Family Health Services
- How to register with a doctor's practice
- How to apply for a duplicate Medical Card
- Access to Medical Records
- General Enquiries about GP Registration
- General Enquiries about Cervical Screening or Breast Screening
How to Register with a Doctor's Practice
To register with a doctors' surgery, contact the practice of your choice. If you live in their practice area, you will be asked to complete a registration form. You will also be asked for proof of address and may be asked for photographic identification.
If you are don't know which practices are in your area, go to the NHS Choices web site www.nhs.uk to see a list of those nearest to your address. You will need to know your post code. Whilst not all of the practises listed will cover your address, it will give you a good idea of what is available and often provides a link to the practice’s own website which may also have details of the practice area.
If you experience any difficulty in registering with a doctors' practice please contact Gloucestershire Family Health Service on 
08454 221973 and they will try to help you.
If you have experienced serious difficulty in getting registered with a GP practice and want us to allocate you a doctor, please complete the following allocation form. If you have never been registered in this country before please complete this form. Please note that allocations are only made in extreme circumstances and every effort should be made to register yourself before submitting an application. If you do apply to be allocated, you will not be able to choose which doctor you will be registered with. Allocation is done on a rota basis to the next practice that covers your address. Practices have the right to remove an allocated patient after 3 months.
How to Apply for a Duplicate Medical Card
If you are registered with a GP and need a new medical card, please complete and submit the this form. Applications for new medical cards are not accepted over the phone.
Access to Medical Records
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Access to Health Records Act 1990, everyone has the right to access personal data about themselves including NHS medical records. Click here to find out more information about this.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Fees and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2001 a fee can be charged for providing copies of health records.
Applications for access to GP medical records for patients currently registered with a GP (family doctor) should be addressed directly to the GP practice.
Please note that if you are moving abroad to live you will not be able to take your original medical records with you. You will be able to get a copy from your practice for which a fee may be charged.
Applications for access to general hospital notes, ie Gloucestershire Royal Hospital or Cheltenham General Hospital, should be made directly to the access to medical records department on 
08454 223676 or 08454 223160.
Applications for access to GP medical records for deceased patients should be made in writing to Registration and Screening Lead, Family Health Services, NHS Gloucestershire, 5220 Valiant Court, Gloucester Business Park, Gloucester, GL3 4FE.
Applications for access to community hospital notes including:
- Stroud Maternity Hospital
- Stroud General
- Cirencester Hospital
- Fairford Hospital
- The Dilke
- Moore Cottage Hospital
- Tewkesbury Hospital
- Moreton Hospital
- Lydney and District Hospital
- Berkeley Hospital.
should be made using the appropriate form from the list below
Application by an adult for Midwifery Health Records
Application for Deceased Patient records
Application by an Adult for Health Records
Application on behalf of a Child for Health Records
General Enquiries about your GP Registration
Please contact either your GP practice or Family Health Services on ghn-tr.fhs@nhs.net (
08454 221973).
General Enquiries about Cervical Screening or Breast Screening
Please address general enquiries about Cervical Screening to your registered GP practice or the Sexual Health Clinic 
0845 422 2374 (Cheltenham) or 08454 226201 (Gloucester)
Any enquiries about Breast Screening should be addressed to the Gloucestershire Breast Screening Service, Thirlestaine Breast Centre, Cobalt House, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7AP, 
08454 223786, Fax 01242 697884
