to London in a couple of weeks, and am due for my annual eye exam (retinal disease so it's not really optional) in March. I would like to get in with a GP asap so that I can get referred to an eye specialist.

However, I'll initially be staying with relatives, and may ultimately end up in a different part of London once I find a job. If/when that happens...
Do I switch GPs to someone more local?
Do I trek across town with (hypothetical) strep throat to visit the GP near my relatives?
Will I get any grief for swapping GPs, and/or requesting to see a specialist first thing?

Thanks!

I believe in London you have GP's that are assigned to a specific area (probably based on post code). So if you do move then of course your would logically change GP's and I'm sure that people do it quite frequently..as far as the specialist I don't know that could be something that you may have to ask the Primary Care Trust for that area to find out.

Here's the search result for PCT's in London. As you can see you may well end up in a different PCT depending on how far you move from your relatives.

I believe in London you have GP's that are assigned to a specific area (probably based on post code). So if you do move then of course your would logically change GP's and I'm sure that people do it quite frequently..as far as the specialist I don't know that could be something that you may have to ask the Primary Care Trust for that area to find out.

This is true everywhere in Britain; Each GP practice has a "catchment area" within which you have to live to be eligible to register with that practice. GPs agree their catchment areas with local health managers. They vary in size with some rural doctors seeing patients up to 40 miles away, while city-based doctors often refuse people who are outside a two-mile radius. Some city practice areas overlap so in many cases you can choose whch one to go to or switch practices if you want to. Anyhow, if you moved you would have to change GPs if the move took you out of the qualifying area.

In September 2009 the government announced plans to abolish GP areas in England (not the rest of the UK) by Autumn ("fall") 2010, giving patients the right to choose where to register, although of course whether that will happen is anybody's guess.

See here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/talking_to_your_doctor/gp_choosing.shtml