This service is also known as:
- Apply to manage someone's GP services for them, or get help managing yours
- Apply for access to a child's GP services
This update covers information on applying for access to a child's GP services, available from 11 March 2024.
1. Introduction
1.1. We (NHS England) have developed a digital service called the Proxy application service. This service lets you send an application to your GP surgery, requesting to either give someone access to your GP services, or get access to someone else's GP services.
You may ask to give or get help with:
- booking appointments
- ordering repeat prescriptions
- viewing test results
- viewing vaccinations
- accessing detailed medical records
If you use Apply to manage someone's GP services for them, or get help managing yours, you can also ask to give or get access to be able to contact the surgery or speak with GP surgery staff, for example to call to book or manage appointments or discuss test results. If you are applying for access to a child's GP services you already have this right if you are managing their health and care.
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 Proxy application service privacy policy.
There are two parts to the Proxy application service.
- Apply to manage someone's GP services for them, or get help managing yours is for:
- a patient aged 16 or over applying to nominate someone aged 16 or over to have access to their GP services
- a patient aged 16 or over applying to request access to the GP services of someone else aged 16 or over
The person you name in this application must be aware of the application being made. The person whose GP services will be accessed, in the event of the application being approved by the GP surgery, must understand and consent to any access given.
2. Apply for access to a child's GP services is for a patient aged 13 or over to apply to request access to the GP services of a child they have parental responsibility for.
The child you apply about may be asked for their consent if they are aged 11 or over. You should talk to them about your application.
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 the Proxy application service, 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 the Proxy application service.
3. How to use the Proxy application service
3.1. The Proxy application service is free. To use the Proxy application service, you and the person you name in your application must be registered at the same GP surgery in England.
3.2. If you access or attempt to access the Proxy application service from outside England, you are responsible for complying with any local laws that apply to you in the country from which you are using the Proxy application service.
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 give or get help with GP services.
3.4. To use the Proxy application service 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 to manage someone's GP services for them, or get help managing yours may only be used if both you and the patient are aged 16 or over.
3.6.1. You must ensure that the person you name in your application is aware of and consents to your application being made. Once your application is submitted, the Proxy application service will send some or all of the application details to the person you name in your application as follows. We contact the person you name in your application with this information, if an email address or mobile number is held on their NHS record.
- If you are applying to access someone's GP services, the person you name in your application will receive details on all of the information you have provided in your application. They will not see your contact details, or any other data retrieved from NHS login or PDS, in the text or email they receive.
- If you are applying to give access to your GP services to someone else, they will only receive information on what services you want them to have access to. They will not see your contact details, or any other data retrieved from NHS login or PDS, in the text or email they receive.
3.6.2 The GP surgery who receives your application may contact the person you name in your application to confirm their consent, and agreement to any applicable terms and conditions, unless this has already been given, and may also contact you for more information. They will do this using the contact details they already have.
3.7 Apply for access to a child's GP services may only be used if you are aged 13 or over, the child you are applying about is under 16, and you have legal parental responsibility for them.
3.7.1 We do not send any information to the child you are applying about.
3.7.2 If the child is aged 10 or under, their consent is not required.
3.7.3 If the child is aged 11-15, their consent may be required. The GP surgery will contact them if needed. You should talk to the child about your application.
3.7.4 The child's consent is not needed if they lack capacity to understand your access and make an informed decision about it. We ask in the application if you think your child has capacity to consent. The GP surgery will decide based on the information you provide, the child’s health record, and in discussion with you and the child if needed.
3.7.5 By using this service you confirm that you have parental responsibility, and agree to provide any evidence the GP surgery requires to validate this.
3.7.6 We ask in the application if you are aware of any safeguarding issues for the child you are applying about. You must declare them whether they apply to you or any other person. If the GP surgery finds there are issues you know about and have not declared, this may affect your application and any access in the future.
3.8 The Proxy application service is not a medical device and so is not regulated by the Medicines and Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
3.9 Before submitting your application, you must agree to the following terms and conditions with your GP surgery.
3.9.1 If you are applying to give someone access to your GP services, you:
- agree to give access to the GP services you choose, to the person you name in your application
- agree to tell the person you name in your application that you’re applying for them to have this access
- understand what you're agreeing to give access to and if you have any questions about this, you will contact your GP surgery
- understand you need to contact your GP surgery if you want to remove access in the future
3.9.2 If you are applying to get access to an adult's GP services, you agree to:
- 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 person you name in your application
- 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 person you name in your application wants to remove access in the future
3.9.3 If you are applying to get access to a child's GP services, you agree to:
- use any access to GP services in the best interests of the patient
- 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 person you name in your application
- 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 person you name in your application wants to remove access in the future
3.9.4 If you are applying to give someone access to your GP services, the GP surgery will contact them, and they must agree to:
- keep medical information safe and secure
- contact the GP surgery as soon as possible if they think any services have been accessed by someone other than them or you
- contact the GP surgery as soon as possible if they see information in the record that is not about you, or is inaccurate, and not share it in any way
- contact the GP surgery if they or you want to remove access in the future
4. Accessing the Proxy application service
4.1. You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to access the Proxy application service, 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 the Proxy application service
5. Details about the Proxy application service
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 the Proxy application service, 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 give or get access to relevant GP health records.
5.4. The Proxy application service:
- 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 the Proxy application service, 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 the Proxy application service
6.1. You may stop using the Proxy application service at any time.
6.2. If you or the person you name in your application want any access that has been granted to be removed, or to withdraw an application, contact your GP surgery.
7. Your right to use the Proxy application service
7.1. We own or have the right to use all intellectual property rights used for the provision of the Proxy application service, including rights in copyright, patents, database rights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, ("NHS IPR").
7.2. You have permission to use the Proxy application service 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 the Proxy application service with someone else's NHS login account, unless you have had the authority to do so from them
- not copy the Proxy application service or any NHS IPR, except where such copying is incidental to normal use
- not rent, lease, sub-license, loan, translate, merge, adapt or modify the Proxy application service or any NHS IPR
- not combine or incorporate the Proxy application service in any other programmes or services
- not disassemble, decompile, reverse-engineer or create derivative works based on the whole or any part of the Proxy application service or other any NHS IPR
- comply with all technology control or export laws that apply to the technology used by the Proxy application service or any other NHS IPR
8. Prohibited uses
8.1. You may not use the Proxy application service:
- 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 the Proxy application service
- 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 the Proxy application service 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 the Proxy application service (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 the Proxy application service 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 the Proxy application service 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 the Proxy application service 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 the Proxy application service 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 the Proxy application service (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 the Proxy application service)
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 the Proxy application service.
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 the Proxy application service, and dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
11. Changes to these terms of use
We may make changes to this notice. If we do, the version and date on this page will also change. Any changes to this notice will apply immediately from the date of any change.