What the receptionist at a doctor's surgery asks for when one tries to register can vary widely, depending on sometimes the very personality or mood of the person themselves.
At the first GP's surgery I tried to register at, one very close to where I was staying so it would have been ideal for convenience of use -- and even though I was in their catchment area and they told me they were accepting new patients, they made it hard and asked for everything -- proof of address etc (which I could not provide), and gave me the old thing about not yet being in the country six months therefore how do they know I'm not just going to avail myself of some NHS services then do a runner back to the country I came from! I got the full suspicion routine and all the officious stuff thrown at me.
I then picked another surgery I was also in the catchment area of. Went there and experienced a completely different story. The woman at the front desk was breezy and friendly, simply asked for my address verballly to be told to her, to check I was in the catchment area, but never asked for paperwork proof of that address, nor anything else other than possibly my passport I think, just to verify my ID. But basically that was it with her -- I got straight in with none of the fuss the first place made just a week earlier, and which had so discouraged me.
So, it almost depends on the whim of the person on the front desk, as to whether or not you are given the Spanish Inquisition or waved right through to the patient register without a bat of an eyelash. It shouldn't be that inconsistent officially, I guess. But since it seems to be, always, always try another surgery if the one you attempt to register at gives you a hard time. Besides, even if you do eventually convince the "hardline" one to take you, you wouldn't want to deal with such an officious receptionist on an ongoing basis.
