Frustrated by your doctor? Do keep in touch!

Staying in touch with your GP could add years to your life

Since the pandemic, many people have fallen out of regular contact with their GPs. Long phone queues, appointment delays and overstretched NHS services have made it easy to let routine check-ups slide. But if you're in midlife or managing a chronic condition, skipping those appointments could come at a serious cost.

As someone committed to evidence-based health support, I want to gently challenge the idea that "never going to the doctor" is something to be proud of. Regular contact with your GP can genuinely save your life.

Why doctor continuity matters

It is easy to think of doctor appointments as something you only need when something is clearly wrong. But the real value of regular check-ins is in what they prevent. They help with:

• Routine blood pressure monitoring

• Cholesterol checks

• Blood tests that can catch early signs of vitamin and mineral deficiencies

• Screening for diabetes, thyroid problems and kidney or liver issues

• Referrals for cancer screening, ECGs or further investigations when needed

Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or vitamin D deficiency are often asymptomatic. But they quietly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and other serious illnesses. Detecting and addressing them early gives you a chance to act before damage occurs.

What the evidence says about regular GP contact

Studies consistently show that continuity of care, seeing the same GP regularly, is associated with lower mortality rates, fewer hospital admissions and improved quality of life.

A 2018 systematic review published in BMJ Open found that patients who saw the same doctor consistently had up to a 25 percent lower risk of early death compared with those who did not (Pereira Gray et al., 2018). The authors concluded that this connection was strong enough to consider continuity of care a public health priority.

Regular GP contact also improves diagnosis accuracy, helps manage long-term conditions more effectively and makes it more likely that any medications will be properly reviewed and adjusted over time.

Not happy with your medication? Talk, do not avoid

If you have been avoiding appointments because your medication caused unwanted side effects or felt ineffective, you are not alone. Many people silently stop medications or avoid follow-up because they feel unheard or frustrated. But this can create risk and confusion later on.

Instead, start the conversation with your GP. There may be other options available, and often, combining medical care with lifestyle and nutritional approaches can offer the best of both worlds.

What I offer alongside your medical care

Once you are back in contact with your GP, I would love to support you in other ways. My approach combines nutritional therapy, mindfulness and, where appropriate, hypnotherapy. Everything I offer is based on research and tailored to your unique health picture.

Together, we can often:

• Lower cholesterol using natural methods

• Support blood pressure without side effects

• Improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity

• Reduce the need for certain medications (with GP oversight)

• Ease digestive issues including IBS and IBD

• Support energy, mood, weight and sleep, especially through menopause or midlife transitions

• Ease IBD colitis and Crohn's and create lasting remission

Final thoughts

Avoiding your doctor may feel easier in the short term, but over time it can lead to missed opportunities for prevention, screening and safe monitoring. Regular appointments, even when you feel well, create a strong foundation for staying well in the years ahead.

If it has been a while, make that call. And when you are ready for extra support using natural, evidence-informed approaches, I am here to help.

References

Pereira Gray DJ, Sidaway-Lee K, White E, Thorne A, Evans PH. (2018). Continuity of care with doctors—a matter of life and death? BMJ Open, 8(6), e021161. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021161

Salisbury C, Man M-S, Chaplin K, et al. (2020). Effect of offering a GP 'check-up' on the health and wellbeing of older people: a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of General Practice, 70(693), e125–e132. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X708845
Royal College of General Practitioners. (2022).