{"id":116133,"date":"2022-06-21T09:13:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T08:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/?p=116133"},"modified":"2022-11-22T11:07:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T11:07:22","slug":"dr-lindsey-thomas-gp-appointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/menopause-your-way\/guest-author\/dr-lindsey-thomas-gp-appointment\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr Lindsey Thomas on making the most of your GP visit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lots of things have changed in the last few years in terms of how we access different aspects of our lives, including our healthcare appointments. But things may well have been changing for you too.<\/p>\n

You might have noticed a change in your periods; they might be closer together, or you may have started to miss the odd one. You might be starting to experience hot flushes or night sweats, or generally just not feeling quite like yourself. And you\u2019ve decided that the time has come to make an appointment to discuss this with your GP.<\/p>\n

Some practices have changed their appointment system because of the Covid pandemic. Some of these changes have been beneficial, but for some it may have added an extra layer of anxiety about booking an appointment. With health services stretched it may not seem the right time to make an appointment, but it absolutely is!<\/p>\n

Below I\u2019m going to discuss ways to hopefully make your appointment more effective with the outcome you are hoping for.<\/p>\n

Booking an appointment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most initial appointments with a GP or practice nurse will involve a remote appointment. This is likely to involve a degree of triage to see if a remote appointment is appropriate, or whether it might be better for you to be seen face to face.<\/p>\n

In most cases an appointment for menopause care lends itself to being seen remotely. If it is felt that you would benefit from a face-to-face appointment, particularly if you are experiencing symptoms that may need to be examined, your GP will suggest this as a way forward.<\/p>\n

When booking your appointment. It\u2019s important to make sure this will be at a time where you can focus on yourself, without other distractions, which will make it more difficult to discuss all of your concerns.<\/p>\n

It is also important to think about who you are booking your appointment with. Most GP practices have several GPs to choose from. By their very name GPs are generalists. But most will have areas they specialise more in.<\/p>\n

There will often be a GP at your practice who specialises in women\u2019s health and possibly even in the menopause. It\u2019s important to ask about this so that you are booked in with the most appropriate person. Sometimes this might not be a GP, it might be a nurse or a physician\u2019s associate. You could ask the receptionist who the best person in your practice may be.<\/p>\n

You may be experiencing a few different symptoms you want to discuss as well as treatment options, and sometimes this can be difficult to accomplish within one appointment, those 10 minutes go every quickly! \u00a0So, if possible, ask if you can book a double appointment and explain the reasons behind this. This might not always be possible until you have had a triage appointment, but it may be an option for you.<\/p>\n

Be prepared<\/strong><\/p>\n

The symptoms of the menopause are wide and varied, due to the impact of oestrogen all over the body. In total there are thought to be 38 symptoms, but there may well be more than this. Keeping a diary of your symptoms or filling in a symptom checker, helps to focus your symptoms as being menopausal, but also highlight those which are most important to you. These can be downloaded online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also helpful to have information about your family\u2019s medical history, as you are likely to be asked about this, most importantly any history of breast cancer or thrombosis ( a blood clot). In most cases this won\u2019t impact on whether you can have HRT , but it should be part of the conversation.<\/p>\n

What would you like out of your appointment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this point it\u2019s worth having a think about what you actually want. You may have done lots of reading and research and feel confident that you would like to start HRT.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you may not be at that point, and you may just want confirmation from your GP that they agree that your symptoms sound menopausal. Along with understanding more about what treatments are available for you.<\/p>\n

With this in mind its good at the beginning of an appointment to lay this out, for example to say, \u2018I\u2019ve been experiencing symptoms of the peri-menopause and I\u2019d like to talk about starting HRT\u2019. This sets out from the very beginning where you would like this appointment to go.<\/p>\n

What to expect?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a menopause consultation to individualise your options to you would expect to talk about:<\/p>\n