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Tracing a doctor
April 2008
- Tracing a doctor if you are in the UK
- Tracing a doctor if you are overseas
- Tracing a doctor for historical research
Tracing a doctor if you are in the UK
The BMA is a voluntary membership organisation for doctors and, as such, under the Data Protection Act, our records are strictly confidential. We are, therefore, unable to provide members of the public with contact details for any of our members - or to pass on correspondence from third parties to our members.
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the body which holds the official register of all medical doctors working in the UK. You can contact them to see if a particular doctor is on the UK Medical Register, or you can link to the List of Registered Medical Practitioners on the GMC's website and then search for a doctor by name.
The GMC does not, however, usually provide contact details for individual doctors.
There is a publication called The Medical Directory, published by Informa Healthcare which contains entries for most, but not all, doctors practising in the UK. Doctors submit their contact details for inclusion in this publication on a voluntary basis. Most large public libraries hold a reference copy of the Medical Directory.
If you are searching for an NHS GP and know the postcode / place / organisation where the GP is working, you can search the NHS choices website. Many GP surgeries also have their own websites.
If you are looking for a named specialist then please refer to our guidance Some useful websites listing specialists
Tracing a doctor if you are overseas
As we stated above, the BMA is a voluntary membership organisation and our membership records are strictly confidential. We are unable to give those enquiring from overseas the contact details of BMA members or other doctors - or to pass on correspondence from third parties to BMA members.
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the body which holds the official register of all medical doctors working in the UK. You can contact them to see if a doctor is on the UK Medical Register, or you can link to the GMC's List of Registered Medical Practitioners and then search for a doctor by name.
If you are searching for a National Health Service (NHS) GP and know the postcode / place / organisation where the GP is working, you can search the NHS choices website. Many GP surgeries also have their own websites.
If you are searching for a named specialist then please refer to our guidance Some useful websites listing specialists for further information.
Tracing a doctor for historical research
The BMA Library holds no original biographical resources on doctors: BMA Records and Archives primarily collect administrative records, while the Library primarily holds clinical reference material, such as medical text books and journals. Historical membership records have not been kept and current records are confidential.
A BMA library factsheet outlines what records the BMA does hold and includes tips for those tracing a medical ancestor, as well as suggestions on other useful sources of information.
Limited BMA library research can be undertaken by non-members who must buy a readers' ticket before they can make use of the reference materials available. BMA Archives do hold a set of the Dictionary of National Biography and almost complete sets of the Medical Register and Medical Directory. Staff can undertake research for visitors or access can be made to the search room by prior appointment.
The Royal College of General Practitioners website contains advice and sources of information on tracing a medical ancestor, searching overseas sources, medical school records and university rolls.
The Wellcome Trust runs a library and information service open to the public and their biographical and family history resources factsheet can be useful to the biographer or family historian.
The National Archive contains over a million probate records (wills) from the period 1384-1858. The Archive includes medal index cards for World War One, including the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and World War Two. Fees are charged for some searches and the supply of documents.
Many individual Royal Colleges of medicine will have archived membership and fellowship rolls, such as the Royal College of Surgeons. If you know which area of medicine a doctor specialised in you could also try approaching the relevant medical Royal College, a list of which can be found on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges website.
Finally, many medical schools and universities maintain an alumni service which can help former students to stay in touch; it may be one way of tracing a medical student/doctor with whom one has lost contact.