I've had an ongoing debalitating health problem and struggled with finding a good GP who actually had the time to chat and work with me (most of the time I feel it's the opposite).
Without trying to make it too controversial regarding the current western medical industry, I just want to be able to find a good GP. I've tried word of mouth and most of the "highly rated" ones in my area as well
Thanks
Christoph
time to chat and work with me
That going cost you lots of $$$ :)
It's unclear where op is.
he's everywhere but no where
prolly in Norway
ip address shows Norway.
Ask around your community (OK you already have). I'm not sure what your health issue is but I had one around 10 years and had to figure it out myself. I did have a good doctor back then as well but even he was struggling to figure it out. Ask other professionals like your masseuse or chiro if they know of any recommend doctors. Try a nutritionist to see if they have any answers. Until you do find someone competent locally don't be afraid to go on the journey of discovery yourself. Start by googling your symptoms and read through the results until something useful emerges. Watch out for the DrGoogle trap that may convince you that your sore finger means you have cancer with 3 days to live. :)
The current bulk bill medical centre arrangement is for efficiency, not exactly for building client and provider relationships.
An expensive GP in a small practice who doesn't bulk bill isn't necessarily what it cracks up to be, either.
It's a bit of a lottery/lucky dip situation.
I have a gp who I will literally wait for up to 4 weeks for. Totally out of the question for ‘normal’ ailments but she is extremely thorough, and takes the time to answer all and any questions - however she does also charge accordingly and I’m happy to pay.
I have a gp who I will literally wait for up to 4 weeks for
Mr Wongingtons, you only have one month left to live…
Better than, if I saw you 4 weeks ago I would have said you have one month to live
.
Now, let's look at these test results. Oh my gosh, it's worse than i thought. My son got a d on his math test.
i recommend mines
hes good
Your statement should have stated he was Gold not Good ;)
he's fully sick
and heals the sick
Adelaide had a good GP, but Melbourne stole it.
Keep going to different ones until you find one that isn't terrible, good luck, in my experience most are terrible. A good sign is if a GP you want to book is booked out for the next two months.
I've had so many terrible GPs that I now just wait until I'm about to die before going in, wastes less time.
I tried to wait things out now before seeing them as GPs often suggest to come back if it doesn't resolve.
They still tell me the same thing after waiting for things to resolve and waiting to see them.
Just take some antibiotics and come back in a week if you aren't better 😂
What is your diet like OP? Because good health starts with diet first and foremost.
There is a lot of research out there that advocates strongly for a whole foods plant based diet. Look up "The China Study" for example. People who don't believe in science will automatically react to this advice as vegan propaganda but many studies (that are also not paid for by the agriculture industry) show that eating a whole foods plant based diet that incorporates a wide variety of colour is the key to good health. There would be a lot less demand to see GPs if everyone simply ate a cleaner diet, but our world is filled with fast food corporations that aim to attract customers with colourful logos and cheap and artificial un-nutritious food.
For example, do you eat dark leafy greens or legumes daily? Are you getting five serves of fruit and veg a day? Because those foods contain large amounts of magnesium, potassium, B vitamins (except 12 which mainly comes from bacteria), folate, vitamin C etc. that are important for the body to function properly. Magnesium in particular is a cofactor for over 300 enzymes in the body.
I can't really help you find a GP if you've already tried word of mouth and Google reviews but you should focus on eating healthier as you continue to look for a GP that actually helps you.
Lot of good content in that. Shame about the vegan propaganda.
Female GPs want to get paid at a higher rate than male GPs do, because at the same pay rate they get paid less. The reason for this is that they spend more time talking to the patients, and get through less patients. So if you want to be in and out as quick as possible, choose a male GP. But if you want to spend more time talking to them, choose a female GP.
Me, I've lost faith in all of them. If there wasn't a medication I need a regular new prescription for, and I'm expecting a letter soon saying I need a signoff from a GP, I'd give up on them. I tried looking for another GP when the current one got it wrong, yet again, but you end up having to explain your medical history over and over. So these days I just put up with the GP I've got.
Do you have a source or are those assumptions?
The days of good free GPs is long over. You wouldn't want a GP who is solely reliant on public funding anyway, the system is fair borked.
Avoid bulk billing GPs. I'm really frugal and I'm happy to pay for 15-30 mins of my competent GP's time. She genuinely has an interest in her patients health and wellbeing, and isn't just trying to push her patients out the door as fast as possible. Having said that, bulk billers have a time and a place i.e. for a script repeat or for a medical.
Have you tried ChatGPT?
I've never found one in Victoria.
I've been in that boat for many, many years. I now have a decent doctor, but have to drive 45 minutes each way to see her. She does telehealth too, so that would be an option, but I prefer in person visits so that she can actually examine me.
Search for an integrative GP and find one that specialises in the conditions that you have. I've found mine through https://nextpracticehealth.com/ and am very happy with her. My first appointment was 2 hours long and follow ups are between 30 and 60 minutes. Usually there's a few weeks waiting time to see her, but that's OK because I'm seeing this doctor for chronic conditions.
I would be interested to know your specific issue. If you want more time with the GP you just pay for it, that’s what long consultations are for. Is the issue that they have no interest in working up or managing your condition? Or that the measures they suggest are either ineffective or impractical?
Sometimes a good GP is one that realises they have exhausted that ability as a general practitioner.
If your condition is complex perhaps a specialist, or multiple specialists via a care plan would be the best option. I think from what you have divulged so far it is very difficult to work out what your actual complaint is other than a lack of time which could be solved simply by spending more money.
You lack an efficient approach. You don't need to talk more, you need to talk with succinct purpose.
You turn up to the appointment with all your symptoms and clinical history written down so that you can furnish the necessary information and answer questions (I can give you thirty plus years of complex medical history in under 10 minutes because I have a literal cheat sheet I can read off). You turn up with purpose. Why are you there and what do you want? Sounds obvious and I can guarantee many patients don't have a clue about one or both. Throw in things like disparity of intellect, different languages, and rotten attitudes and it's no wonder things take fifty times longer than they need to.
This isn't a coffee date, this is someone that is there to try to improve your health. Talking about anything other than that is unnecessary, and beating around the bush about what is necessary takes up time that nobody has. Think about what you'd say if you had 120 seconds tops and say that. No filler, no mucking around.
What state are you living in?
I have a fantastic GP in Perth. No waiting. Can get on within a day or less.
NOR or SOR?
Yes its very hard to find a decent doctor the thing is once you find one you end up having to book well in advance.
Once you do find a good gp they are still time restricted so you may need to make a double appointment.
How to Find Good GPs?
Good web design with transparent price ranges and detailed profiles on all their GPs and specialists. That's how I found these guys and they've been great so if you're in Sydney or Brisbane: https://www.holdsworthhouse.com.au/
Took me years to find one and then she left.. NOW stuck with a blunt one who is not the best.
How many GPs have you tried?