Out Of Area Registration
Portsdown Group Practice recognises that not all patients wish to register at a surgery close to their home address or would wish to stay with the service they know after they move. Many patients prefer to register closer to their place of work or study. In order to address this we have a type of registration called “Out of Area” (OOA) Registration.
Portsdown Group Practice has a practice boundary which covers post code areas PO1 – PO7. If you live in a different post code to this, you are classed as an ‘Out of Area’ patient.
OOA Registration offers patients all the services usually associated with registration, with three exceptions: Home visits, urgent treatment (if you cannot come to the practice) and access to local community services. If an OOA Registered patient is unwell and needs to be seen at home, whatever the time of day or night, they can call 111 (urgent) or 999 (emergency) and get the care they need.
There are some patients who are not suitable for OOA registration. These include any patient who is likely to require input from a specialist team who are geographically located according to their home address, not their GP address.
This includes (but not limited to) patients / services in the following services:
- Patients with serious mental health problems (e.g. Psychosis, Bi-Polar, Schizophrenia) who many need support from mental health specialist teams (e.g. Community Mental Health Team)
- Patients or Families with Child Safeguarding needs/ Children’s Social Care
- Patients with Adult Safeguarding needs/ Adult Social Care
- Patients with complex community-based packages of care/ Adult Social Care
- Complex medical needs may be unsuitable – we will let you know if this is the case
- If the Practice feels that you would benefit from being registered elsewhere, we will contact you to advise you of this.
The reasons for denying the option of OOA registration to patients in groups such as these is that some essential community services may not be accessible to them if they live outside of Portsmouth. Their health and social care needs are better met through registration close to where they live.
The practice has the right to decline if we feel you are unsuitable or if your circumstances change.
OOA registration will, we hope, allow patients who are pleased with the level of care our service provides to remain with our practice should they move away, if they wish. We also hope that patients who travel to work or study in the Portsmouth area, and who are therefore part of our community, might also have access to our GP surgery for the first time.
If you have a long -term condition, you will be invited annually, for a review of your medical condition (asthma, diabetes etc.) or if eligible flu vaccine, smear test etc. If you fail to attend an appointment for these reviews following your third invite, we may remove you from the practice list and advise you to register to a GP practice closer to your home address.
What do I do to register as an Out-of-Area Patient?
New Patients
You must be aware of the above and then complete the New Patient Registration form:
Complete online registration form
Our online registration form will collect your details, a brief outline of your medical history and record your preferences. This information may be added to your record and will allow us to begin to provide you with medical services.
Please complete one form for each family member.
By completing the form above indicates to us that you agree to the out of area exceptions and restrictions, and you may be asked to register to a GP surgery closer to your home address that would provide you with suitable and unrestrictive care according to your needs.
Existing Patients
You must be aware of the above and then complete the change of contact details form
By completing the change of contact details form indicates to us that you agree to the out of area exceptions and restrictions, and you may be asked to register to a GP surgery closer to your home address that would provide you with suitable and unrestrictive care according to your needs
FAQS
1) What happens initially after I join the practice as an out of area patient or change my address which is out of area?
We will review your records and until you hear from us otherwise, you can stay registered with us as an OOA patient. If you move back within our catchment area, please let us know your new address as soon as possible so we can then register you as a regular patient without any restrictions.
2) Why do I have to be registered as an out of area patient; why can I not be registered as a regular patient?
All GP surgeries across the UK, agree their catchment area with their local ICB, which indicates how far they are able to provide safely home visits and urgent treatment for their patients, which is also our case. While we endeavour to provide care to as many patients as possible we cannot safely offer home visits or urgent treatment for patients beyond our catchment area. This is why we need to register patients living outside of our catchment areas, as out-of-area patients.
3) What if I move back into the catchment area, after being registered as out of area?
Simply complete the change of contact details form, above. If accepted, we will then re-register you as a regular patient. Then the above rules will no longer apply to you.
4) What if I do not agree to out of area restrictions?
We do not have to accept patients that live outside of our catchment area, but we are allowed to, if it is safe to do so and in the patient’s best interest. The restrictions are in place are set by NHS England and local ICB.
If you do not agree, you simply need to register to a GP closer to your home address to get the full benefits of a GP service which they can offer to you within their catchment area.
5) What if I develop one of the exclusions above whilst registered as an out of area patient?
If it becomes apparent that your needs have changed we will contact you and will ask you to register with a practice closer to home.