How do I get ‘double appointments’ with my GP?
You can get double (or even triple) appointments (20 or 30 minutes). You need to ask for them. These may be needed if you have more than one problem, or it is complex, or you have more than one question.
Remember, there is no such thing as a silly question. You deserve to have answers to questions about your care.
But while asking questions is good general advice, there might not be time to answer them all during your appointment.
So, should you bring a list of them? It depends… our answer is yes, usually.
Why bring a list?
It helps you (and your doctor, or nurse) to focus on what is really troubling you right now. But, in reality, a GP will have less than 10 minutes allocated for each appointment, and hospital doctor will have 15-20 minutes. So unfortunately there may not be enough time to go through a long list.
So what’s this about ‘double (or triple) appointments’? You have the right to ask the doctor for a ‘double’ (i.e. in length) or ‘triple’ appointment. Do this when booking via the GP’s receptionist, or hospital consultant’s secretary. This should allow more time for you to discuss your concerns with the doctor.
[Hint: Mental health issues may take longer to talk through than physical ones].
Summary
We have described how do I get double appointments with my GP? We would urge you to do this, if your problem is complex and cannot be dealt with in 10 minutes.
