Dr Fog's tips for surviving general practice: No.9 - The list and the roadmap

Mindful of the imminent arrival of new GP registrars at the practice, I have put pen to paper (younger readers can google both terms) regarding the tricky landscape of the consultation.

In the last outing (see tip No.8 below), I discussed the pre-meeting squizzy at the notes, the 'hello', and the need to greet patients in a friendly and courteous manner.

I said that we need a roadmap to get us into, and then out of, the visit without getting too lost.

So, having landed the patient in the consulting room, the next step is to ask: “How can I help you?”