How to Make a Doctor's Appointment

The telephone is right there. It has been right there for months. Pick it up.

I am aware that this sounds like the sort of advice that does not require giving, and yet the average man waits longer to see a doctor than he waits for any other appointment in his life, not because the system is slow (though it often is) but because he simply does not make the call. He waits until the problem is undeniable, presents himself as though he has only just noticed, and is surprised when the doctor tells him it has been developing for some time.

The process is not complicated. It has been made to feel complicated by a reluctance that has nothing to do with logistics and everything to do with avoidance, and the sooner you recognise that the obstacle is internal rather than administrative, the sooner you will pick up the telephone.

Call your doctor’s surgery. If you do not have a doctor, register with one. If the process of registering feels like an obstacle, know that it is designed to be done once, after which it is done and need never concern you again. If you prefer to book online, most practices now offer this. If you prefer neither method, you have identified the problem, and it is not the booking system.

When you call, state what you need clearly. “I would like to book an appointment. I have a concern about [the thing].” You do not need to diagnose yourself. You do not need to justify the appointment. You do not need to apologise for taking up their time, for this is, quite literally, what their time is for.

If you are asked whether it is urgent, answer honestly. If you have been ignoring something for three months, it is probably not an emergency, but it is overdue; say so. “It has been going on for a while and I would like it looked at.” This is a perfectly adequate reason, and no further justification is required of you.

Attend the appointment, on time, with a clear idea of what you want to say. Write down your symptoms beforehand if you are likely to forget them in the room, which most people do, for doctors have limited time and you can help them help you by being specific.

Answer their questions honestly. All of them. Including the ones about how much you drink, how often you exercise, and whether you have been experiencing any symptoms you have not mentioned. The doctor is not judging you; the doctor is assembling information, and you should give them the complete picture rather than the version that makes you look like someone who has everything under control.

Follow through on whatever they recommend. If it is a test, book it. If it is a referral, attend it. If it is a change to your habits, make the change. The appointment is the beginning, not the end.