March 3, 2022

It’s an exciting time transitioning from a trainee to general practice and must feel like a long-time coming. Though it’s no secret that the practical reality of working as a new GP will be different from your studies and training and it’s good to feel prepared for what lies ahead. To ensure you hit the ground running, it’s important to understand the realities you may face day to day and how to navigate them successfully, laying the foundations for a great career in general practice.

That’s why we’ve prepared a breakdown of what you can expect from a typical day in the life of a GP, and how you can seamlessly adapt to any healthcare setting you choose to work in with some practical tips.

Understanding the pressures in general practice

Being a doctor has its ups and downs like any role, you get a lot of positivity from the people you help on a day-to-day basis, but realistically there are some more challenging parts to accommodate too. Administration and record keeping will become a significant part of your role and you may have to overcome some obstacles and take uncomfortable feedback on board if a patient should raise a complaint.

Some typical pressures that doctors face include:

• Time management
• Record keeping
• Stress and burnout
• Complaints
• Paperwork

But it’s not all doom and gloom! Believe us, being a GP is one of the most rewarding careers you could possibly choose and you get to work with multidisciplinary teams who are all working towards a common goal of helping people. Camaraderie, friendship and teamwork are the mainstays of working in primary care that doctors are supported by. However, it is always good to be as prepared as possible and to go into any role with your eyes wide open to all the ins and outs.

What does a normal day look like for a GP?

As you approach entering general practice after your training and studies, you may wonder what your typical day will look like once you are employed. We’ve sketched out what a typical day might look like, focusing on the remote applications of general practice and what you’ll have to complete on a day-to-day basis.

07:30 – Arrive at the GP practice, grab some tea of coffee and check in with the team. Review any notes from the day before or previous out of hours doctor on any appointments you may be conducting today.

Check through emails, flag any requirements or referrals that are needed.

08:00 – The phones start ringing as people start to make appointments, your own appointments start and you begin calling your patients for 10-minute phone assessments.

11.50 – Morning sessions have finished and you spend the next 40 minutes following up on any paperwork, referrals, blood test bookings, messages, emails or admin that got pushed to the side during your morning telephone appointments.

12.15 – Grab some lunch, tea, biscuit, pass on any relevant messages to your team.

13.00 – You may be making house calls for those who need physical examination but are too unwell or frail to come to the practice.

14.30 – Back at the surgery to make the afternoon’s round of telephone appointments. They’re back to back so the afternoon passes quickly.

18.00 – You check in with any patients that needed follow ups that day and finalise any outstanding paperwork or admin. Complete your referrals and letters for the day.

19.30 – Head home, proud of what you’ve achieved for people who needed your help.

The specifics of what you do will depend on how and where you work. Permanent doctors who work in hospitals will have a very different daily breakdown to contract GPs working in surgeries or GPs that run specific clinics on certain days.

Find your next GP position with Key Medical Services  

 If you are about to qualify as a new GP and enter the world of work in healthcare, our team of specialist consultants would be happy to guide you in this time. From offering career advice to providing support with sourcing assignments, they’ll be sure to help you find the best opportunities to suit you and align with your long-term goals. They will also help you to get your compliance levels up to 100% so that you never miss an opportunity.