Patients often have many questions about the GP Doctor consultation process and all of the questions asked below are genuine questions posed by patients. Hopefully it addresses some misconceptions about the GP consultation.
Triage calls and appointments
The system is designed to help you get the appointment you need, if no routine appointments are available, you can speak directly to the triage nurse or duty doctor by telephone on the day that you call, with some problems being dealt with on the phone, or an appointment being made for patients to see a doctor or nurse later that day.
Pre – Bookable Appointments
Patients who wish to make an appointment can book 4 weeks in advance when the appointment screen allows. You will be offered the first routine appointment with the most suitable healthcare professional or the GP or Nurse of your choice (including on our online apps).
Routine Telephone Consultations
These are particularly useful for patients who would like to discuss test results, to discuss medication and ongoing conditions these are available to book in advance.
Please note – During COVID-19 the majority of our appointments are telephone consultations, you will only be asked to attend the practice when it is necessary as we are trying to reduce as much unnecessary contact as possible.
Named GP for all patients
All practices are required to provide their patients (including children) with a named GP who will have overall responsibility for the care and support that the surgery provides to them.
At Sunlight Group Practice all patients are registered to our Partners. You may of course see any GP in the practice as you currently do and normal booking procedures still apply. Your named GP will be stated on your prescription, or available upon request. If you want to know who your named GP is, please feel free to contact us.
Why have I been waiting to be seen? My appointment was 15 minutes ago.
The patient before you may have been very unwell with multiple complicated conditions requiring more time. Furthermore your GP may be running a little late if they had to discuss a patient with hospital specialists or had to deal with other emergency situations or telephone calls. It could also be simply that the patients seen before you presented with multiple issues that they wished resolved.
The GP called me back today. Why are they asking me what I wish to discuss?
The doctor cannot assume why you are ringing. Your medical circumstance may have changed since you booked the call.
Why is my GP asking me what is wrong? Don't they know? I just want a diagnosis.
If your GP asks something similar to “What do you think may be causing your symptoms?”. It isn’t because they want you to self-diagnose. You may have thoughts about what you feel may be causing your symptoms or condition. Everyone has thoughts about what may be wrong. If we know this we can answer questions you may have regarding this or to address misconceptions you may have. Furthermore it also helps us identify how much detail we need to give as you may already know a great deal about your symptoms/condition. If we don’t know what you think may be causing your symptoms you may leave the consultation feeling that your questions haven’t been answered or that you are adamant it is something else. We don’t want you to leave thinking “My GP told me I have X condition. I think I have Y condition”.
Why does my GP ask so many questions rather than just tell me what is wrong?
Most diagnosis by all doctors is reached from information gathered from the patient. Therefore it is important that we gather as much relevant information as necessary to do this. Investigations can be helpful to diagnose but remember most diagnosis is reached from talking to you. In addition we do not have access to immediate scans and blood results.
My diagnosis has changed upon follow up appointment. Why is this?
Not necessarily. Symptoms evolve. We can only base our diagnosis based on what you present with at the time of seeing us. Symptoms and conditions evolve over time.
Is the receptionist deliberately trying to be awkward?
No, it is important for our reception team to know the reason for the appointment so they can appropriately signpost you to the right clinician. As we operate a triage system a duty doctor will assess you via telephone consultation.
Are you closed for lunch?
No. The building is still open and our emergency phoneline is still active, however the reception desk is closed so they reception can process queries and any other admin we have received throughout the day. Please note there is a buzzer at the desk for you to ring if you need to speak to a member of the reception team.
