Dr Riccardo Di Cuffa

I have been a practising doctor for a quarter of a century. It’s hard for me to believe that’s true and that amount has time has passed so quickly. I’ve seen huge changes in GP services during this time, and as I enter the latter years of my career, it makes me reflect on the value of a regular family doctor.

Over the years, the role of the family doctor has changed a lot. When I was a young, aspiring doctor, everyone knew their family doctor. Mine was Dr Wheldon. He was a lovely man and the family embraced him as a family friend. Come rain or shine, when we had a medical issue, we would call him and he’d be there. 

In those days, GPs had far fewer patients and had more time for the patients that needed their care. 

As time has moved on, this patient-doctor relationship has become fractured and now most people don’t even know who their doctor is, or whether they are even seeing a doctor.

Self-collect blood tests, pharmacy advice, online appointments can all be very helpful, but they can lack the essential element of a doctor’s knowledge. The one which allows the test results to be interpreted knowing your patient’s medical history. Often these tests will flag small issues, but a doctor’s experience and in-depth knowledge of the patient will allow them to know what the next steps are. Hence, the doctor-patient relationship is vital for a successful partnership when dealing with health issues. 

Knowing your patient, knowing how they react, what they do, how to communicate with them, and earning their trust are all essential skills of being a doctor.

Like any relationship, trust is a fundamental value that needs to be earned and nurtured. It can be easily ruptured, and this will only lead to poor communication and decision making which is not in a patient’s interest. 

Your doctor should help to guide you through your heath journey with their experience and advice. They can really make a difference to your long-term health outcomes, and you should not underestimate how valuable their lifetime of experience and skills is. This is why, more than ever, it is important to find yourself a good doctor who can invest their time in you.