Access health services for someone else

You can ask to book appointments, order prescriptions or see health information for someone else, such as your child or someone you care for. This is called proxy access, or family and carer access in the NHS App.

What you can do

Depending on what we agree, you may be able to:

• book and cancel appointments
• order repeat prescriptions
• see their test results and health record

You use the NHS App, and switch between your own profile and theirs.

How to ask for access

1. You and the person you want to help both need to be registered with us.
2. Come to reception at 54 Briarfield Road and tell us you would like access. We look at each request individually and will explain what we need from you.
3. You may both need to fill in a form and show photo ID.
4. If the person can understand and agree, we will check that they want you to have access.
5. We will tell you when access is set up. How long it takes depends on your situation.

Access for your child

• Under 11: a parent or guardian can ask for access to their child's GP services and health record.
• From 11: access usually reduces to booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions. We will only share more if your child agrees.
• At 16: access ends, unless your child cannot make decisions about their own health care.

From 13, your child can also use the NHS App for themselves.

Access for an adult who cannot agree

If an adult cannot make decisions about their own care, for example because of dementia, a doctor will decide whether giving you access is in their best interests. If you have a lasting power of attorney for health and welfare, show us the registered document when you ask. We need to see written legal proof before we can act on it.

When we may say no

We will not give access if we think it is not in the person's best interests, for example to keep them safe. We do not give access to organisations such as solicitors or insurance companies.

The person can ask us to stop your access at any time.

Find out more about family and carer access on the NHS website (opens the NHS website)