All GPs have had to provide care at unexpected times and in difficult situations. 

And all of us, no doubt, have experienced the ‘piggyback’ consult, where a booked patient will bring a partner/ friend/ or relative with them, who, little beknown to us, is actually there for a consult too.

Having a new patient suddenly sprung on you in a time-pressured day can be annoying and makes me, for one, mildly anxious. 

However, it’s very difficult to turn someone, who’s sitting right in front of you, away.