I'm a GP – this is what you need to say to get a doctor's appointment

With the number of patients waiting more than a month to see a GP soaring by up to 79 per cent, Dr Martin Stagg – aka the Real Doc Martin – says preparation is key if you want to get taken seriously by your local surgery.

“Getting it right starts the moment you pick up the phone,” says Martin. “Many people are offended when the surgery receptionist asks them what is wrong, assuming they are being nosey, but this is essential to ensure you get the right type of appointment with the right practitioner.

“If they ask you for a brief description of the issues you are having that’s because they need to ensure you see the correct member of staff, whether that’s the GP, a nurse or an emergency care practitioner.

“You don’t have to go into too much personal detail, but you do need to be prepared to give a concise explanation of what you think might be wrong, or an outline of your symptoms and how urgently you need to be seen. Is this something that has come on suddenly or has it gradually become worse over days or even months?

“You don’t always need to see the doctor, either. If you need a cervical smear test or routine vaccinations then you don’t need to see your GP, you need to be given an appointment with the practice nurse in the appropriate clinic.

“It is also a waste of your and the GP’s time if you book in to see them about dental problems, however difficult it is for you to access dental care. Sadly, this still happens a lot more than you might expect, but a doctor simply won’t be able to help and it takes a valuable appointment slot away from someone else who requires it.”

Don’t feel fobbed off if you find you are directed to your local pharmacy instead of being given an appointment.

“Pharmacists can offer advice, over-the-counter medication and even some antibiotics to help with a range of common conditions and minor injuries, from coughs and colds to rashes and urinary tract infections.”

When it comes to speaking to the doctor, if you’re feeling nervous or are worried you may not remember everything you need to say, so taking some notes along with you could help you focus, advises Martin.

“A written note for you to read or to hand straight to the doctor is completely acceptable,” he says. “However, it is sensible to keep any lists short and reasonable if you want to give the doctor a decent chance of dealing with your main symptoms and worries in the allocated time.

Over the years, I found that it was not at all unusual for some patients to bring in lists of 10 or more issues – sometimes even a full A4 page of problems and requests for prescriptions and referrals. If your GP attempts to address all of these things during one appointment, which will likely be scheduled to last a maximum of 10 minutes, then inevitably many things will have to be skipped over and may not be dealt with properly.

“The key is to imagine yourself in the GP’s position. Many of them will be overwhelmed by patients who bring a lengthy list of problems along to every appointment, be that face to face, video or a telephone consultation. It may be hard for them to then give their full attention to all of these problems. The worst thing you can do is exhaust all of the GP’s time and attention dealing with your less crucial things, leaving insufficient time to concentrate on your main or most worrying problem.”

Instead, focus on the most pressing issues. “It is helpful if you can summarise things at the start of your appointment so that both of you can focus on your priorities. For example, ‘I’ve got a few symptoms to ask about, although I think they are part of the same condition. I would also like to arrange my routine blood test if we have time at the end’, would be a really helpful way to begin.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean your GP would ever expect you to diagnose yourself. Instead, a few sentences explaining the order that things have happened in and anything you have already tried to deal with the issue, can be really helpful.

“A written note of any over-the-counter medications you have used will be worthwhile at this stage, as well as confessing about any prescription drugs that you may have borrowed from family members – a practice that is entirely inappropriate and potentially very dangerous, but happens far more often than you might think.

“It may be a bit more difficult for you to plan and summarise as clearly as this if you have emotional or mental health concerns, and your GP will understand that. These are, after all, among the most common things that they see and deal with every day, so never hold back on seeking help because you are worried about what needs to be said.”

While the medic you are consulting is an expert with years of training under their belt, Martin says it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be allowed to have your own opinions or make suggestions about the treatment you receive.

“You are absolutely entitled to request or suggest medications or other treatments that you think may be helpful and appropriate for your problems,” he says.

“Your GP should also not be at all offended or upset if you tell him or her about an internet search that you have undertaken about your symptoms. But equally, you should not be offended if your findings are dismissed by the doctor. They have the knowledge and skills to assess your overall condition, whereas the search engine only responds to the things that you type in and doesn’t usually look at other features about you which would make a particular diagnosis unlikely.

“A good example of this was a time when one of my patients attended with a printed internet search which stated that their symptoms could be caused by prostate cancer. I was quickly able to tell the patient that the symptoms were certainly not, because they were only 23 years old and female. 

“In fairness, nothing on the actual search page mentioned that biological females do not have a prostate, so there was some mitigation for her confusion.”

While many people feel entirely confident attending appointments by themselves, your doctor won’t be at all fazed if you bring a family member or close friend.

“You are free, and actively encouraged, to bring somebody else into the appointment with you if you feel that you would benefit from some support,” reassures Martin. “In fact, this is important if you are forgetful – either when it comes to asking questions in the moment or remembering what has been said during a session you find stressful – or may need help with explanations after the appointment.”

Just be sure to remind them that they are not running the show. “It is particularly helpful if you remind the person you bring not to be too chatty, as they could easily distract you and the GP from your problems and eat into your appointment time. In my experience, it is also not at all unusual for the supporting friend or relative to try and get a bonus consultation for themselves while they are there. On many occasions, I’ve found the relative or friend can become quite offended or angry when their request is refused.”

If all this sounds like more than you can handle, don’t worry. “Much of the advice I’ve given here is very unlikely to be followed by most patients, most of the time, as they may be too busy or too worried to prepare like this for a GP appointment,” says Martin. “That’s fine of course. GPs are skilled at performing consultations without any such preparation, but the more you can help them to focus on managing your problem, the better it is for you.

“If you are an infrequent or occasional attender at your GP surgery, he or she will know they would be well advised to pay full attention to your worries.”

Martin Stagg was a GP for over 30 years on the outskirts of Manchester. His new memoir, The Real Doc Martin: The Humour, Sadness and Absurdity of a Life in General Practice, is out now (£10.99; Whitefox Publishing)