10 ways to get your GP to listen to you

DR RAJ PERSAUD, Harley Street consultant psychiatrist and author of The Mental Vaccine for Covid-19, gives his tips on how to be a savvy patient

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I worked in the NHS for decades and now, in private practice, almost everyone I see has had similar frustrating experiences. Once you understand the hidden rules that govern doctors, you can influence the outcome of the clinical meeting more than you think. Here are my tips on how to get more from a consultation...

1 Ask your doctor what else might be possible. This is called the differential diagnosis and it's meant to be recorded after appointments. Tragic mistakes get made when clinicians gallop to a single verdict thinking patients don't want to be confused or scared. Keep pressing, “OK, but what else might be possible?”