NHS Scotland

For those of you who have registered with a GP here in Scotland...how long did it take for you to get a registration letter or card? I’ve registered with my GP and have my first medical appointment middle of July but have received nothing from the NHS.

For those of you who have registered with a GP here in Scotland...how long did it take for you to get a registration letter or card? I’ve registered with my GP and have my first medical appointment middle of July but have received nothing from the NHS.

Not sure about in Scotland, but in England you don't always get anything in the post... and not all GPs send out NHS number cards (I'm British and didn't even know I had an NHS number until I was 24!).

As long as you have registered, you will be in the system and can see a GP with no issues. In the past, when registering, I've just been told I have to wait at least a week from registering before making an appointment, to make sure I'm properly in the system.

Just looking up NHS Scotland, this is what it says about registering and medical cards:

Medical Cards
A Medical Card can be issued to a patient for the purpose of confirming their registration with a GP practice for primary medical services. Medical Cards are only issued when requested by a patient.

You don't need to hold a medical card to register with a GP practice or receive services from the NHS in Scotland.

(https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/doctors/registering-with-a-gp-practice#medical-cards)

So, so I need to know my number for anything? If I need to be hospitalised, they’ll just look me up by my name?

So, so I need to know my number for anything? If I need to be hospitalised, they’ll just look me up by my name?

Yep - you just give your name (and any other details they ask for like DOB or address).

The NHS number is more for administrative purposes than anything else... it's so they can identify you in the NHS computer system. The only time I've ever needed to know what it was when I was registering with a new GP and the registration form asked for my NHS number (and if you're not sure what it is, you can just ask the GP surgery).

To be honest, the first I really heard of NHS numbers was when I joined the forum in 2007... of course, I'd always had one, I just didn't know that I did because I'd never needed to use it .

Ok! Thanks! That works. Last thing I want is another card to carry right now 

Ok! Thanks! That works. Last thing I want is another card to carry right now 

They will be able to find you with date of birth and post code. It's so refreshing! 

Yeah, and if you try to change your name with your GP, they will only change the last one and not the first one. 

The only things I've gotten, here in Glasgow, from NHS are letters about mamograms, a colon-cancer screening kit, and more strident "we're going to tell your GP if you don't do it" messages on both of the aforementioned. (Is that supposed to make me quake in my tennies or something?)