What to Expect at Your First GP Appointment

A first GP appointment at a new practice covers more ground than a routine visit, because your doctor is building a picture from scratch. That is a good thing, and it works best when you arrive prepared for it. The appointment is partly about whatever brought you in and partly about establishing a baseline that everything afterwards gets measured against.

Choosing the right appointment

A first appointment may require more time than a routine visit because your GP may need to take a full history, discuss what brought you in and establish a plan for ongoing care. If you have a complex medical history, take regular medications, have more than one issue to discuss, or want to talk about your mental health, mention it when you book so the team can allow enough time.

One practical note on telehealth: a Medicare rebate generally applies to telehealth only where you have been seen face to face at the practice within the last 12 months. A first appointment should therefore usually be booked in clinic.

What to bring

Preparation takes about ten minutes at home and saves considerably more than that in the room.

• Your Medicare card, and any concession, pension or DVA card.
• A list of every medication you take, including doses, plus supplements and anything bought over the counter.
• The name and address of your previous clinic, if you want records transferred.
• Any known allergies or previous reactions to medications.
• Recent test results, imaging or specialist letters if you have copies.
• A short written list of what you want to cover, in priority order — the important thing mentioned at the door gets whatever time is left.

What happens in the consultation

Your GP will ask what brought you in, then work outward: how long it has been going on, what makes it better or worse, what you have already tried, and what you are worried it might be. They will also ask about past conditions, current medications, allergies, family history and lifestyle factors. These questions are not judgemental — they change the probability of different diagnoses and the safety of different treatments.

Not every appointment involves a physical examination. If one is needed, your GP will explain what they are doing and why before they start, and you can ask questions, ask for a chaperone, or ask them to stop at any point. The consultation should end with something concrete: a diagnosis or a short list of possibilities, a treatment or next step, and a clear sense of what would bring you back sooner.

Records, results and referrals

If you have been with another practice, your records can be transferred — let the team know and they will request the file from your previous clinic. Transfers can take a couple of weeks, so it is worth starting at your first visit.

If tests are ordered, ask how results will be communicated and roughly when to expect them. Assuming no news is good news is the most common way a result gets missed. Prescriptions may be sent electronically as a token to your phone, and referrals to non-GP specialists are usually valid for 12 months from the first visit to that specialist.