How To Choose Your Family Doctor

A family doctor is responsible for the primary healthcare of all members of a family irrespective of their gender, age, illness, or a specific body organ. In most cases, a general practitioner takes up the role of a family doctor. It is quite natural that a necessity for specialised treatment may arise. In that case, the private GP will refer the particular individual to a specialist. Most private clinics have specialised departments so that you will not have to go elsewhere.

A multidisciplinary clinic may have the following clinical departments to take care of all the medical requirements of their patients:

• Women’s Health Services
• Men’s Health Services
• Children’s Health Services
• Heart and Chest Services
• Ear, Nose, and Throat Services
• Physiotherapy Services
• Sexual Health Services
• Bones and Joints Services
• Endocrinology Services
• Digestive System Services
• Skin Services

Besides the above, the clinic may also have diagnostic services, including ultrasound scan and pathology testing. It may also have a well-equipped ENT Clinic with specialised doctors.

The law under ‘Modernising Medical Careers,’ stipulates that a General Practitioner should have had at least five years’ post-graduate training with three months in general surgery and another three months in general medicine.

To get the best out of our healthcare system, you should do a little homework to choose an experienced family doctor.

Compliance With Regulations

Make sure that the private clinic has all the required certifications and registrations with regulatory bodies and the doctors have GMC registration and suitable experience. You can research this online on the clinic’s website or on the websites of regulatory bodies.

Infrastructure And Personnel

Many clinics will use external services for imaging (such as CT or MRI scans). A multidisciplinary clinic will often be able to do all your initial tests and investigations from one site.

Testimonials

Nothing matters more than reputation. Ask around and try to get maximum information from other people and look online at review sites like Doctify.

Empathy

Illness and consultation is a very sensitive matter. The clinic of your choice should be considerate and empathetic in its behaviour towards patients and make you feel comfortable and confident in their care.

Proximity

The private clinic of your choice must be easily accessible from where you live or have good video and telephone consultation capabilities.

Once you have decided upon your private GP, it is time to make an appointment. It is very easy now to book an appointment online, or in other words, your family doctor is a click away. When you visit the clinic’s website, it is always a good idea to confirm that they have ample COVID-19 precautions and testing facilities.