Just found out GP Surgery has deregistered us- is that allowed?

[dummarodum]

Hoping someone can help me understand why this might've happened.

I lived a stone-throw away from a medical practice a few years ago. When I moved out of the area, I went in and asked if I could continue being registered there and I was told yes but I would not have the option of requesting home visits, etc. which I was more than happy with. When I fell pregnant and had my baby, I registered him at the surgery too. Although one GP at the surgery made a comment I'd registering my baby closer to home, on the whole, no one else mentioned it. Imagine my surprise then when I called today to make a routine appointment to discuss something to be told that my baby and I have been deregistered from the surgery- the receptionist didn't have any details why but said she'd get a practice manager to call me. I'm livid at why I've been removed without warning. I have a lifelong health condition and have regular tests to ensure I'm on the right amount of medication. I'm also on the repeat prescription list and to be removed like this means I'm going to have to go without medication until I'm re-registered elsewhere and have had the initial appointment with a new GP to explain my condition, etc. What I want to know is, is removing us like this allowed? Can I insist we go back on their list of patients?

The reason why I'm loathe to be registered at a GP surgery locally is because they're genuinely terrible with the NHS reviews backing this up.

Although one GP at the surgery made a comment that I should be registering my baby closer to home- sorry should've reread my post before posting :/

it is perfectly legal
it seems now that they have an obligation if they continue to have you as a patient that they cannot opt out of visiting you so you may now be too far away for them to feel that they can accept this obligation
"If you move out of GP’s area
If you are changing address, but are not moving too far, you may wish to stay with your current GP. You should ask the GP if they are willing to continue treating and visiting you at the new address. A GP can continue to treat you if you have moved out of their practice area, but they will have to assure the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) that they are willing to continue visiting and treating you."

you are not de- registered for 8 days after your notes have gone to NHSE or you have re-registered elsewhere which ever is sooner and they have to continue treating you for emergencies and anything that requires weekly visits until your new registration is complete but you can't delay this by not registering elsewhere as you will be allocated a practice
so get your repeat prescriptions today and try and register elsewhere asap

Thanks @TeacupDrama. That's absolutely fine- I understand things change. I'm just annoyed about how I found by chance this morning. Apparently we've been deregistered since early February of this year. In the mean time, I've requested my repeat prescription and had that delivered to the pharmacy of my choice and my husband has also been to the surgery for a minor procedure. He made an appointment last week and was due to be seen today. He took the morning off work, only to turn up and be told that he couldn't be seen as he was no longer a patient. He told to call NHS England since they're the ones that apparently decide who can stay at which surgery. They told him it was nothing to do with them and at the discretion of the management of the surgery.

Waiting for the Practice Manager to call me back.

I think when it was just you they were fine as chances of two young adults needing home visits is tiny tiny, however babies are different so I am guessing the thinking was we do not really think we can commit to visiting baby at home ( even 30 minutes away means it is nearly 90 minutes out of a day to do a home visit) so rather than have half family registered here and half somewhere else we will de-register them all
I guess the comment about registering near home should have been more forcefully put so you understood that really registering there long term was not an option

They should usually inform you in writing before removing you from their register, and tell you why, so you may want to ask the practice manager why this didn’t happen in your case.

However to correct something above, GPs aren’t actually obliged to provide home visits for ‘out of area’ patients, or indeed to any patient - they have a lot of discretion about which services they provide and how/to who. So by all means press your case with the practice if you want to, but just be aware that ultimately it’s (usually) their choice whether to accept you or not.

gothicsprout this was actually quoted directly from citizens advice own website so I had assumed as reputable and update it was true, I'm in Scotland so rules are different here

Yes it's legal

But someone has fucked up by not informing you first. That shouldn't have happened.

Have any of you been to anywhere else at all for healthcare - i.e. a walk in centre, out of hours. anything like that? At the GP practice where I work we sometimes find patients have been deducted automatically as they have been seen for healthcare somewhere else and wherever they have been seen have mistakenly registered them as a permanent patient there rather than a temp registration as should happen.

I did use the walk-in centre near us (5 mins away) to check up on a cough my LO had. I will be very annoyed if they registered him at the time of our visit. However, neither my husband nor I have been in for ourselves.

I totally understand GPs can't visit everybody- especially those of us out of borough and I was willing to visit the surgery if I needed to see a doctor. It's just the way all of this has been handled that isn't sitting well with me. I spoke to the receptionist earlier who informed me that I can no longer have another repeat prescription since I'm no longer a patient with them and that the PM will call me back to discuss- he didn't call. Will try again tomorrow.

I've also been frantically searching a round for surgeries- our local one is terrible but they're temporarily not talking any patients since the lady who deals with new patients is away :/ the other surgeries we're not in the catchment of.

Yes, that is probably what has happened then - your original GP practice will just have been informed that you have registered elsewhere and been removed from their list.

Op same happened to me 2 weeks ago. I called to make an apptmt which I did, then the receptionist called me back to say I'm no longer a patient there but she didn't know why. Practise Manager on hols so was told she'd call me Monday ( this wk ) but she didn't.
I called Tuesday again told practise manager would call me back. She didn't. I Called yesterday and was told I'd have to re-register, apparently somebody has requested my medical records ( they don't know who )
If I hadn't called to make a apptmt I'd never have known!
I've just registered at a new GP don't trust the other one now...