Reviewed on : 9 Apr 2024

Reviewed by : GP Gateway Editor

Expires : 9 Apr 2026

Safe Surgeries – Coventry & Warwickshire

Become a ‘Safe Surgery’ for everyone in your community

Everyone has the right to register with a GP, irrespective of their immigration status or any other demographic characteristic

Proof of address and identification are not required

This flexibility helps to safeguard many people in vulnerable circumstances, including those who are homeless and people seeking asylum and ensures wider access to primary healthcare for everyone

Unfortunately we know that a number of patients who could benefit from timely access to primary care struggle to register with GP practices as they are refused registration if they cannot supply proof of identification or address

Doctors of the World’s Safe Surgeries network provides free support, resources and training for practices to align with NHS guidance to ensure that lack of documents, immigration status or language are not barriers to patient registration

A Safe Surgery can be any GP practice which commits to taking steps to ensure that their services are available to everyone in their community

Why become a Safe Surgery?     

Be part of a supportive national network of over 1,600 other practices

Support staff learning and skills building

Improve efficiency of the registration process

Meet the needs of your community

Improve patient experience

Demonstrate ‘Responsive’ and ‘Caring’ practice in CQC inspections

We know that many of you have been proactive in your support of access to primary healthcare for people in vulnerable situations

4 GP practices in Warwickshire have made the initial commitment and signed up as Safe Surgeries

We are now asking you to be part of our coordinated effort and ensure that everyone within your practice has the understanding and resources to ensure that primary care is truly accessible for all

If you are not already signed up as a Safe Surgery, please sign up by completing this form (follow link)

DOTW will then be in touch with next steps, useful resources and training opportunities. if you have any questions, please contact safesurgeries@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk

Refugee Wellbeing Coventry & Warwickshire All Ages

Referral

Improving Roma health: a guide for health and care professionals

‘Improving Roma health: a guide for health and care professionals’ has been made available on the OHID Migrant Health Guide.

This guidance was developed by the Roma Support Group, in collaboration with OHID and is aimed at healthcare professionals, team leaders and commissioners.

It sets out good practice and practical actions that can be taken in health services to break down barriers to care that people in Roma communities may experience.

Registration of Afghan Migrant Patients Guide (September 2021)

Guidance on ensuring the successful GP registration of Afghan Citizens and Families in temporary bridging accommodation

Quick read version – 30 September 2021

Some commissioners and providers have reported their rapid work to register individuals have been rejected by Primary Care Support England (PCSE).

The National Health Application and Infrastructure Services (NHAIS) system is designed to reject registration requests when key demographic information is missing.

Mandatory data fields required for a successful GP registration are:

• Title
• Forename
• Surname
• Address (this should be the address of the bridging hotel)
• Date of Birth (if the individual is unsure, the practice should use 1 January and the year they think the patient was born or the date of birth that is used by the Home Office)
• Gender

There is no regulatory requirement on any individual to prove their identity, address, immigration status, or have an NHS number to register.

Insufficient information can also be a reason for rejection and common reasons include:

1. No trace of address on Royal Mail postcode finder, Google or on NHAIS – this is often due to spelling errors.

2. For those new to the UK:

• Incorrect ‘registration type’ selected
• Birthplace not being provided (if the individual is unsure, agree an appropriate Birthplace with them)
• Date of entry to the UK (for those evacuated from Kabul they may not know the precise date of entry between 13 August 2021 – 28 August 2021).

PCSE does not suspend practice registrations or limit the number of registrations that can be submitted.

Any GP practice experiencing delays in the registration of Afghan Citizens should contact PCSE CSC team directly on 03330142884 where the enquiry will be raised as a high priority review.

Interpreting Services

DA Languages – Interpreting services

Please find attached information on the translating and interpreting commissioned services available from DA Languages. 

DA Languages provides support through:

• Telephone Interpreting
• Face to Face Interpreting Spoken Languages and BSL
• Written Translations and Transcriptions
• Video Remote Interpreting

Raising a Face-to-Face Booking

Raising a Translation Booking

Telephony Interpreting- Long Guide

Telephony Interpreting – Short Guide

Video Remote Interpreting Guide

How to raise feedback

Please note for Telephony interpreting each practice will need to enter their own unique PIN- please find attached lists of your practice PIN for:

• Coventry & Rugby Area
• Warwickshire North Area

Migrant health guide: detailed information

Migrants and the NHS

NHS entitlements: migrant health guide

My Health Service Navigator Migrant Health Guide

Countries

Migrant health guide: countries A to Z

Health topics

Communicable diseases: migrant health guide

Non-communicable health concerns: migrant health guide

Assessing patients

Assessing new patients from overseas: migrant health guide

Culture, spirituality and religion: migrant health guide

Human trafficking: migrant health guide

Language interpretation: migrant health guide

Travel to visit friends and relatives: migrant health guide

Migrant.Health Webpage

A tool for everyone in UK primary healthcare working to support new migrant patients, and a community to ask and respond to colleagues.

Follow link 

Resources include:

• GP registration and appointment
• Social prescribing
• Antenatal and maternity care
• Urgent and immediately necessary care
• Data sharing
• Using interpreters
• Access to healthcare
• Entitlements to primary care
• Entitlements to secondary care