this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2026
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I was back at the doctor's again today and had more blood taken. I'm not sure if it's the new doctor or the magic new 50yo label, but the difference between now and a couple of years ago in terms of interest in actually doing screening tests etc. is very dramatic.
I've always been a bit annoyed by all of the 'ask your doctor about X issue' type messaging because I've never been to a doctor before that actually had any interest in following anything up. It's always felt like it's somehow supposed to be my responsibility to figure out what health tests etc. are appropriate and then to try to convince a doctor to sign off on doing it. Having a doctor that actually wants to arrange for things in a proactive manner is a bit of a novelty.
So glad you found a good gp. My experience is identical to yours. You’ve described it exactly! I’ve had a few different gps over the years and they have all been similar. I figure maybe it’s my appearance or way of asking, maybe I seem too well? Also I don’t go that often, so they don’t really know me? But then shouldn’t someone who isn’t a frequent visitor be taken seriously, because if I’ve shown up at the GP, I have a genuine concern.
They aren't the easiest to deal w/ I can say that much.
My local clinic (been going there for 8 years now) is absolutely amazing at following up. The GP we started with is no longer there, but there are 3 others that are great. No worries with getting tests and referrals. They always recommend doing a full spectrum analysis of everything.
Also, bulk billing since day one.
The appointments are kept to the minimum time (10-15 minutes) but if anything is out of the ordinary they'll arrange an extended one.
A while back I ran into one of the GPs at the shops and he was asking me how everything was since the last visit.
This is awesome.