Roles of a General Practitioner

The Important Role Played by a General Practitioner

In light of the many specialities that are features of modern medicine, just how important the role of a general practitioner can be is often overlooked. They are not, as is sometimes believed, simply doctors who have failed to pursue a specialism, but experienced healthcare professionals who happen to have chosen general practice as their speciality and who, on average, will have undergone up to 11 years of training to prepare them for their post.

Often referred to as a family doctor, he or she provides the first point of contact for those who are ill or injured, and possesses all of the essential skills and knowledge required to treat all common illnesses, as well as the experience to know when it may be necessary to refer a patient to a hospital or other service for more specialised investigation and treatment.

In recent years, it has become common practice in some countries to include a general practitioner service in a hospital emergency department. Here, they are able to play an invaluable role by performing triage and ensuring that those who are genuinely in need of further attention will be assigned, without delay, to the appropriate specialist department. Since many of those attending emergency departments only require minor attention, this service helps to limit unwarranted pressure on staff and waiting times for those with more serious problems.

That said, securing an appointment is not always easy and if your local practice is a busy one, you can sometimes wait several days for a consultation with a general practitioner. It is precisely to overcome this and other difficulties commonly associated with healthcare services that the Intercare Group was founded in 2000 by Dr Hendrik Hamekon, himself a former GP, and Dr George Veliotes, a specialist in integrated healthcare delivery systems. Their goal was to ensure a service that is available to the maximum number of patients for the maximum number of hours at a time when the burden of increased illness was seriously challenging the ability of the average medical practice to cope with the growing demands of its patients.

In the quest to put the needs of patients first, the group is able to offer extended service hours, while reducing costs by adopting innovative solutions, such as an online booking option and, for those without broadband or uncomfortable with the technology, a call centre devoted to arranging bookings, as well as coordinating patient care throughout the group’s primary care and wellness centres.

Not only could a move to Intercare ensure that you should be able to see a general practitioner whenever you need to, but it could even save your life in an emergency.