NHS Doctor shares 8 questions to ask GP during ‘daunting’ appointments

In her caption, she explained: “A friend or family member can help listen, remember information, and offer support if you feel overwhelmed.”

In addition, she suggests a few other things people do. This includes:

• Keep a symptom diary to note when issues occur, their severity, and any possible triggers, helping your doctor recognise patterns.
• Write down your questions before the appointment so you don’t forget anything important.
• Let the practice know in advance if you need language support so they can arrange an interpreter.
• Take notes during your appointment to remember advice, instructions, and next steps.
• Ask for clarification on anything you don’t understand. Dr Harmer-Leicester emphasises: “Medical language can be confusing, so it’s perfectly fine to ask your doctor to explain things in simpler terms—they won’t be offended.”
• At the end of your visit, check what the next steps are to know what to expect and reduce uncertainty.

Concluding her advice, she wrote: “At the end of the day, your GP or healthcare professional genuinely wants to do their best to help you.

“However, GP appointments are often only 10 minutes and can be very pressured. If you arrive prepared, you’re much more likely to get the most out of the consultation and feel empowered to take ownership of your own health.”

NHS checklist

The health service also has a checklist of questions to ask at your appointment.

Tests, such as blood tests or scans

• What happens next?
• Do I need to come back and see you? If so, when?
• Who do I contact if things get worse?
• Is there a support group or any other source of help?
• Do you have any written information?
• Where can I go for more information?

I’m struggling to make an appointment

According to the NHS, if you’re having trouble booking an appointment, you should reach out to your GP surgery directly. Information about the complaints procedure and the surgery’s management team is usually available on their website.

It adds: “If you’re not comfortable raising a complaint directly or do not feel you’ve had a satisfactory response, you can complain to the NHS.”

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