Streetlife

I've been with the Amwell practice in Naoroji St WC1 for many years & all the doctors are very good & helpful, I'd certainly recommend them.
The practice is just behind Amwell St next to Clerkenwell Parochial school.

I think Killick st practice is good, but not sure you are in catchement area , go to chemist and ask , good luck

I agree, Killick Street practice N1 is excellent.  They have several doctors and two nurses in a fairly modern building.  Ring them and see if you're in their catchment area 020 7833 9939.

First, under the NHS Constitution, you have a choice of doctors - you can choose, so don't be fobbed off if they say you're out of their catchment area. These GPs hold NHS contracts and are obliged to follow the NHS Constitution.

I moved to London earlier this year from near London. Had an excellent, friendly, and responsive GP for 12 years in that town.

When I registered with the Ritchie Street practice, I just walked and explained I moved to London and wanted to register with a GP; never saw anyone (not even the doctor I am now registered with there).

What a difference! I could not fault my old GP; however, here in central London, where do I begin!

My GP at the Ritchie Street Group Practice, Dr Stella Mills, does not take appointments. I have to ring at 8am on a Monday morning for an appointment that day. I CANNOT book an appointment in advance. So every Monday morning, I get on the phone to try and get an appointment - I guess this is what is called rationing in the NHS. Apparently, she only sees people on a Monday.

Let's be honest, GPs are private business people looking to make a profit: they have contracts with the NHS to deliver primary care. Just try and book an appointment to see one!

On a more positive note, Ritchie Street Group Practice N1, does have a pharmacist onsite, and it is possible to see one of the healthcare assistants. But don't ask for a flu jab as I did last month. With my old GP, I had a flu jab every year without question for 12 years because of the nature of my work. They held a clinic every autumn and for a whole day everyone just came along, queued up and got a job, assembly line style.

I had to fight with the Ritchie Street practice to get the flu jab this year. Why? All the practice nurse had to say to me about it was how were they going to get paid for it. i.e. reimbursed by the local PCT.

I am now thinking of shopping around for another Islington GP practice. I have been to the one in Laycock Street for a blood test and am now exploring registering there as the staff were most helpful.

That's really interesting. Stephen I have to say, I know where you are coming from! I guess London practices are overloaded, or perhaps I got lucky in Oxon. Will try Killick and Naoroji. Thanks so much everyone. Anyone else got an awesome doctor in the Barnsbury or nearby area?

Congratulations on moving to London, Fiona C! Of course, everyone in Britain should be forced to live in a city, due to the lack of facilities outside cities. Unfortunately, although I grew up in suburban London where it was easy to find and register with a GP, I found that as soon as I moved further in to London I I couldn't get a GP to register with. Factors included being outside their catchment area, or their lists being full up. In Hampstead it was absolutely impossible to register with a GP, no matter how hard I tried. One surgery never ever answered the phone and I got a recorded message during the times the message said they were there! I later registered with a GP in Kings Cross, but since moving away into London Borough of Islington I haven't made any attempt to register with a GP, due to my earlier experiences. I'm still registered with the GP in Kings Cross and someone forwards mail from them to my current address. Several months ago, I picked up a card from either Superdrug or Boots, which gave details of an easy way to find and register with a GP in Islington, but I didn't do anything about it and now I've lost the card, so I'll have to try and get another one. I don't know if it will be possible to register with a GP here. If I can register, my requirements are that there should be more than one Doctor at the surgery, so I can get a second opinion. I'd prefer it if I could register with a practice which had several Doctors of different ages and genders, but I don't suppose that's possible because I think I'll be lucky to register with a GP here at all. Based on these guidelines, can anyone tell me a practice I can register with? No one should give out their full postcode or exact address on here, but I live in Hollloway or Finsbury Park, meaning that different people disagree about which neighbourhood I live in.

I think The Hanley Primary Care centre is open for new registrations.Its on the corner of Hanley Road and Ormond Road N19. It does have several Doctors, but also has the stupid system of phoning in at 8 am for appointments.

The practice on Laycock St is fairly good. They have several doctors in different age groups, and you can usually get an appointment within 1-2 weeks, if you are asking for a specific doctor.. They have been really busy over the past few months, so not sure if they are actually taking new patients.