Many patients leave GP appointment without discussing all worries, survey shows

Two-fifths of patients leave their GP appointment without discussing everything that is worrying them about their health, a survey has revealed.

The finding has prompted claims that older people often feel family doctors “want them out the door as soon as possible” rather than listening to all their concerns.

The polling firm Ipsos found that while 51% of patients were able to talk about “everything” or “most things” they wanted to raise the last time they saw a GP, 40% were only able to discuss “some things”, “hardly anything” or “nothing at all”.

Dennis Reed, the director of Silver Voices, a membership organisation for older people, said that while “there are many wonderful GPs who take all the time that is necessary … an increasing number appear irritated and impatient if an older patient feels the need to explain their medical history to give context”.

He warned that patients not having enough time to talk through all their concerns with a GP meant there was a “great danger that only the immediate and obvious symptoms are dealt with” and that “underlying, more serious concerns can easily be missed”.

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Source: The Guardian, 2 September 2024