If you've moved to a new location where there are several medical centres that you could register with, here are some tips for choosing one.
Consider opting for one that is close enough for you to walk to
Even if you drive, it's worth looking for a medical centre that is close enough to your home that you could walk to it, if you ever needed to. The reason for this is that if you ever require urgent (but non-emergency) treatment and, for example, your partner has borrowed your car and there's a long waiting time for a driving service, you might appreciate being able to quickly reach the medical centre by foot. If you were feeling ill in this situation, it could be very difficult to either have to wait for a bus and go then on a long journey or have to walk for an unreasonably long time to get to the medical centre.
This experience might not only exhaust you, it might also result in, for example, you not getting the antibiotics you urgently need for an additional hour or two. If however, in these circumstances, you only had to walk for a few minutes to get to the medical centre, not only would you get the medical treatment you needed faster, but you'd also be able to conserve your energy and thus not worsen your symptoms.
Ensure the centre's opening hours will suit your schedule
Whilst the majority of medical centres are open within business hours between Monday and Friday, some of them also offer appointments in the evenings throughout the week and also provide appointments on the weekends, too. It's important to consider your own schedule before registering with a specific medical centre, and ensure that this centre's hours are suitable for you.
If, for example, you work all week during standard business hours, and you register with a centre that's only open during the time you are normally at work, you might need to then rush to your appointments on your lunch breaks or have to request time off work for your appointments. If you have this type of schedule, it could be very helpful to be a patient of a medical centre with longer opening hours, which would allow you to be seen by a doctor early in the mornings before you start work, in the evenings after you've finished or at the weekends when you have time off.
Keep these tips in mind when looking for a medical centre near you.