How to get the most out of your GP appointment
Your appointment is only ten minutes long. This includes the time it takes to have a look through your notes, get you into the room and write the consultation up afterwards. That doesn’t leave much time for the actual consultation, and the next patient will be waiting to come in after you. Doctors would love to have longer consultation times, but the constraints of the NHS and GP shortages currently don’t allow this.
We want you to get maximum benefit out of the appointment you’ve waited for, so here are some tips to help you and your doctor achieve this :
1. One appointment, one problem
We realise this is not always possible, and if you have, for example, two fairly simple problems we will try to fit them in, but please remember that it takes time to assess a problem safely and effectively. If you come in with a list of issues your doctor may not be able to give them adequate time. This can lead to mistakes, or you leaving with the feeling that you have been rushed out and not listened to.
2. Not every problem can be solved immediately
Doctors are a bit like detectives, and gathering evidence (such as tests or medication trials) can take time. Many complex or chronic conditions can present with non-specific symptoms, and it can take some time to narrow the problem down and reach a diagnosis. In these situations it is important to work with your doctor, which leads to the next point :
3. Continuity is key
This is often called “the cornerstone of general practice” because without it, it can be very difficult to get a sense of who a person is and therefore what’s wrong with them. In emergency situations you may need to see whichever doctor is available, but if you have an ongoing problem it is really important to stick to the same GP. This is because he or she has already assessed your problem, may have an idea what it represents, and is probably in the process of investigating it. They will be able to interpret your test results properly because they have background knowledge of the problem. Doctors do keep careful notes, but this is no substitute for having seen the patient. Try, wherever possible, to make review appointments with the same doctor and you will reach a solution much more quickly.
4. Be clear and concise
Many problems in general practice can be diagnosed on the story you give the doctor. If you can be accurate in your description, this will help us to decide on the best course of action. In particular, how long your symptoms have been going on is really important. “A while” is not a unit of time!
5. Get to the point
We really have seen and heard it all before! So if something is really worrying you, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to bring it up immediately. Not doing so wastes time, and then the doctor may not be able to give your real issues the time they need.
6. Don’t stand us up
We recently counted up all the appointments not attended over a 3 month period, and even we were shocked by the results. If more people attended the appointments they needed, and cancelled the ones they didn’t, our waiting times and availability of appointments would vastly improve. If you don’t need your appointment, cancel it. Even cancelling at short notice can free up that slot for someone who really needs it.
7. Arrive on time
It sounds obvious, but ten minutes isn’t long. Even if you are only a couple of minutes late, that eats into your appointment time and possibly that of the next person. If you’ve been given a telephone appointment, make sure your phone is on and you’re in a place where you can talk.
8. Right care, right person
We now have lots of other professionals who form part of the wider healthcare team. If you’ve been allocated to an ANP (advanced nurse practitioner) or mental health nurse, or directed to another service like your dentist, pharmacist or optician, it’s because that person is better placed to deal with your problem than the GP, or can see you more quickly. Rest assured that if they then feel the need to involve a doctor, they will do so.
9. Medicine doesn’t always run to schedule
Conversely, if your GP is running late, please be a patient patient! There may be countless reasons why, including urgent queries and prescriptions, phone calls from the hospital, emergency house calls or just that patient who did need extra time. Seeing patients in the surgery accounts for only about half our workload, and the other half can be unpredictable. Remember what goes on behind the scenes ; just because the waiting room looks quiet, it doesn't mean the surgery is!