registering with the NHS

Odd everyone is having such difficulty registering.
I went to my local NHS GP just to say Hi and introduce myself, filled out a questionnaire and the card was in the mail 6 weeks later. Never showed ID, and never had them ask any questions regarding my citizenship.

Has anyone tried going to an NHS office in a rural area to sign up?

Best of luck.

Odd everyone is having such difficulty registering.

It's not 'everyone'... it's just a couple of people.
Most of us have had the same straightforward experience as yourself.   

It's not 'everyone'... it's just a couple of people.
Most of us have had the same straightforward experience as yourself.   

I had no problem.  Registered at the same surgery that's treated 3 generations of DH's family.

does anyone know if my partner will be able to register with NHS?  We have a Civil Union from Vermont which I'm told qualifies us as Civil Partners under the new act that begins Dec 5th.  He will be applying for a spousal visa after I arrive.  If he does, I can't wait to see the look on the receptionists face at the GP's office.

If he has a spousal visa, then yes... he can use the NHS.

Hmm guess it varies then.  Maybe I'll ask the receptionist when I go for my appointment.

As I recall, the dr's surgery didn't give me my NHS number.  They referred me to call a number for this (I think somewhere in Leeds Council but it's been awhile).  Then, somehow, miraculously -- the place that sent me the number somehow communicates that on to the surgery, or something like that...(or maybe it just shows up in their computer network or something).  Whatever I got, I got in the post - that is, my NHS card with the number on it.

I tried to register for NHS when we arrived and I was told we had a six month wait before we would be eligable.  (there was a three month wait in Canada when we returned  there for a year after living in the US so I didn't question it here). Now after looking at the DH website, I realise now that we are eligable for NHS.  We have been here for almost 6 months now, and thankfully, none of us have been sick yet - I did have to go see the doctor for something minor, and was charged £25.  Our local surgery will not register us, I have a feeling even if our six month wait is up.  And the next closest surgery wouldn't even look at us and sent us back to the first.  We are all healthy and have all our paperwork in order, we're both working, kids are in school and we're here on a work permit AND UK ancestry visa.  What are we doing wrong here?  After reading how everyone else is having no problems, I'm starting to wonder...

Everything else with this move has been flawless.  I guess  we have to have a glich somewhere.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I registered while pregnant with Courtney when I came over with my fiance visa in July and still I haven't got an NHS card yet, Courtney was born in October and just got her NHS card in the mail today 

I haven't even registered because our local surgery won't even look at us every time we tried.

I registered in June of 2003 and still don't have a card. But I like our local surgery and the GP I see is really great. No NHS complaints from me -- so far.

I finally was able to register with NHS but the people at the health authority assured my that there is indeed a 6 month wait before you are eligible for unlimited care.  I asked for documentation because I could not find it anywhere on the internet and the supervisor gave me a website to look it up on and it wasn't on that either.  he said he'd send it to me, but I'm still waiting... 

I finally was able to register with NHS but the people at the health authority assured my that there is indeed a 6 month wait before you are eligible for unlimited care.  I asked for documentation because I could not find it anywhere on the internet and the supervisor gave me a website to look it up on and it wasn't on that either.  he said he'd send it to me, but I'm still waiting... 

I don't understand why they are being so mean about this?  I had never heard of anything like that.  I have heard that the NHS is out to discourage 'health care tourists' as it were, but for people that are here legally & eligible?  WTF?   If anything it's going to the other extreme because most people's experiences are of getting care on the NHS -- no questions asked.  I wonder if you can write to someone at the NHS & ask for clarification to then take in to that supervisor.  Heh heh.  May be more trouble than it's worth, but there would be some satisfaction in that.

Not every surgery is aware of how to deal with those on visas. I took me almost a month to get fully registered with my surgery because the practice manager didn't believe that I was eligible on a fiance visa. I told her exactly where to look on the Dept of Health website for the information and she just dismissed it out of hand. They sent it off to the trust to review the policy before finally allowing me to register. My doctor has been great but that experience with the practice manager and front line reception has soured it a bit.

Not every surgery is aware of how to deal with anyone.  My British passport wasn't good enough for one doctor in London because I didn't know my NHS number and had never had an NHS card  Eventually she rang up the local NHS whatjamacallit and they told her my NHS number.

Not every surgery is aware of how to deal with anyone.  My British passport wasn't good enough for one doctor in London because I didn't know my NHS number and had never had an NHS card  Eventually she rang up the local NHS whatjamacallit and they told her my NHS number.

Ah, that helps restore my faith in the system.  Good grief....