Book a GP Appointment Online With NowPatient
NowPatient lets you book, view, and cancel NHS GP appointments online, all from your NowPatient account. Schedule appointments up to 16 weeks in advance, check your upcoming and past bookings, and cancel when you need to.
The service is free for NHS patients registered with a GP in England.
HOW IT WORKS
Common Questions About This Service
What is the Book GP Appointment service on NowPatient?
The Book GP Appointment service lets you book, view, and cancel GP appointments online through your NowPatient account. You can schedule appointments up to 16 weeks in advance and cancel at any time (subject to your surgery’s cancellation policy).
How much does the service cost?
The service is completely free for all registered NowPatient users.
Is the Book GP Appointment service available outside England?
No. The service is commissioned by NHS England and is only available to patients registered with a GP in England. It is not available in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
Can I use NowPatient to book urgent or same-day appointments?
No. Do not use NowPatient for urgent or same-day GP appointment bookings. If you need urgent care, contact your GP surgery directly, visit 111.nhs.uk, or call 999 for life-threatening emergencies.
How do I access the Book GP Appointment service?
If you signed up with NHS login, the Book GP Appointment service card is active immediately.
If you signed up with your email address or used Google or Apple to sign up, the Book GP Appointment service card on your account homepage will appear with a ‘locked’ symbol. To activate it, you will need your linkage keys which can be obtained from your GP surgery. Once obtained, click the ‘Connect’ button on the Book GP Appointment service card and you will be presented with a modal in which you can enter these codes. If successfully entered, it will unlock the service card.
What are linkage keys and how do I get them?
Linkage keys are three codes used by the NHS to secure your GP record: a linkage key (or passphrase), an ODS code (or practice ID), and an account ID. Contact your GP practice, ask for access to online services, and request your three linkage keys. They will send them by letter or email. A template email is available on the service page to help you make the request.
How do I book a GP appointment through NowPatient?
Go to the Book GP Appointment Service Card in the ‘NHS Hub’ on your account homepage. Select ‘Book Appointment’ from the Options Menu, choose your preferred date, time, and GP, then confirm your booking.
How far in advance can I book appointments?
NowPatient shows appointment slots up to 16 weeks in advance. However, your GP surgery decides how far ahead appointments are actually available, so the number of slots you see depends on your surgery’s settings.
Is there a limit on how often I can search for appointments?
Yes. NowPatient operates a fair usage policy on all NHS integrated services to help prevent misuse of NHS resources. Under this policy, you are limited to searching and booking one slot per day.
What happens after I book my appointment?
You will receive a confirmation notification in your ‘Notifications’ section on the account homepage. You can also check your upcoming appointments from the Book GP Appointment Service Card. Remember to attend your GP surgery at the agreed date and time.
My selected appointment slot became unavailable during booking. Why?
Another patient may have booked the same slot before you completed your booking. Try searching again since there may still be a slot available at the same time with a different clinician or surgery member.
How do I view my upcoming or past appointments?
Go to the Book GP Appointment Service Card in the ‘NHS Hub’ and select ‘Upcoming Appointments’ or ‘Past Appointments’ from the Options Menu. This displays a list of your booked or previous appointments.
How do I cancel a GP appointment?
Go to the Book GP Appointment Service Card, select ‘Upcoming Appointments’, find the appointment you want to cancel, and select the ‘Cancel Appointment’ button. If your surgery has stopped accepting online cancellations because the appointment is too close, contact the surgery directly.
Why can’t I see any available appointment slots?
There are several possible reasons: your GP surgery may not allow online booking, your surgery may have stopped using online booking, or all available slots may have already been taken. Contact your GP surgery directly if no online slots are available.
Does my GP surgery have to support online booking for this to work?
Yes. The Book GP Appointment service shows slots that your GP surgery has made available for online booking. If your surgery does not offer online booking, no slots will appear. Contact your surgery to check whether they support this feature.
Can I book appointments for family members?
NowPatient accounts are unique to each individual. Each person needs their own NowPatient account to book GP appointments.
Smooth, simple, seamless
Your Guide to Using the Book GP Appointment App Feature
- Step 1.
Open Book GP Appointment Service Card, tap ‘Book Appointment’
1 - Step 2.
If needed, enter Linkage Codes to unlock Service Card
2 - Step 3.
Briefly state appointment reason in ‘Reasons for Booking’
3 - Step 4.
Choose your preferred doctor and booking slot
4 - Step 5.
Receive booking confirmation in ‘Notifications’
5
SERVICE GUIDE
How Book GP Appointment Works
Need an Urgent Appointment?
Do not use NowPatient to book urgent or same-day GP appointments. If you need a same-day or urgent booking, contact your GP surgery directly. You can also visit 111.nhs.uk if you think you need medical help right now. If it is a life-threatening emergency, call 999.
Who Can Use This Service?
The Book GP Appointment service is available to NHS patients registered with a GP in England. It is not available in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
The service is completely free for all registered NowPatient users.
How to Access the Book GP Appointment Service
How you access the service depends on how you created your NowPatient account.
If You Signed Up with NHS Login
The Book GP Appointment Service Card will be fully active from the start. Navigate to the ‘NHS Hub’ section of your account homepage to find it.
If You Signed Up with Your Email Address, Google or Apple
You will need to link your NowPatient account to your NHS account using three linkage codes (also known as linkage keys). These codes protect your NHS records and keep it secure.
How to get your linkage keys:
- Contact your GP practice and ask for access to ‘online services’. Tell them you would like your three linkage keys.
- Wait for your codes. Your GP surgery will send you a letter or email with three codes: a linkage key (or passphrase), an ODS code (or practice ID), and an account ID. Each practice handles these requests differently with some asking you to complete an online form, while others prefer email or phone.
- Enter your codes in NowPatient. Go to your account homepage and find the Book GP Appointment Service Card (it will be locked by default). Select the ‘Connect’ button which will then activate a modal, in which you can enter all three codes to unlock the service.
Tip: The simplest way to request your linkage keys is by email. A downloadable template email is available here to help you make the request.
How to Book a GP Appointment
Follow these steps to book an appointment:
- Go to the Book GP Appointment Service Card. Find it in the ‘NHS Hub’ section of your account homepage.
- Select ‘Book Appointment’ from the Options Menu on the Service Card.
- Choose your date, time, and GP preference. Browse the available appointment slots and select the one that suits you.
- Confirm your booking. You will receive a notification in your ‘Notifications’ section confirming the appointment.
Remember: Once your booking is confirmed, you are expected to attend your GP surgery at the agreed date and time.
How Far in Advance Can I Book?
NowPatient shows appointment slots at your GP surgery up to 16 weeks in advance. However, your GP surgery decides how far ahead appointments are actually available to book. The number of available slots depends on what your surgery has made available.
Viewing Upcoming and Past Appointments
To view your appointments, go to the Book GP Appointment Service Card in the ‘NHS Hub’ and select either ‘Upcoming Appointments’ or ‘Past Appointments’ from the Options Menu. This will show you a list of your booked or previous appointments.
How to Cancel an Appointment
Follow these steps to cancel a booked appointment:
- Go to the Book GP Appointment Service Card in the ‘NHS Hub’.
- Select ‘Upcoming Appointments’ from the Options Menu.
- Find the appointment you want to cancel and select the ‘Cancel Appointment’ button.
Note: Your GP surgery may stop accepting online cancellations if it is too close to the appointment time. If you cannot cancel online, contact your surgery directly.
Fair Usage Policy
NowPatient operates a fair usage policy on all NHS integrated services to help prevent misuse of NHS resources. Under this policy, you are limited to searching one booking slot per day.
Troubleshooting
No Appointment Slots Are Showing
If you cannot see any available appointment slots, there are several possible reasons:
- Your GP surgery does not currently allow online appointment booking
- Your GP surgery has stopped using online appointment booking
- All available slots have already been booked
Contact your GP surgery directly if you need to book and no online slots are available.
My Selected Slot Became Unavailable
If the appointment slot you selected is now showing as unavailable, another patient may have booked it before you completed your booking. Try searching again since there may still be a slot at the same time with a different clinician or surgery member.