Abstract

From reviews:

"This little book is well written and has a pleasant, informal style… The first part of the book covers what [the author] calls the soft skills, but what could be called the social skills required to make the consultation work most successfully… This section might be ideal for a trainer with a trainee facing clinical skills assessment.
… The second part of the book tries to encourage and enable the career GP to look after themselves. Again, well written, it is full of useful advice…. To sum up, a short book from which every GP might learn something." Br J Gen Pract, February 2019

“At times nostalgic, but frequently emotional and so positive, this book is an easy-access antidote to the calls for ‘resilience’ and the anti-patient rhetoric that seems to appear all too commonly on social media, and is a well-timed reminder of why we do the job we do and how to do it effectively.” Pulse, June 2018

The Art of General Practice is a short text written by an experienced GP and GP trainer. It is a book which will help focus the mind of the reader (GPs of all descriptions: young GPs, returners to general practice and even jaded GPs) on what it means to be a GP. Too often general practice focuses on guidelines, ever-changing targets, incentives or the academic side of medicine and the art and craft of being a GP is forgotten.

The book aims to redress the balance; it helps the reader refocus on the emotional intelligence needed to be a great GP. The book consists of a number of short chapters so the busy GP can dip in and out of it as time allows – each chapter helps the reader re-centre on the core skills and techniques needed to be a great GP, and the benefits these skills will bring to both GPs and patients alike.

There is almost no medicine in this book; it is a book of life experiences, anecdotes and suggestions – all aimed to help you survive the increasing pressures of general practice and make your life as a GP more interesting and less stressful.