How to get family and carer access for adults

In most cases you will need to contact the GP surgery of the person who wants help with their healthcare, and ask for family and carer access (also known as proxy access).

The GP surgery will make sure the person giving access understands and agrees to it, where needed.

You may both have to fill in a form and prove who you are using photo ID.

The GP surgery will then decide what access, if any, is appropriate, and make the changes in their clinical systems to set it up.

Adults who cannot understand and agree to family and carer access

Family and carer access for another adult is usually given based on them requesting it themselves, or understanding and agreeing to it.

Adults aged 16 and over are assumed to be able to understand and consent to their own treatment. This is called having capacity.

Find out more about consent to treatment.

If the person you want to help cannot understand or agree to you acting for them, for example because of a condition such as dementia, this is called lacking capacity.

The GP surgery may still be able to give you access. They will make a decision based on what is in the best interests of the person who needs help.

Find out more about the GP surgery's role

Every GP surgery is responsible for protecting the medical information they hold about their patients, and protecting patients from any abuse, control or coercion.

GP surgeries have the right to refuse family and carer access for any reason, if they think it would not be in someone's best interests, even if they have requested it themselves.

GP surgeries are responsible for deciding:

who should have access to information in GP medical records
what types of access are appropriate
which online services are available to their patients

NHS trial to apply for family and carer access in the NHS App

Some GP surgeries are trialling a new NHS service which you can use to apply for family and carer access in the NHS App.

This is an online application that is sent to your GP surgery.

Both you and the person you're applying about must be registered at the same GP surgery.

Apply for family and carer access in the NHS App

Using online health services for someone else

If a GP surgery sets you up as a trusted person (also known as a proxy) for someone else, you can access services for them online.

If you are both registered at the same GP surgery, you can manage health services for others using family and carer access in the NHS App, or by logging in to the NHS website.

Find out more about using family and carer access in the NHS App.

If you are registered at different GP surgeries, the surgery setting up access will give you login information for an app or website you can use.