Your GP

Some people say they are the Jack of all trades and a master of none. Personally I think that couldn't be further from the truth. A GP needs to have a unique skill that other doctors do not have, and that is they must understand and treat the patient not just the illness. Many specialists ignore a patients general health and quality of life and focus on purely on what they are trained to treat. Sometimes this is a good thing but it can also be a bad thing.

So, how do you pick your GP? In Australia, a GP is virtually the only doctor that you have complete autonomy in picking yourself. Which makes it a very important choice. Myself, I am a big fan of the local family doctor. Here is a list of what I look for in a doctor.

1. Find a doctor that understands you. I believe that you should have one doctor that knows you very well, so they can decide what treatment is best for you, and make sure that if you need to see a specialist, he finds one that will suit you.

2. Proximity. You don't want to travel for ages every time you have a minor ailment, so find someone near.

3. Longevity. For whatever reason, a doctor may stop being able to treat you, so it is important that you find a doctor that will be around for a while as continuity of treatment means quality of treatment. I had five GP's in five years once and it drove me mad! I had to change due to retirement, maternity leave, changed practices, moved away and the fifth I finally managed to keep.

4. Know their limitations. Some GP's want to cure the world. When I lived in Sydney and I first started getting peripheral neuropathy my GP wasted a month sending me to get needless tests before he eventually gave up and sent me to see a specialist who gave me a preliminary diagnosis on my first visit. From there, treatment could start. My point is that I wasted a month while my GP tried to figure out what was wrong with me when he should have known my condition was beyond him and referred me straight away.

5. Willing to Learn. You can't expect your GP to know everything, but your GP should be willing to learn about what a specialist says is wrong with you, so they can understand and add a second opinion to your treatment options. When I first raised the possibility of having DBS with my current GP he knew nothing about it. But when I went and saw him a week later, he had done his homework and he could discuss the surgery with me openly. He also understood how this would impact me going forward so he could provide the best possible health care.

6. A good practice. Doctors also get sick, go away on conferences and take holidays. My point is that you might be able to wait for a flu jab, but if you have tonsillitis you don't want to wait a week for treatment, you want someone now. It is a good idea to go to the same practice where they have all your records on file. Make sure you are happy with the practice and the other doctors that work there.

These are my criteria for a doctor. You must also think about what you want. For example, some may prefer a male or female doctor, or a doctor that speaks your native language. It is a good idea to figure out what you want.

Next blog, I will write a little message for Julia Gillard to tell her what she is doing well and badly. As a frequent user of the health care system I would like to give you my two cents. Until then, stay well:)