• If you are living in an area for more than three months you should register with a local GP. Some of the ways you can find a decent GP include:

• Asking friends and family to recommend a doctor;

• If you are unable to find a GP yourself you can request your Primary Care Trust or local health board to find you one;

• In England and Wales you can find details of GPs on NHS Direct. The directory provides detailed information about the surgery and its registered GP;

• Some practices have their own charters which describe the standards of services a patient can expect and the arrangements they provide. Ask if this is available at reception.

 If you're a UK resident and over 16 you can register with a doctor of your choice, but if you're under 16, you must be registered by a parent or guardian. Please note that the GP doesn't have to accept you and may want to see you before registering you. If they do refuse to accept you, they must outline their reasons in writing.

Take your medical card, which gives your personal details and NHS number, with you to register. Fill in part A of the card and hand it to the GP or practice staff. You can also register without a medical card by completing a GMS1 form, which should be available at the surgery.

If you're staying in an area for less than three months you can approach any local GP and ask to be seen as a temporary resident.  Students should register in the area where they spend most of the year.  If you register with a practice near campus, then you will no longer be registered at home with your previous GP.  When you return home during holidays, ask to be treated as a temporary resident there.

Don't fret if you haven't managed to register with a practice; GPs are required to provide emergency treatment even if you're not registered with them.

We don't maintain a list of GP Practices on this site because the main NHS website already holds a central list of GPs by area. You can see GPs in the area by searching NHS Choices and from there you can click on the surgery that you are interested in to obtain opening times, contact details and directions.

Available from the Walk-in Centre, the Minor Injuries Units at Clacton and Harwich and out-of-hours pharmacies when GP surgeries are closed.