Changing name on NHS medical card

Legacy_user

I'm posting this on behalf of my DD's best friend.

She is a sensible young lady who was brought up by her mum after she finally got rid of her abusive husband. Her mum reverted to her maiden name upon her divorce but DD's friend had to carry on using her fathers surname.

Well finally she decided to change her surname by deed poll to that of her mums maiden name and everything has gone OK. She has contacted every organisation she can think off to advise them of her name change and provided the proof of legal change when asked. However whatever government department issues medical cards has told her that is not enough and she needs to get a letter from a solicitor proving she legally changed her name. She is a student and doesn't really want to have to pay solicitors fees when she has a Deed Poll certificate proving she has already done everything legally.

So can anyone advise if this request by the medical card people is correct? I tried searching online but it seems most of the sites coming up on google are geared towards transgender people.:o

Errata

She may find her GP's Practicer Manager will be able to offer help with this, or the PALS service at her local Primary Care Trust.

Savvy_Sue

Pam17 wrote: »

However whatever government department issues medical cards has told her that is not enough and she needs to get a letter from a solicitor proving she legally changed her name. She is a student and doesn't really want to have to pay solicitors fees when she has a Deed Poll certificate proving she has already done everything legally.

Is she sure this wasn't some numpty on the phone not knowing what a Deed Poll was?

Has she tried just sending it off with a copy of the Deed Poll? If that's been sent back, then a 'certified copy' may be needed. Sometimes they're fussy about who certifies it, but I'd certainly try getting her tutor to write on the copy something like "I certify that this is a true copy of the original document, which I have seen. Name: Joe Bloggs, Tutor to New Name (they could also say 'formerly known as Old Name' if they ever knew her by that name), University or College of Wherever. Signed: Joe Bloggs. Date."

There will almost certainly be an official stamp somewhere in the building - departmental office or main registry - and they will probably be happy to apply this at no charge.

If that doesn't work, I'm sure you can get it officially certified by a solicitor or Commissioner for Oaths for a very reasonable charge, and someone will come along and say how and which is cheaper.

Paparika

Seems weird.

When i got divorced i reverted back to my maiden name, the solicitor gave me a letter to give to all who needed to see it, did she not get such a letter?

LondonDiva

All she has to do is provide the proof to the GP practice - they will then update their systems & the PCT will do the same.

The information held by the PCT will be coming from the practice and can only be updated once the practice make the change on EMIS etc. The only issue is whether that particular PCT reissues medical cards or not.

If not, there is no need as cards service no real purpose & she'll get a new one if she moves practices / area.

UKTigerlily

She only needs to write saying from now on her name is x, I changed surname without deed poll or any 'proof' & nothing was required but a letter (As I didn't have a driving licence or passport)

amilotte

LondonDiva wrote: »

All she has to do is provide the proof to the GP practice - they will then update their systems & the PCT will do the same.

The information held by the PCT will be coming from the practice and can only be updated once the practice make the change on EMIS etc. The only issue is whether that particular PCT reissues medical cards or not.

If not, there is no need as cards service no real purpose & she'll get a new one if she moves practices / area.

I am sure this is all I did for my daughter when she took the same surname as me after I got married. I registered her with her new name when we moved to a new surgery and her hospital records have also been changed.

System

Savvy Sue I think you might be correct re the person not understanding what Deed Poll means. I've let her read the various replies so far and she is going to check with her doctors surgery during the week. Thanks

Filey

However whatever government department issues medical cards has told her that is not enough and she needs to get a letter from a solicitor proving she legally changed her name.

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I don't think so. A deed poll is as legal as you can get. The medical card person is being a jobsworth! In actual fact your legal name is whatever you choose to be generally known as. Ask the jobsworth where it is actually stated that a Deed Poll is insufficient. And as has already been said, medical cards aren't that important anyway. The only alternative to a Deed Poll is putting a notice in a newspaper and that wouldn't satisfy the jobsworth anyway. Insist on the jobsworth pointing to paragraph x, subsection y, or whatever. Ask to speak to his/her boss.