Should I break up with my GP? How do I do it?
There are a bunch of reasons why a patient might look for a new GP, including a need for specialised care, disagreement over treatment or feeling unheard.
Seeing your GP regularly is just as important as visiting when you're unwell.
But if cost is a barrier or your GP is hardly available, or they don’t hear you out, it may be time to shop around for a new one.
Malcolm Mulholland is the chairman of patient advocacy group, Patient Voice Aotearoa.
RNZ/Justine Murray
Signs it could be time for a change
Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman Malcolm Mulholland says reasons can include:
- Long wait times
- Disagreement with treatment plan
- Inadequate quality of care
- Rise in fees
- Relocating
If you’re unable to be honest with your GP, it increases the risk of misdiagnosis or missed issues, Mulholland says. It's understandable to feel uncomfortable sharing personal details with a GP you’ve known since childhood, but confidentiality is a requirement.
Dr Prabani Wood, medical director at the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP), says honesty should go both ways.
“If [a GP] feel they're not able to offer the care that that person needs, they may be able to recommend someone else.”
How to make the switch
You’re not required to inform your GP, but Mulholland says it may pay to do so if you’ve known them for a while.
“It may not be an easy scenario or situation; it might make you feel somewhat uncomfortable, but again, you're well within your rights to do that and to express your concerns, if you have any, to the GP and they should be respectful of the fact that you are prepared to do that.”
Either way, you’ll need to sign a form to transfer your medical records.
Finding a new GP
You can start with Healthpoint (Māori health providers here), which gives the option of filtering by location, hours, services, and availability.
If no new enrolments are available, check your region’s primary health organisation.
What to consider
Look at their scope. Some practices offer additional services, including nurse practitioners (who can prescribe and order tests), counsellors, social workers, health coaches, and allied health professionals like dietitians or osteopaths.
Mulholland advises checking:
- Whether they’re accepting new patients
- Communication style and bedside manner
- Online reviews (e.g. local Facebook groups) and word of mouth from friends and family
- Fees (these can vary by about $20 in an area, Mulholland says)
- Whether you’ll see the same GP consistently
You may not know after one visit if a GP is right for you, but you'll get a sense of their approach, he says.
Te Whatu Ora says you can always change later, but the longer you stay with a GP the stronger communication becomes.
Te Whatu Ora's suggested questions to consider:
- Is the GP’s age, gender, language, or background important to me?
- Do they specialise in an area relevant to my needs (e.g. child health)?
- Are their fees reasonable? (They may also offer different consultation lengths.)
- Is the clinic accessible and open at convenient times?
- Do they offer after-hours or walk-in services? Do these cost the same?
- How long are wait times?
Extra checks
If needed, you can check the Medical Council’s register to confirm a doctor’s qualifications and scope of practice.
Wood says practices undergo a three-yearly review to ensure they’re up to scratch. Those with RNZCGP Fellowships must abide by certain regulations which are updated yearly.
Should you always see the same GP?
Mulholland says seeing the same doctor is key for patients with chronic illnesses so they can track any regression and refer them as required. It also leads to safe clinical practice, he says.
Dr Prabani Wood is a Hamilton-based specialist GP working at the University of Waikato Student Health Service.
Supplied / RNZCGP
Wood says research has repeatedly shown continuity of care reduces hospitalisations and improves life expectancy.
“What the patients really value is being able to build that relationship and not have to repeat themselves every single time they come and see you,” Wood says.
“Also, when patients are younger, so young kids who unfortunately get sick quite often, I think the parents value being able to see the same GP.”
But the ability to do that in New Zealand has been eroded because of healthcare underfunding and the shortage of GPs, she says.
“I hope that in time again, every person in New Zealand can say, ‘Oh, this is my family doctor’. I would love to get to that point again.”
