GP practices across the North East and Yorkshire are helping patients access their practice digitally with the help of a new auto-registration option built into the Register with a GP surgery service. Many practices are finding up to 30% of registrations can be processed via auto registration, which frees up more time to focus on post-registration activities and other aspects of patient care.

95% of patients who meet the criteria for auto registration can be confirmed as patients within their chosen practice within 2 hours of registering.

Rebecca Rowe

Rebecca Rowe, Head of Systems and Estates at The Ridings Medical Group in East Yorkshire said:

“We turned our auto registration on in NHS Profile Manager. It’s so straightforward, we’ve saved around 5-10 minutes per registration and patients love how easy it is to fill in their details online. All we need to do is review the record before accepting the patient.”

Transforming a traditional process

At The Ridings Medical Group, digital registration has replaced what was once a manual, paper-heavy process. Previously to the practice signing up to the service in 2024, staff relied on handwritten forms, often spending 10–15 minutes entering patient details, checking eligibility and ensuring records were accurate.

Rebecca recalls:

“Before, we’d have to read handwriting, find the patient on the patient demographic service, check all the details and enter everything manually. It needed protected time for somebody to concentrate.”

These processes created delays, with forms sometimes grouped together and processed later, meaning patients could wait days to be fully registered.

With the adoption of auto registration by the practice last Autumn, patient details now arrive pre-populated and ready to review, transforming what was once a lengthy task into an even simpler, more streamlined process.

Faster access to care

A key benefit of the new system is the speed at which patients can now access care. Patients often register at the point they need medical support, rather than in advance.

Rebecca explains:

“A lot of patients are registering with us at the point they need care – they need to be in our system and through our triage system straight away

Once registered, patients can quickly access services, including online triage, appointments and medication reviews. In many cases, this results in same-day contact with the practice.

She adds:

“New patients have been given a call within the hour and they’re often very quick to tell us what an excellent service we’re providing. “I’ve literally just joined this practice and I’m getting an appointment the same day.”

This faster turnaround significantly improves the patient experience, reducing waiting times and enabling earlier intervention where needed.

Saving time and improving efficiency

For practice teams, the time savings are substantial. By removing the need for manual data entry, registrations can be processed even more quickly and efficiently.

At The Ridings Medical Group, which processes around 100 registrations per month, even small additional time savings per patient make a noticeable difference.

Rebecca highlights:

“We’re talking about big numbers – even if we assumed that’s 10 minutes each registration, the time saving is massive.”

This additional capacity allows staff to focus on more valuable tasks, including onboarding new patients, arranging follow-up care and managing other administrative priorities.

It also reduces pressure across teams by ensuring registrations are completed quickly as they come in, rather than building up into backlogs.

Supporting better onboarding and engagement

Digital registration has also improved how patients are introduced to the practice. As soon as registration is complete, patients receive information about how to access services and are guided through key next steps, such as signing up to online services or completing additional questions around specific health needs.

Rebecca explains:

“From the moment they register, we can start setting things up for them. They’re ready to be an active patient of ours straight away.”

This early engagement helps patients feel supported and ensures that important information, such as medication needs or screening requirements, is captured quickly.

The system also reflects how people increasingly expect to interact with services, offering a simple, digital experience through trusted NHS platforms.

“It’s a recognisable NHS environment so patients trust it. It’s not some new shiny website, it feels secure.”

Improving access while maintaining choice

While many patients benefit from digital registration, practices continue to support those who may need additional help. Alternative options remain available, ensuring that no patient is excluded.

Rebecca emphasises the importance of maintaining this flexibility:

“We always help somebody who really needs it. If they can’t use the online form, we’ll support them to complete it.”

At the same time, patients who do choose digital routes benefit from greater flexibility, with the ability to register at any time and from any location. As Rebecca explains:

“They can go on at midnight if they want to register – it just fits better around people’s lives.”

Adopting auto-registration

As more practices consider adopting auto registration, the team at The Ridings Medical Group  have found it has helped them to deliver a faster, more seamless service to their patients, freeing up time for other tasks.

Rebecca summarises the impact of the service as follows:

“It offers massive time savings from a staff point of view, and a much better experience for patients. It works, it does exactly what it says it will do, so why wouldn’t you give it a try?