Gentian
Gentian rarely sees the GP as he’s usually healthy. He is satisfied with his local surgery but would like it to have longer opening hours this would make it easier to get appointments after school.
Gentian rarely sees the GP (local doctor) as he’s usually healthy. His earliest memory was going because of a chest infection. Most recently he saw the doctor because of back pain.
Gentian’s mum usually books the appointments and goes with him. He usually sees the same doctor and, though he has seen other GPs, prefers his regular doctor, who he finds friendlier. Gentian also appreciates that his regular doctor addresses both him and his mum. He has never felt rushed in appointments, and finds that the doctors at his local surgery take time to address his problems. He does feel, though, that doctors don’t always listen to what young people think about their symptoms. Overall Gentian is satisfied with his local surgery but would like it to have longer opening hours this would make it easier to get appointments after school.
Seeing the school nurse has been less positive for Gentian, who he saw about a stomach ache and, more recently, back pain. He feels that the school nurse is less understanding and sometimes doesn’t believe pupils when they seek help.
On one occasion Gentian had to go to A&E (Accident and Emergency) for a burst lip because he was kicked in the face while playing football. His mum drove him to hospital, where he had to wait for more than two hours to be told that he needed to come back the following week for stitches. Gentian feels that the waiting time in A&Es should be reduced. He would also like waiting rooms to have a separate section for younger children.
Gentian rarely uses the internet to look up health-related topics, including symptoms, but if there was a website for checking symptoms he would read that before going to the GP. He likes the idea of being able to have telephone consultations but is less enthusiastic about emailing a GP he feels that people don’t always answer emails immediately and that it is more reassuring to hear someone’s voice when seeking help for a health problem.