Book Review

What is good about this book?

As you would imagine from an experienced GP, Dr Easton’s tone is friendly and gentle, but more importantly unashamedly honest. Being quite new to general practice, I often wonder if I’m doing the right thing or sometimes feel guilty when a patient rubs me up the wrong way. As the title suggests, this book is open about what it really feels like to be a GP: The ruffling of feathers when a patient demands antibiotics before they even sit down; the sinking feeling when the hand-on-the-door symptom is revealed; the pressure of a clinic over-running; and the guilty pleasure of a ‘did not attend' (DNA). I found myself nodding in agreement at each consultation and sometimes wondered if Dr Easton was writing about my own experiences with patients. The book is well written, as you would expect from such a prolific health journalist. The way the chapters are punctuated with pictures of a clock is, I think, a clever touch, allowing the reader to feel like they are following the consultations in real-time. It also reminded me of how often my eye naturally flicks to the clock to make sure my clinic is running late. The text is littered with useful phrases and explanations that are worth ‘borrowing’ and there are insights about the author, GP’s and patients that made me snort with laughter. Much like a Balint group, this book, with its sense of sharing, brings comfort, reassurance and a sense of humour to our daily grind.

This book would be great for your friends and family who are dying to have an insight into your job – to see things from the doctor’s rather than the patient’s perspective. In fact, it would probably be useful for most non-medical people to read, just to understand why we run late. I would also recommend it to GP trainees and GP retainers, as it covers a huge breadth of material in an easily digestible way. The mixture of history of medicine, consultation models and clinical knowledge makes for an intelligent read with sympathetic references to recent political unrest among the junior doctors. Although it reads more like a Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) exam with its barn-door presentations, The Appointment certainly captures the essence of our day-to-day routine.

What is bad about this book?

Reading a book about GP consultations while trying to unwind after a hard day’s work may feel like a busman’s holiday and I wouldn’t be surprised if many GP’s overlooked The Appointment in favour of a different genre. Certainly, my prejudices weighed heavily on me during the first few pages and I was cynical towards Dr Easton’s upbeat enthusiasm for his 7:30 am clinic. The language is set at a level that a lay person could understand, with all medical jargon explained. Personally, I found myself impatiently skim-reading these sections and it is clear the intended audience isn’t medical. Although it is an enjoyable read, this book is not for all GP trainees and those who are more clinically minded may feel a little short-changed.