Information for adults who want help with GP services

Getting a proxy to act on your behalf

If you are aged 16 or over, you can ask someone you trust if they will agree to be your proxy and help you manage your GP services. This does not stop you having access to your GP services yourself.

How proxy access can help you

Having a trusted person to act for you, in a secure way, can give you the convenience of online services even if you cannot use them yourself.

It can relieve the pressure of dealing with long term conditions, or keeping track of your medical care at times when you are feeling too unwell to manage it yourself.

Arranging access with your GP surgery is much more secure than sharing your own NHS login or GP app or website accounts, because:

• it provides more choice over what you share, protecting the medical information you want to keep private
• the person you choose will have to log in when they access your services online, so what they do on your behalf is recorded and secure

Choosing levels of access

You do not have to give your proxy access to view all your medical information online to get the help you need. It’s your choice.

Your GP surgery can set up different types of access, and limits on that access, depending on what you want or need help with.

They can:

• give online access to GP services – you can choose which ones you want your proxy to use for you
• set a date the proxy has access from – so you do not have to share your whole medical history
• stop your proxy seeing specific things in your record that you do not want to share, from the past or once proxy has been set up – tell your GP if there are things you do not want your proxy to see
• agree with you that a proxy can contact or speak to GP surgery staff for you – this is sometimes called “consent to speak” or “consent to discuss”

Choosing who to act on your behalf

You can choose a family member, friend or someone else you trust.

You can ask for proxy access for more than 1 person.

Removing access

You can remove access at any time, by telling your GP surgery.

How to find out who has proxy access

If you are not sure who has proxy access to your GP services and health record, ask your GP surgery.