Improving mental health outcomes for young people: the perspective of a GP trainee

Improving mental health outcomes for young people: the perspective of a GP trainee During my first few weeks as a GP trainee, I met a young lady who had recently been diagnosed with a serious, long-term condition. Walking into the consultation room, she sat down with her fringe partially covering her eyes. I started by asking her how she had been since her last visit. Slowly, she began telling me how her diagnosis had made her feel.

Fifteen minutes into the consultation, she grew more at ease. She revealed that she had become increasingly low and was finding it difficult to sleep. She was now considering dropping a class that she loved. Her antidepressants, it seemed, had not done the trick.

At the end of our 30-minute slot, together we made a plan to organise counselling. That evening, I contacted her specialist nurse, completed a referral to the psychologist and booked a follow-up consultation. As I finished off my paperwork, one thought lingered: as a new GP trainee, my appointments are 30 minutes long; in a few short months they'll be down to just 10. What would we have achieved in 10 minutes? The King's Fund