Registered with GP but have no NHS number

Hi everyone. I registered with a GP about a week ago, but I don't remember being given anything when I left. I was just told that I could make appointments following the next Monday (it was a Friday). I wanted to walk over there today, but I wanted to save some embarrassment and ask a question here first (the people here are so friendly).

I'm seeing online lots of talk about having an NHS number. Like I said, I wasn't given anything when I left the practice after signing up. I have no paperwork of any kind. Is this normal? Can I really just walk into the GP and make an appointment without needing to take anything?

I am only 22 and so even in America, I didn't have tons of experience with the legal side of doctors and what not, since I was always on my parents' insurance. I just remember all that nonsense about taking an insurance card, paying a co-pay, all that. I know we don't have to do that here, but...I feel like I'm missing something.

Hi Tommy,
You should be sent this in the post sometime soon - it's a little white and purple card which will have your details on it.

If you have registered and they were happy with all your details you are pretty much good to go. If you need to go and see the GP you just ring up/call in and give them your name and address and make an appointment. They will have your details on computer and there is no need to quote the NHS number

I agree with rosiebee -  I went and registered at the GP office along with my husband a few weeks ago.  He got his updated NHS card in the mail but I haven't gotten anything.  After 2 weeks, I called the GP office and asked if I could make an appointment anyway and they booked it.  I have since gone to the doctor and it was definitely strange not having to stop and pay anything on the way out!

I just called to book an appointment and they said I'm not on their records...how strange. She said, "Are you sure you called the right practice?" I said, "This is the ______ surgery, right?" "Yes" And I said, "Yes, I registered not last Friday but the one before that. You had me fill out an application, then had me go behind the red wall and do my height and blood pressure, and then I was told I could make appointments starting on Monday". She said, "Yeah, that's right..." but apparently they lost my paperwork.

So now I get to go in and do it all over again! Yay! Oh well. It's not like I had anything else to do today. Just kind of annoying. She was, however, able to book me in for an appointment in five days. So that's good. But how strange that there is no sign of me signing up with them! Not very impressed with that, but I don't get angry over things like this. The woman was obviously really uncomfortable and embarrassed telling me they had just LOST my stuff.

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but my GP said they no longer send the cards.  I think this is pretty recent change.

I got a card.  I registered in January this year and I think I got the card within the month.  It came with the letter- kind of as the letter- it was a punch-out thing at the bottom of the sheet.  Kind of papery but plasticy..... just plain white with the NHS logo in the corner.... nothing exciting.  DH said he never had to use his.  He just gave his name for appointments- they've never asked for the number.

The NHS number isn't really a big deal - it's just a number used to identify you in the NHS computer system... it's not likely you will ever actually need to use or produce it yourself for any reason.

I was born in the UK and was apparently issued an NHS number when I was born... however, I didn't even know I had it until I was 24.

I only found out what an NHS number was when I joined this forum and people were asking about them... I have never needed to use my number before and when I have changed GP surgeries, I have just given my name, DOB, address and previous GP name/address and the surgery has obtained the NHS number from my records.

Edited to add: Even if you haven't received your NHS number in the post, you will still have been issued one - it will be on your NHS record file at the surgery. You can always contact the surgery to ask them to give it to you (although last time I tried that, they told me I didn't even need to know it for changing surgeries and so decided not to give it to me)... plus, it will be printed on any prescriptions you are issued from the GP as well.

The only time I've had it come up was at walk-in clinics (I go to one for contraception and the like). But they only asked the first time and after that it was just rock up and tell them name and date of birth. Oddly, there is another person with the same exact name and date of birth living somewhere near me, as I am sometimes mistaken for her until the years we were born are compared (she's a bit older!).

I don't have a card - either it never got to me, or I lost it. But I do have a number, and that's all that really matters. Once you're in the system, you're in the system and don't have to worry about it.

When I first arrived in the UK and registered, I got a card but since then, as I've registered at new places I haven't had a replacement. Its never been an issue. If you move to a new place your records will be requested. You have a surgery number anyway and a hospital number if you go to hospital and its all different to your your NHS number. Its not required in order to book appointments. I know the NHS really well (lots of illness) and no one has ever asked me for it. Push and shout a little bit if you need anything it... works for me!

I registered in 06 and only got the letter.  My area stopped doing cards almost 10 years ago.

FWIW...
Just received my NHS number. It was basically a letter with my number on it and it also said 'this letter has replaced the old style medical card' and to keep it in a safe place. So, it appears NHS cards are no longer being issued.

FWIW...
Just received my NHS number. It was basically a letter with my number on it and it also said 'this letter has replaced the old style medical card' and to keep it in a safe place. So, it appears NHS cards are no longer being issued.

It depends on your trust.  The cards are still issued in mine, but other places have stopped using them.  It isn't cut and dried across the NHS, but as others said, it won't matter if you know your number or not.  You just need to know your name, birthdate, and where you live.

I've registered at three GP surgeries since moving to the UK.  I got a plain letter with my NHS number for one, a business card with my info for another, and one gave me a laminated card.

When I went to "re-register" at the same surgery I'd been with some years ago, I filled in the form and put in the NHS number from my decidedly tatty original card. The receptionist then looked me up on their database and said oh no I had a 'new' number. So she put that in and said I was good to go. I asked if I would need a new card and she said no. I did ask her to write down the new number for me.  So all I've got is the old card with the wrong number if I ever had to show anything (which I doubt would happen)