HEALTH CENTRE ETIQUETTE - five DOS and DON’TS AT THE DOCTOR’S

1. Get straight to the point. Doctors are immune to embarrassment and cannot be shocked.

2. Don’t stockpile problems - go when they occur. Doctors allot 10 minutes per patient, so won’t thank us for unloading 10 years’ worth of concerns in one visit.

3. Google research does not make us a qualified physician. By all means raise concerns generated by internet ‘studies’, but don’t tell the GP his or her job.

4. Wash! Peering into a stranger’s intimate cavities should be made as tolerable an experience as possible.

5. Listen carefully to their advice and follow it. Not just ‘if you feel like it.’