Specialist GP's

Your GP Is Also A Specialist

There is a common misconception among the general public that the family doctor is somewhat less capable than their colleagues who may have chosen to specialise in a specific discipline of medicine such as cardiology, gastroenterology, dermatology, or obstetrics and gynaecology. In practice, however, a GP will have been required to undergo the same length and intensity of training as each of these healthcare professionals and differs from them only in having chosen to specialise in the much broader field of primary care.

The clue to the nature of the general practitioner’s speciality is found in the adjective “general”. The term implies the need for a broad-based knowledge coupled with extensive experience of a wide range of common and not-so-common ailments and the symptoms that characterise them. In many cases, a GP will be able to make an accurate diagnosis on the spot and then proceed to implement the appropriate treatment such as prescribing a course of antibiotics or performing minor surgery.

However, on other occasions, the symptoms alone may not be sufficient to arrive at a conclusive diagnosis and so they must also possess sound knowledge of those laboratory tests and other diagnostic procedures which, in conjunction with the patient’s history and physical examination, will serve to differentiate between those conditions that tend to display similar symptoms. In this way, the GP provides a sort of catchall service that is designed to ensure patients receive up-front attention wherever possible while ensuring that, when it is not, they will be referred to those with the relevant but narrower field of specialisation for further investigation.

Quite often, however, all that will be required of the specialist is a confirmed diagnosis, as this will frequently make it possible for the family practitioner to proceed with the necessary treatment. In other circumstances, that treatment may entail a period of hospitalisation and, perhaps, major surgery. In such cases, the referring GP will often be called upon to participate in the patient’s post-operative care programme. This can help to relieve some of the pressure on a hospital’s outpatient clinic while providing a more familiar environment for the patient.

Prevention is also part of the job and so the family doctor also provides vaccinations and contraception advice. However, the pressure on family doctors has also been mounting and a growing number of patients must now wait days or even longer to secure an appointment with their GP. Busy schedules and office hours have necessitated reducing consultation times to compensate. Today, Intercare can offer its patients a viable alternative thanks to its introduction of extended consulting hours and its simplified online booking service.