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Original poster

GP practise kicking us out

38 replies

Nerdle · 20/02/2026 22:02

Our NHS GP have changed their catchment area and are kicking us out. I am gutted - they are friendly, easy enough to get an appointment, run more or less on time. Can they do this? Can I appeal? They still cover some of our postcode but not our bit.

OP posts:
AplineDaisies · 20/02/2026 22:03

Where did they say you would now be able to register at? Another local surgery?

Boobyslims · 20/02/2026 22:07

I appealed this and I was successful. Might be trickier for you as you won’t be the only one.

Original poster
Nerdle · 20/02/2026 22:11

The letter just says to find somewhere nearer us. (We are in London. It’s in the next door borough).

OP posts:
1990s · 20/02/2026 22:13

I thought you could choose anywhere now and catchments didn’t matter any more as they don’t do home visits? Maybe wrong then…

AuntieMsDamsonCrumble · 20/02/2026 22:18

A ruling came in a couple of years ago that GP surgeries should only have patients within a defined catchment area and they've been gradually shuffling patients between each other since. I think it was because, over time people have moved house but stayed with the same doctor and this system keeps the travel range more manageable if you do need a home visit - which are rare but do still happen.

You should be able to find the surgeries available for your postcode on the NHS website.

Islandlover · 20/02/2026 22:21

This happened to us. We were gutted but in fact the new practice is excellent too. We were the wrong side of the traffic lights!

Aluna · 20/02/2026 22:36

I asked my parents’ GP surgery to keep them when my parents moved out of their catchment and they said yes. It’s worth asking if you’ve been with them a while.

Shitstix · 20/02/2026 22:41

I really hated that aspect of NHS doctors, that you could only be registered wth one clinic. I'm in Australia and see bulk billed docs wherever I need them (in the city when I'm working, away on holidays etc)

Sorry OP, it's a real pain when you have a doctor you like but now can't see.

Rockfordpeach · 20/02/2026 22:45

I had to change when we moved just slightly out of our gp's catchment but was pregnant at the time so was told I'd have to write and make an appeal and they would make a decision. Luckily they agreed to keep us on as they are excellent. I would appeal

Iizzyb · 20/02/2026 22:47

this happened to us a few yrs ago. Literally the BEST thing that ever happened to us as it turned out. New GP’s not only do good appointments but their drs all know how to do dr stuff.

Thejollypostlady · 20/02/2026 23:01

The problem arises when doctors and staff have to do home visits, when patients are too unwell or infirm to attend the surgery. With the current tight time pressures, driving further than the catchment area means seeing fewer patients.

YouFW · 20/02/2026 23:17

This happened to us and I was gutted. Been with the same GP for over 30 years.

However, on reflection, it was the best thing to happen to us as we changed to a different GP about an 8 minute drive from the old GP that accepted people out of catchment. The new GP is absolutely fantastic with very friendly receptionists.

Our old GP receptionists were really horrid even when you were really nice to them. It was such a change that I wrote to the surgery manager of the new GP to tell them how welcoming their receptionists were compared to our old surgery.

About 8 year's on we're still with them. Same receptionist and we had a giggle with her last week about something innocently funny my child said. She was still giggling away as I put the phone down.

Best move ever! Lovely doctors, lovely nurses and super helpful admin team. I still have to deal with my old doctors for my Dad and they are so inefficient. I count my lucky stars that they kicked us out!

Boobyslims · 20/02/2026 23:39

Thejollypostlady · 20/02/2026 23:01

The problem arises when doctors and staff have to do home visits, when patients are too unwell or infirm to attend the surgery. With the current tight time pressures, driving further than the catchment area means seeing fewer patients.

Yes. I appealed it for my family as my son had quite a range of medical care from hospitals, gps, Out of hours gps, A&E admissions, Consultants etc and the GP surgery was doing a great job of understanding his needs and keeping everything connected. They were really busy but they would always see my son on the day even if there were officially no slots. I don’t know how they did it. They helped me navigate the system and could help escalate back to consultants if my son needed to be seen sooner. I said I didn’t want any break in his care or handover to a new surgery and that I took a lot of comfort in knowing our gp surgery was one thing I did not have to worry about. I agreed that we would never expect a call out as we were now out of catchment. The GP head actually suggested I put it in writing and so I did, and it was never brought up again about us having to leave!

LoveheartBear · 20/02/2026 23:41

1990s · 20/02/2026 22:13

I thought you could choose anywhere now and catchments didn’t matter any more as they don’t do home visits? Maybe wrong then…

They still do home visits. My Dad has needed a few recently, due to being disabled.

Lunde · 20/02/2026 23:48

I remember this even happening to my brother in the late 1980s - he had been at the same practice for over 30 years and hadn't needed an appointment for over a decade but after emergency surgery that required a follow up home visit - they suddenly ditched him for being 3 miles from the surgery.

NailsHairNipsHeels · 21/02/2026 01:33

I got kicked out my practice just before new year but I had moved house and managed to fly under the radar for 2 years and I’m one street away from the boundary. I was gutted. I didn’t go all that often but it was such a nice surgery with lovely staff and the ones in the new catchment had terrible reviews!
anyway my new surgery is actually so much better! I’ve had to contact them twice since I moved and it was a far easier process, issues sorted very quickly snd staff are very nice.
if you have a complex medical history you might be able to appeal and stay, that was an option on my letter. Otherwise changing might not be as bad as you think.

Blushingm · 21/02/2026 16:22

1990s · 20/02/2026 22:13

I thought you could choose anywhere now and catchments didn’t matter any more as they don’t do home visits? Maybe wrong then…

Of course they do home visits

Aluna · 21/02/2026 16:26

Blushingm · 21/02/2026 16:22

Of course they do home visits

Show quote history

Only for elderly and infirm.

MadisonMontgomery · 21/02/2026 16:27

You can ask if you can re-register as an out of area patient (no difference to care except you accept you will not be able to get home visits, and if you are seen to be using other NHS services such as A&E inappropriately rather than visiting your GP surgery then you may be asked to leave and find a GP closer to home). Not all GP surgeries offer this but if you look on NHS Choices find a GP you will be able to check if yours does.

Silverbirchleaf · 21/02/2026 16:30

You can appeal to stay at the doctors, but you need valid reasons to stay. Ie. Continuity of care, specialist doctors etc . Contact the practice manager.

Sidge · 21/02/2026 16:32

Home visits are for the truly housebound and terminally ill/end of life care.

Boundary restrictions and deregistrations are usually controlled by the ICB, not the individual practice so you’d need to take it up with them.

I foresee a lot more of this happening, especially with housebuilding going the way it is. If you have a practice already at capacity for safe practice, and a new housing estate is built up the road that’s hundreds and hundreds of new patients.

Foodylicious · 21/02/2026 18:09

Technically you are still registered with them until you re-register/move to another practice.
I'd stay put for now and see what happens if you dont proactively move to somewhere else.

1990s · 21/02/2026 18:10

Blushingm · 21/02/2026 16:22

Of course they do home visits

Show quote history

Yes sorry, I just meant much less routinely than perhaps in the past

1990s · 21/02/2026 18:11

MadisonMontgomery · 21/02/2026 16:27

You can ask if you can re-register as an out of area patient (no difference to care except you accept you will not be able to get home visits, and if you are seen to be using other NHS services such as A&E inappropriately rather than visiting your GP surgery then you may be asked to leave and find a GP closer to home). Not all GP surgeries offer this but if you look on NHS Choices find a GP you will be able to check if yours does.

This poster said what I meant much better

PissOffJeffrey · 21/02/2026 19:01

Foodylicious · 21/02/2026 18:09

Technically you are still registered with them until you re-register/move to another practice.
I'd stay put for now and see what happens if you dont proactively move to somewhere else.

You will be deducted from your GPs list 28 days after receiving notification of needing to leave. You will then have no GP until you reregister.