diff --git a/gateway-api/src/gateway_api/provider_request.py b/gateway-api/src/gateway_api/provider_request.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1baf23f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gateway-api/src/gateway_api/provider_request.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""
+Module: gateway_api.provider_request
+
+This module contains the GPProvider class, which provides a
+simple client for GPProvider FHIR GP System.
+The GPProvider class has a sigle method to get_structure_record which
+can be used to fetch patient records from a GPProvider FHIR API endpoint.
+Usage:
+
+    instantiate a GPProvider with:
+            provider_endpoint
+            provider_ASID
+            consumer_ASID
+
+    method get_structured_record with (may add optional parameters later):
+        Parameters: parameters resource
+
+    returns the response from the provider FHIR API.
+
+"""
+
+# imports
+import requests
+from requests import Response
+
+
+# definitions
+class ExternalServiceError(Exception):
+    """
+    Raised when the downstream PDS request fails.
+
+    This module catches :class:`requests.HTTPError` thrown by
+    ``response.raise_for_status()`` and re-raises it as ``ExternalServiceError`` so
+    callers are not coupled to ``requests`` exception types.
+    """
+
+
+class GPProviderClient:
+    """
+    A simple client for GPProvider FHIR GP System.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        provider_endpoint: str,
+        provider_asid: str,
+        consumer_asid: str,
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Create a GPProviderClient instance.
+
+        Args:
+            provider_endpoint (str): The FHIR API endpoint for the provider.
+            provider_asid (str): The ASID for the provider.
+            consumer_asid (str): The ASID for the consumer.
+
+        methods:
+            access_structured_record: fetch structured patient record
+            from GPProvider FHIR API.
+        """
+        self.provider_endpoint = provider_endpoint
+        self.provider_asid = provider_asid
+        self.consumer_asid = consumer_asid
+
+    def access_structured_record(self) -> Response:
+        """
+        Fetch a structured patient record from the GPProvider FHIR API.
+
+        Args:
+            parameters (dict): The parameters resource to send in the request.
+        returns:
+            dict: The response from the GPProvider FHIR API.
+        """
+        response = requests.post(
+            self.provider_endpoint,
+            headers={
+                "Ssp-To": self.provider_asid,  # alias here to match GP connect header
+                "Ssp-From": self.consumer_asid,  # alias here to match GP connect header
+            },
+            timeout=None,  # noqa: S113 quicker dev cycle; adjust as needed
+        )
+
+        try:
+            response.raise_for_status()
+        except requests.HTTPError as err:
+            raise ExternalServiceError(
+                f"GPProvider FHIR API request failed:{err.response.reason}"
+            ) from err
+
+        return response
diff --git a/gateway-api/src/gateway_api/test_provider_request.py b/gateway-api/src/gateway_api/test_provider_request.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9f2b6ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gateway-api/src/gateway_api/test_provider_request.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+"""
+Unit tests for :mod:`gateway_api.provider_request`.
+"""
+
+# imports
+import pytest
+import requests
+from requests import Response
+from stubs.stub_provider import GPProviderStub
+
+from gateway_api.provider_request import GPProviderClient
+
+# definitions
+
+
+# fixtures
+@pytest.fixture
+def stub() -> GPProviderStub:
+    return GPProviderStub()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_request_post(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, stub: GPProviderStub) -> None:
+    """
+    Patch requests.post method so calls are routed here.
+    """
+
+    def _fake_post(
+        url: str,
+        headers: dict[str, str],  # TODO: define a class 'GPConnectHeaders' for this
+        timeout: int,
+    ) -> Response:
+        """A fake requests.post implementation."""
+
+        stub_response = stub.access_record_structured()
+
+        return stub_response
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(requests, "post", _fake_post)
+
+
+# pseudo-code for tests:
+# makes valid requests to stub provider and checks responses using a capture
+
+# returns what is received from stub provider (if valid)
+
+# (throws if not 200 OK)
+# ~~throws if invalid response from stub provider~~
+
+
+# receives 200 OK from example.com for valid request
+def test_valid_gpprovider_access_structured_record_post_200(
+    mock_request_post: Response,
+    stub: GPProviderStub,
+) -> None:
+    """
+    Verify that a valid request to the GPProvider returns a 200 OK response.
+    """
+    # Arrange
+    provider_asid = "200000001154"
+    consumer_asid = "200000001152"
+    provider_endpoint = "http://invalid.com"
+
+    client = GPProviderClient(
+        provider_endpoint=provider_endpoint,
+        provider_asid=provider_asid,
+        consumer_asid=consumer_asid,
+    )
+
+    # Act
+    result = client.access_structured_record()
+
+    # Assert
+    assert result.status_code == 200
diff --git a/gateway-api/stubs/stubs/stub_provider.py b/gateway-api/stubs/stubs/stub_provider.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cca5347f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gateway-api/stubs/stubs/stub_provider.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+"""
+Minimal in-memory stub for a Provider GP System FHIR API,
+implementing only accessRecordStructured to read basic
+demographic data for a single patient.
+
+    Contract elements for direct provider call inferred from from
+    GPConnect documentation:
+    https://developer.nhs.uk/apis/gpconnect/accessrecord_structured_development_retrieve_patient_record.html
+        - Method: POST
+        - fhir_base: /FHIR/STU3
+        - resource: /Patient
+        - fhir_operation: $gpc.getstructruredrecord
+
+        Headers:
+            Ssp-TraceID: Consumer's Trace ID (a GUID or UUID)
+            Ssp-From: Consumer's ASID
+            Ssp-To:	Provider's ASID
+            Ssp-InteractionID:
+                urn:nhs:names:services:gpconnect:fhir:operation:gpc.getstructuredrecord-1
+
+        Request Body JSON (FHIR STU3 Parameters resource with patient NHS number.
+        Later add optional parameters such as `includeAllergies`):
+            {
+                "resourceType": "Parameters",
+                "parameter": [
+                    {
+                        "name": "patientNHSNumber",
+                        "valueIdentifier": {
+                            "system": "https://fhir.nhs.uk/Id/nhs-number",
+                            "value": "9999999999"
+                        }
+                    }
+                ]
+            }
+
+
+        return
+
+"""
+
+from requests import Response
+
+
+class GPProviderStub:
+    """
+    A minimal in-memory stub for a Provider GP System FHIR API,
+    implementing only accessRecordStructured to read basic
+    demographic data for a single patient.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        """Create a GPProviderStub instance."""
+        # Seed an example matching the spec's id example stubResponse
+        # FHIR/STU3 Patient resource with only administrative data based on Example 2
+        # https://simplifier.net/guide/gp-connect-access-record-structured/Home/Examples/Allergy-examples?version=1.6.2
+        self.patient_bundle = {
+            "resourceType": "Bundle",
+            "type": "collection",
+            "meta": {
+                "profile": [
+                    "https://fhir.nhs.uk/STU3/StructureDefinition/GPConnect-StructuredRecord-Bundle-1"
+                ]
+            },
+            "entry": [
+                {
+                    "resource": {
+                        "resourceType": "Patient",
+                        "id": "04603d77-1a4e-4d63-b246-d7504f8bd833",
+                        "meta": {
+                            "versionId": "1469448000000",
+                            "profile": [
+                                "https://fhir.nhs.uk/STU3/StructureDefinition/CareConnect-GPC-Patient-1"
+                            ],
+                        },
+                        "identifier": [
+                            {
+                                "system": "https://fhir.nhs.uk/Id/nhs-number",
+                                "value": "9999999999",
+                            }
+                        ],
+                        "active": True,
+                        "name": [
+                            {
+                                "use": "official",
+                                "text": "JACKSON Jane (Miss)",
+                                "family": "Jackson",
+                                "given": ["Jane"],
+                                "prefix": ["Miss"],
+                            }
+                        ],
+                        "gender": "female",
+                        "birthDate": "1952-05-31",
+                    }
+                }
+            ],
+        }
+
+    def access_record_structured(self) -> Response:
+        """
+        Simulate accessRecordStructured operation of GPConnect FHIR API.
+
+        returns:
+            Response: The stub patient bundle wrapped in a Response object.
+        """
+
+        response = Response()
+        response.status_code = 200
+
+        return response