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While I know people stick with good GPs, which is why it can be difficult to find a place at a local practice, I stayed with the same family doctor for years simply because switching felt like a hassle.
He once told me a nagging headache was “probably nothing” and sent me home with the first antibiotic he could rattle off.
A week later, I was in an A&E, swollen head to toe like Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory only not so purple.
It turned out I had glandular fever and, as I learned the hard way and despite doctor’s
orders, penicillin is the last thing I should’ve taken.
If only a medical professional had warned me… now I have a lifelong allergy to penicillin, which is no joke.
But I still went back to that doctor, not because I trusted him, but because changing felt like more effort than it was worth.
I’m not alone having such strange loyalty.
Many of us settle, sticking with a doctor the way we’d stick with a hairdresser even though they’ve given us bad haircuts a few too many times – except the stakes here are health, not merely a fringe.
Part of the resistance is the admin, having to find a new practice, fill out the forms, be on
the waitlist and then re-explain your history to someone new.
Another part is a weird sense of obligation.
A doctor is meant to be an expert, so it feels rude to say that your GP isn’t getting it right.
Eventually I did switch.
My new doctor asked better questions, offered helpful advice and gave me referrals I had been requesting for years.
I left appointments feeling healthier. Some might say this is a placebo effect; I’d call it catharsis.
The right doctor won’t just treat symptoms; they’ll look after you.
Switching GPs can feel like a hassle, but so too is having to explain your symptoms to someone who has ears painted on.
Another reason for sticking with a GP is that they really are good. For this reason, it can be tough to find a place at such popular practices, especially in Pukekohe
– Ed.
