Your named GP
Every patient at Ashcroft Surgery has a named GP. This is one doctor who keeps an eye on your care overall. You can still see whichever doctor or nurse you prefer.
Ask us who your named GP is Call reception on 01274 612 279. If your question is not urgent, please ring after 10am, when our phone lines are quieter.
The short version
- Everyone registered at Ashcroft Surgery has a named GP, including babies and children.
- You can still book with, and see, any doctor or nurse at the practice.
- You do not need to wait for your named GP to be working before you get help.
- If you would prefer a different named GP, just ask us.
What is a named GP?
A named GP is sometimes called your named accountable GP. Every GP practice in England has to give every patient one. It has been a rule since 2015.
Your named GP is the doctor who keeps an overview of your care here. If your health becomes complicated, they are the doctor who makes sure the different parts of your care join up properly.
It is a bit like having a form tutor at school. Lots of different teachers teach you, but one person keeps an eye on how you are doing overall.
Having a named GP does not change the care you get, how quickly you can be seen, or who you are allowed to see.
What your named GP does
- Keeps an overview of your care at this practice.
- Makes sure the care you need from us is arranged and joined up.
- Works with other health and social care staff if you need a package of care.
- If you are aged 75 or over, makes sure you can have a health check.
What it does not mean
- They are not on call for you 24 hours a day.
- They do not have to be at work for you to be seen.
- They are not the only doctor who can help you.
- They are not responsible for the work of other doctors or nurses.
This follows the named accountable GP rules in the NHS general medical services contract. There is a plain summary on the British Medical Association page about the named GP requirement (opens in a new tab).
Never wait for your named GP if you are unwell now
If you need help today, contact us and we will arrange for you to be seen or called by whichever clinician is free. Your named GP does not need to be involved.
- Call 999 if someone has chest pain, signs of a stroke, severe breathing problems, heavy bleeding, a seizure that will not stop, a severe allergic reaction, or is unconscious.
- Call 111, or use NHS 111 online (opens in a new tab), if you need medical help now but it is not an emergency, or when we are closed.
- Call Ashcroft Surgery on 01274 612 279 during opening hours for anything urgent that is not an emergency.
How to find out who your named GP is
-
Ask reception
Phone 01274 612 279 and say: "Please can you tell me who my named GP is?" If it is not urgent, ring after 10am when we are less busy. You can also ask at the reception desk next time you are here.
-
Or check your online account
If you use SystmOnline, your registered GP is usually shown in your account details.
-
Tell us if you would like someone different
You do not have to give a reason. We will do our best to change it for you.
If you have just joined the practice, you will be given a named GP shortly after you register. You do not need to do anything.
You can still see the doctor you prefer
This is the part patients ask about most, so we want to be very clear: you are not tied to your named GP.
If there is a doctor or nurse here you get on well with, and who knows your story, please carry on seeing them. Just tell us who you would like to see when you contact us.
For a new or urgent problem, please be willing to see whoever is available. Being seen quickly matters more than being seen by one particular person.
Why seeing the same person helps
Seeing the same clinician over time is called continuity of care. It means you do not have to keep telling your story from the beginning, and small changes in your health are easier to spot.
Research by the Health Foundation, published in the British Medical Journal, found that older patients who saw the same GP more often had fewer hospital admissions for conditions that can usually be managed in general practice. You can read the Health Foundation briefing on continuity of care (opens in a new tab).
How to get more continuity
- Ask for the clinician by name when you contact us.
- If a doctor asks to see you again, book that appointment straight away rather than leaving it.
- Be ready to wait a little longer for a routine appointment with one particular person.
- Ask for a telephone appointment if that is easier to arrange.
Continuity is not only about doctors
Many patients get the best continuity from a practice nurse, a healthcare assistant or our pharmacist, especially for long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure.
If someone in the team knows you well, it is fine to ask for them by name.
Changing your named GP
If you would prefer a different named GP, tell reception. We will make reasonable efforts to arrange it.
Sometimes we cannot. For example, a doctor may work part-time, or may already have a very large number of patients. If we cannot make the change, we will explain why. Your care will not suffer either way.
If your named GP leaves Ashcroft Surgery, we will give you a new one automatically. You do not need to contact us.
Common questions
Do I have to see my named GP?
No. You can see any GP or nurse at the practice. Your named GP is about oversight of your care, not about who you book with.
Is my named GP available 24 hours a day?
No. Named GPs work normal practice hours and many work part-time. When we are closed, call 111 or use NHS 111 online. In an emergency, call 999.
Will my named GP do my home visit?
Not usually. Home visits are arranged by the duty doctor working that day, so that you are seen as promptly as possible.
Does having a named GP get me an appointment faster?
No, and we would rather be honest about that. Everyone shares the same appointments. Asking for one particular doctor sometimes means waiting a little longer for a routine appointment.
My named GP is someone I have never met. Is that a problem?
No. Many patients never need their named GP to step in. If your health becomes more complicated, they can look at your whole record and take an overview. You can also ask us to change your named GP to a doctor you know better.
Who checks my test results and hospital letters?
Results and letters are usually reviewed by the clinician who asked for the test or made the referral, or by the duty doctor. Nothing sits waiting for your named GP to be back at work.
Do children have a named GP?
Yes. Every registered patient has one, including newborn babies. Parents and carers can ask reception who their child's named GP is.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Next review due: July 2027
Reading options
These settings change how this page looks on your device only. They are saved on this device.