50 questions we all want to ask a GP

...and Dr Ellie’s no-nonsense answers

Dr Ellie Cannon’s no nonsense answers

WHATEVER happened to the Family Health Encyclopaedia – that doorstep-sized tome everyone had on their bookshelves that listed just about every ailment you and your kids were ever likely to have, and how to treat them?

They were written by teams of doctors, and put out by the Royal College of GPs, the British Medical Association, and other trusted organisations. And they were a resource you could really rely on.

But today most are out of print and instead we go online when we get a new symptom, be it a rash, lump or bump, a horrible infection or have an accident, to ask Dr Google.

In fact, eight in ten people now get health information via internet search engines, and almost half of us use them to look for specific treatment advice.

Despite worries about cyberchondria (the name given to the anxiety caused by self-diagnosing problems via search engines) and fake health news, I think the internet has on the whole had an astonishingly positive impact on public health.

With a few strokes of a keyboard, patients can arm themselves with up-todate health advice, and the latest medical research. This can be empowering – and

liberating. But there are pitfalls, too. A study published earlier this month found that search engines give an ‘inaccurate diagnosis’ about a third of the time.

And that’s unfortunate, given that easy access to reputable health advice is more important than ever right now.

As I wrote last week, GP services are very much open for business, and have been throughout the crisis.

Of course, things are different. The majority of our appointments are now via video calls, and prescriptions are filled out online.

I have been among the first to criticise the relentless march to ‘digitising’ healthcare, as I feared it would leave many of my older, or more vulnerable patients behind.

But in fact, they’ve been the most avid adopters of these changes – and are delighted that they can now get appointments the next day, on the comfort of their own sofa, ratherthan wait weeks to then sit for hours in a crowded waiting room.

Specialist services such as skin clinics and physiotherapy are suspended, and there is a pause on screenings forcervical, breast and prostate cancer.

However, we are still monitoring patients on the blood-thinning drug warfarin, reviewing sick children and seeing patients with extreme stomach pains.

And we’re still providing faceto-face appointments for those who cannot access video consultations orwith urgent complaints.

DESPITE this, though, numbers contacting GPs are down across the UK. Surveys suggest that many people are reluctant to ‘bother’ their doctor and use up valuable NHS resources.

This is, of course, a worry, as I fear-there will be some with serious conditions going undiagnosed, and also others falling into that Dr Google trap, and misdiagnosing, or mistreating their ailments.

And, with this mind – if you won’t, or can’t, go to the GP – I’ll bring the GP to you.

Over the following eight pages, you’ll find my vital guide to coping with all of your family’s health problems at home.

This includes answers to 50 questions I’m most often asked in clinic – from how to handle bad backs and sore knees, to spotting the symptoms of a chest infection, treatments for painful headaches and eye problems.

In case you are faced with an emergency, we’ve included an easy-to-follow basic First Aid guide, which includes up-to-date advice for minimising Covid-19 risk, should it be someone outside of your family that you’re attending to.

And, as routine health checks aren’t happening right now, making it more important than ever to ensure that you’re in good health, we’ve provided a guide to giving yourself a full-body MOT.

Consider this package your very own Family Health Encyclopaedia – an invaluable resource that’ll safeguard your health, and the health of your loved ones.

At a time when NHS provisions may seem sporadic, it’s vital for every patient to know what they can do to help themselves – and of course, when it’s time to seek help…