Updating your name with your GP surgery is one of the more straightforward steps in the name change process. Visit or contact your surgery, present a certified copy of your deed poll, and ask them to update your records. Most GP surgeries will do this immediately or within a few days. Your NHS number — the unique identifier linked to all your medical records — does not change; only the name associated with it is updated.
Once your GP records are updated, the change should flow through to NHS systems that rely on your GP registration — though in practice, the NHS's interconnected systems mean it can take some time for all records to reflect the update. Hospital records from past appointments may still show your old name, particularly across different NHS trusts. If you have upcoming hospital appointments, it is worth contacting those departments directly to update their records rather than waiting for the system to catch up.
For trans patients in particular, NHS name changes can carry additional significance. NHS England policy states that patients should be addressed and recorded by their preferred name and pronoun. If you experience any difficulties with this, your GP surgery's practice manager and NHS England's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can both help.