Ten minutes: getting the most out of a standard appointment.

A standard consultation at Muswellbrook Doctors runs about ten minutes. That is not very long, and how it gets used makes a real difference to what you get out of it.

None of what follows is about being efficient for our benefit. It is about not walking out having failed to mention the thing you actually came for.

Say the main thing first

Every GP knows the door-handle moment: the appointment is finished, you are standing up, and the patient says “while I am here, I have had this chest pain”.

It happens because the important thing is often the frightening thing, and people warm up to it. Understandable — but it means the most serious problem gets the least time, and often has to be deferred to another appointment.

One exception to all of this: chest pain, pressure or tightness happening now is a 000 call, not an appointment. Do not wait for a booking, and do not drive yourself.

Otherwise, lead with it. “The main thing I am worried about is…” is a perfectly good opening sentence, and it changes how the whole appointment is spent.

Bring a list, worst first

Write down what you want to cover before you come, in order of importance, and hand it over at the start. It is not an imposition — it lets us see the shape of the visit immediately and say honestly which items fit today and which need another appointment.

Four problems will not fit into ten minutes. Two might. Knowing that at the start is far better than discovering it at the end.

What to bring

• Your Medicare card, and any concession or pensioner card.
• Your medicines — the actual boxes if you can, including anything from the supermarket, and supplements. Names and doses are easy to get wrong from memory.
• Any results or letters from elsewhere — another practice, a hospital, a specialist.
• Readings you have been keeping — blood pressure, blood sugar, weight.
• For a child, the blue book.
• Dates. When something started, and how it has changed, is more useful than “a while ago”.

Describing a symptom usefully

You do not need medical language. Plain, specific description is more useful than technical terms.

• When did it start, and what were you doing?
• Is it constant or does it come and go? If it comes and goes, how long does it last?
• What makes it better or worse?
• What have you already tried?
• What is it stopping you doing? This one tells us a great deal.
• What are you actually worried it might be? Say it out loud. It is frequently the thing that most needs addressing, and it is very often left unsaid.

When to book a long appointment instead

Say what it is about when you book and reception will allocate the time. These generally need longer:

• More than one or two problems.
• Mental health — a first conversation, or a treatment plan.
• A full skin check.
• Care plans and health assessments, including over-75 assessments.
• Procedures — excisions, dressings, implants and removals.
• Forms and reports — insurance, employment, legal, licensing. Bring the paperwork with you.
• Complex or long-standing problems where the history takes time.
• An ADHD assessment, which needs considerably more than one long appointment.

Before you leave

Take thirty seconds to check three things:

1. What is the plan? What is being done, and what are you meant to do.
2. What happens with results, and when should you expect to hear? Reception cannot give results over the phone, so ask how you will be contacted.
3. What would mean coming back sooner? Knowing which changes matter is often the most valuable thing you take home.

If you did not follow something, say so before you go. Nobody minds explaining something twice, and everybody minds a treatment that was never started because the instruction was not clear.

General information only. This article is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call us on (02) 6530 7404. Last reviewed 2 June 2026.