1. Introduction
1.1. We (NHS England) have developed a digital service called Apply for access to another patient’s GP services (also called the Proxy application service). This service lets you send an application to your GP surgery, requesting to be given access to help someone else with managing their GP services. The person you name (the "patient") must be aware of the application and understand and consent to any access you are given.
You may be given access to act on another patient's behalf to:
- book appointments
- order repeat prescriptions
- view some or all of their medical record to help them manage their health or health related tasks
You can also request to be able to speak on their behalf with GP surgery staff, for example to call for appointments or discuss test results.
The GP surgery will review your application and decide what, if any, access is appropriate. Not all services are available at every GP surgery. We do not control the decision.
To find out more about who we are and our role, visit the NHS England website.
These terms of use should be read along with the Apply for access to another patient's GP services privacy policy.
1.2. Contacting us: If you have any questions about the service, contact the NHS website. For any questions about your application, contact your GP surgery.
2. When these terms apply
2.1. Please read these terms of use and our privacy policy. By continuing to use Apply for access to another patient's GP services, you agree to be bound by these terms.
2.2. We may, at any time and in our sole discretion, amend these terms for any reason. The latest version of our terms will be accessible through Apply for access to another patient's GP services.
3. How to use Apply for access to another patient's GP services
3.1. Apply for access to another patient's GP services is free. To use Apply for access to another patient's GP services you and the patient must be registered at the same GP surgery in England.
3.2. If you access or attempt to access Apply for access to another patient's GP services from outside England, you are responsible for complying with any local laws that apply to you in the country from which you are using Apply for access to another patient's GP services.
3.3. You must answer all the questions to enable your GP surgery to process your application. When you submit your application, all your answers are shared with the GP surgery, and will become your application to request access to help someone manage their GP services.
3.4. To use Apply for access to another patient's GP services you need an NHS login account with a high level of identity verification. If you do not have an account or a high level of identity verification you will be able to set this up as part of your application. Find out more about NHS login.
3.5. The GP surgery controls and owns the proxy request process. It is not automated on the submission of your application. Any queries about your application should be directed to the GP surgery.
3.6. Apply for access to another patient's GP services may only be used if both you and the patient are aged 16 or over.
3.7. You must ensure that the patient is aware of and consents to your application. Once your application is submitted, Apply for access to another patient's GP services will send a copy of the application details to the patient if an email address is held on their NHS record.
3.8. The GP surgery who receives your application may contact the patient to confirm their consent, unless consent has already been given, and may also contact you for more information.
3.9 Apply for access to another patient's GP services is not a medical device and so is not regulated by the Medicines and Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
3.10 Before submitting your application, you must agree to the following terms and conditions with your GP surgery regarding access to the patient's GP services:
- keep medical information safe and secure
- contact the GP surgery as soon as possible if you think any services have been accessed by someone other than you or the patient
- contact the GP surgery as soon as possible if you see information in the record that is not about the patient, or is inaccurate, and not share it in any way
- contact the GP surgery if you or the patient wants to remove access in the future
4. Accessing Apply online for access to another patient's GP services
4.1. You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to access Apply for access to another patient’s GP services, including but not limited to:
- a secure internet connection (see Cyber Aware website)
- an appropriate device, operating system and browser
- using your own virus protection software (and regularly updating it) when accessing and using Apply for access to another patient’s GP services
5. Details about Apply for access to another patient’s GP services
5.1. If you download, print or export any of your application or data, you are responsible for ensuring that this is held securely, and we will not be liable for any associated disclosure of sensitive and personal data.
5.2. In order for you to receive the intended benefits of Apply for access to another patient’s GP services, you must ensure that all data provided by you is complete and accurate.
5.3. GP health records are created and kept up to date by GP surgeries and remain under GP surgery control. We do not hold or have access to any GP records, and are unable to add to or modify them or provide hard copies. If your application for proxy access is successful, you may get access to the patient's relevant GP health records.
5.4. Apply for access to another patient’s GP services:
- is not a substitute for seeking medical advice. Always follow any medical advice given by your healthcare professionals
- does not provide medical or clinical diagnostic services
5.5. We are not responsible for any delay or lack of response by a GP surgery to any contact you make through Apply for access to another patient’s GP services, or for the outcome of any decision a GP surgery may make as to whether to accept your application or not.
6. Ending your use of Apply for access to another patient’s GP services
6.1. You may stop using Apply for access to another patient’s GP services at any time.
6.2. If you or the patient want any access that has been granted to be removed, or to withdraw an application, contact your GP surgery.
7. Your right to use Apply for access to another patient’s GP services
7.1. We own or have the right to use all intellectual property rights used for the provision of Apply for access to another patient's GP services, including rights in copyright, patents, database rights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, ("NHS IPR").
7.2. You have permission to use Apply for access to another patient's GP services for the sole purposes described in these terms and must not use it in any other way.
7.3. Unless permitted by law or under these terms, you will:
- not use Apply for access to another patient's GP services with someone else’s NHS login account, unless you have had the authority to do so from them
- not copy Apply for access to another patient's GP services or any NHS IPR, except where such copying is incidental to normal use
- not rent, lease, sub-license, loan, translate, merge, adapt or modify Apply for access to another patient's GP services or any NHS IPR
- not combine or incorporate Apply for access to another patient's GP services in any other programmes or services
- not disassemble, decompile, reverse-engineer or create derivative works based on the whole or any part of Apply for access to another patient's GP services or other any NHS IPR
- comply with all technology control or export laws that apply to the technology used by Apply for access to another patient's GP services or any other NHS IPR
8. Prohibited uses
8.1. You may not use Apply for access to another patient's GP services:
- to collect any data or attempt to decipher any transmissions to or from our servers
- in a way that could damage, disable, overburden, impair or compromise our systems or security
- to transmit any material that is insulting or offensive
- in a way that interferes with other users
- in any unlawful manner or for any unlawful purpose
- in a manner that is improper use or inconsistent with these terms
- to act fraudulently or maliciously by hacking into Apply for access to another patient's GP services
- to transmit, send or upload any data that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware or any other harmful programs designed to adversely affect the operation of computer software or hardware
- in connection with any kind of denial of service attack
- on any device or operating system that has been modified outside the mobile device or operating system vendor supported or warranted configurations. This includes devices that have been "jail-broken" or "rooted"
- with someone else's NHS login account unless you have had the authority to do so from them
If you do any of the above acts you may also be committing a criminal offence, and we will report any such activity to the relevant law enforcement authorities. We will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them.
9. Our liability to you
9.1. Although we make reasonable efforts to provide, maintain and update Apply for access to another patient's GP services it is provided "as is" and, to the extent permitted by law, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied (including but not limited to the implied warranties of satisfactory quality and fitness for a particular purpose), that Apply for access to another patient's GP services (a) is accurate, complete or up-to-date; (b) will meet your particular requirements or needs; or (c) will always be available, error free, uninterrupted or free of viruses.
9.2. We are not responsible for external links to or from Apply for access to another patient's GP services and cannot guarantee these will always work.
9.3. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for:
- death or personal injury arising from our negligence
- fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
- any loss or damage to a device or digital content belonging to you, if you can show that a) this was caused by Apply for access to another patient's GP services and b) we failed use to use reasonable skill and care to prevent this
- any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under English law
9.4. Subject to clause 9.3 of these terms, we will not be liable or responsible to you or any person who you use Apply for access to another patient's GP services on behalf of, for:
- any harm, loss or damage suffered where this is not caused by i) our negligence (for instance, if a GP made a decision you do not agree with about whether to accept your application or not, we would not be liable); or ii) our breach of these terms
- any loss or damage arising from an inability to access and/or use Apply for access to another patient's GP services in whole or in part
- any business loss (including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, contracts, anticipated savings, data, goodwill or wasted expenditure)
- any indirect or consequential losses that were not foreseeable to both you and us when you commenced using Apply for access to another patient's GP services (loss or damage is "foreseeable" if it was an obvious consequence of our breach or if it was recognised by you and us at the time we entered into the contract created by your use of Apply for access to another patient's GP services)
9.5. This clause 9 does not affect any legal rights you may have as a consumer in relation to defective services or software. Advice about your legal rights is available from your local Citizen's Advice or Trading Standards Office.
10. General
10.1. These terms, any instructions in the service, and any other terms or policies referenced, set out the entire agreement between you and us in respect of your use of Apply for access to another patient's GP services.
10.2. These terms do not give any rights to any third party to enforce any of these terms.
10.3. Each of the clauses and sub-clauses of these terms operates separately. If any part is determined to be invalid or unenforceable it will be superseded by a valid and enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original and all other terms shall continue in effect.
10.4. Even if we delay in enforcing these terms we can still enforce them later.
10.5. The laws of England shall apply exclusively to these terms and all matters relating to use of Apply for access to another patient's GP services, and dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.