Proof of Identity

But there is incentive to lie about an address.  When I lived in London, there was a lovely little surgery right across the main road from my flat that I tried to register at.  Because we were on the other side of the main road, we were not in their catchment area and so had to register at a totally different surgery (which was not anywhere near as nice).  I did try to register at the nice one but they said no chance.  They'd have been overloaded with patients if they just allowed anyone who said they lived in the right area to register.  In areas where there is a lot of demand, they have to have some method of making sure patients are spread out across surgeries.

We had to show proof of address in Edinburgh as well, for what I suspect was the same reason. 

Genau!
When i lived in London, i had the same issue... 2 doctors surgeries, one at each end of my road... one nice and clean and shiny... one that looked like a grubby mini-cab office.   My address/post code determined which surgery's catchment i was in.  (I got lucky!)

I know the OP probably doesn't want to check out all the surgeries in the catchment area to see if there is one that DOESN'T require proof of address, but it does happen.  I've now registered at 2 surgeries in Birmingham (the original one and then the new one when we moved).  Both times they took my word on the address and neither time were they interested in seeing a passport with a visa in it...I may have hit on the only two surgeries in the country that are like this!

Strictly speaking they should ask for proof of identity and proof of address.

In their contract to provide NHS services there is a map that outlines exactly where the surgery will take patients from. If they choose to take people outside their catchment, and, for example, a new development goes in within their boundaries, they are still obligated to take anyone from the new development, so it is in their best interest to stick to their catchment.

Most GPs are paid per head with a formula that accounts for age, sex, etc. of the patients on their list. It's VERY rare, and a big old contractual hassle for everyone involved to close their list - they don't want to do it and the PCT don't want them to do it. IF they do, the PCT has an obligation to make sure that patients within their catchment have another option - a surgery near by who will need to agree to take the patients in the interim, for example.

If it's just a case of registering in the correct catchment and surgeries never say they won't accept new patients, then it seems unnecessary to require a utility bill as proof of address.  There is very little incentive for people to lie to a GP about their address, so why not just take them at their word?

The girls are right - there is very often a patient preference. I know one area with three surgeries relatively near each other. One is shiny and pretty with loads of parking. All the GPs at all the surgeries are the same and the service they provide is the same, but given the choice most patients would fill the fancier one which means the smaller ones would lose a lot of money.

It's not like a bank account where there's the potential for crime--everyone is entitled to medical care, and not everyone is able to provide "proof" of address.  If they won't accept a signed letter from the OP's landlord, and that's all the proof she can offer, they are effectively denying her medical care with their senseless bureaucratic pedantry

There are means of doing it. And a decent surgery will work with people to get them registered but they also have to follow the rules. Most people, within a week of moving in somewhere get something - a council tax statement, an energy provider bill, etc. And if there's a circumstance like homelessness that means someone actually physically cannot provide proof of address, the PCT will work with the surgery to come up with a solution like using the surgery's address as a temporary measure.

Most people, within a week of moving in somewhere get something - a council tax statement, an energy provider bill, etc.

Not everyone, obviously.  See the OP.  I can't prove my address either because I live with my in-laws.  There are a ton of things that could prevent people from having proof of address. 

And if there's a circumstance like homelessness that means someone actually physically cannot provide proof of address, the PCT will work with the surgery to come up with a solution like using the surgery's address as a temporary measure.

Again, not happening in the OP's case.  Wouldn't accepting a letter from her landlord be a temporary solution? 

I can understand why surgeries would need to be cautious in cases where there is a nice one and a not-so-nice one in close proximity, but no one has offered evidence that people have actually lied about their address in order to be registered at a nice one.  Geeta tried to register with her real address and was turned away.  Lying about ones address to get into a nice surgery would be massively impractical--you wouldn't receive mail at the fake address, for one thing, so you'd never get anything the nice surgery sent through the mail.  The other surgery would have to be a pit of hell to make normal people consider doing something so stupid and impractical.  Which brings me back to my original point: Why be so strict about the proof required?  Why not accept a letter from a landlord?

Lying about ones address to get into a nice surgery would be massively impractical--you wouldn't receive mail at the fake address, for one thing, so you'd never get anything the nice surgery sent through the mail. 

Yeah, you can.  If its your friends address or parents or whatever, they'd send it there and they'd give it to you. 

The other surgery would have to be a pit of hell to make normal people consider doing something so stupid and impractical. 

Oh people do this all the time choose things based on their appearance. A shiny, nice facility makes people feel better about their healthcare- regardless of the actual level of care.  Same thing in a school- a brand new school opened in the same catchment area as another school that's older because they needed the space. All the parents wanted to send their kids to the new school ,rather than the older school, even though the education levels are comparable. 

If the OP has no option of a council tax bill, or utility bill (I'd call your company up first and make sure your bills come in their name, not just "occupier") then getting a provisional license is the best option for proof of ID. 
 

ok well I still dont have any proof of identity I've gone to three different offices in my area and they all asked for it so I'm going to just wait until I cut a finger off or finally stab myself while peeling a coconut. this all seems rather ridiculous though as I still cant do much without some proof of identity, apparently even though my UK passport was registered a month or so ago they wouldn't let me use that either...

ok well I still dont have any proof of identity I've gone to three different offices in my area and they all asked for it so I'm going to just wait until I cut a finger off or finally stab myself while peeling a coconut. this all seems rather ridiculous though as I still cant do much without some proof of identity, apparently even though my UK passport was registered a month or so ago they wouldn't let me use that either...

they're not really looking for proof of identity (your passport is enough for that), but rather proof of address, which is where you're getting stuck.  A minor nitpick, I know, sorry!

But what about a council tax bill?  That's usually the easiest thing to use for proof of address if you're not a full-time student and you don't have a bank account yet or utilities in your name. Or you could try the provisional license suggestion mentioned earlier..don't give up just yet!

Yeah, don't give up!
Council tax bill (if not a bill, can the council send you something in your name?), TV license?, change your name on those utilities to yours, something will have to work for them...  Sorry you're having such trouble!

Provisional driver's license (as suggested earlier) !

Council tax bill (if not a bill, can the council send you something in your name?), TV license?, change your name on those utilities to yours, something will have to work for them...  Sorry you're having such trouble!

unfotunately I dont have a council tax bill or a tv license and my landlord didnt want to change the utilities bills to my name

but thx for the advice on the license. for the license do I need to take a bunch of driving lessons or can I just take a written test, and hope for the best?

but thx for the advice on the license. for the license do I need to take a bunch of driving lessons or can I just take a written test, and hope for the best?

You don't need lessons or a test for the provisional license.  You just fill out a form, pay £50, mail your passport and some photos to the DVLA, and you'll have the license within a week.  And you can do it all online.  Here's the website http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/DG_10012514

but thx for the advice on the license. for the license do I need to take a bunch of driving lessons or can I just take a written test, and hope for the best?

As historyenne said, you don't need to do anything except apply for the licence... some people who have a provisional licence have no intention of learning to drive at all (and have never driven a car in their life) - it's just a way to get a form of ID/proof of address, as the licence will have your address and date of birth printed on it .

Even though I'd been back in England over 12 years, I'd never registered with a local G.P. in this area until the end of last year.  I live about 4½ miles from the nearest two surgeries, and even though they are only about 400 to 500 yards apart, at the first one I was told I was not in the catchment area.   I wasn't asked for any proof of address when registering at the other one though - But this is a small town in rural Norfolk.

A few more ideas, if the learner permit doesn't work...

1. Ok, I know you said you can't get a bank account, but what about a credit union account? They are set up to help people who couldn't normally get a bank account or a bank loan etc.

2. What about a pay slip, is that sent to your home?

3. You say you have a british passport. Ring the council and say you want to register to vote, they send you a form to fill in. As it's correspondence directly from your local council, that might be accepted.

You could call the HMRC and ask them for information about classes or registering as self-employed.  You wouldn't have to actually do it, but I got a bunch of mail from Revenue and Customs when I first got here and was looking into starting my counselling business.  Not every business will accept them as they are often strict about it needing to be utilities or a bank statement, but I'll bet a doctor's office would accept it.