Would you like a ‘standing’ GP appointment?
“Please take a seat” may stop being the greeting of choice at GP surgeries, as a study will look at whether standing appointments should be rolled out across the NHS.
GPs will be given convertible standing desks and activity trackers and patients will be asked how they found the consultation.
Loughborough University is leading the experimental study which will see family doctors given convertible standing desks and wear activity trackers to monitor their movements.
It is hoped that the standing appointments will make GPs an example of good practice for patients, prompt conversations about the risks of being sedentary and help both patient and doctor become more active.
Another possibility may be that standing could shorten the average consultation time.
Researchers have consulted with the Royal College of GPs (RCGPs), which said it is looking forward to seeing the results.
Amanda Daley, professor of behavioural medicine at the university, said the standing appointments will be for adults only and that patients will be able to sit if they wish.
She told the PA news agency: “Historically, GPs and patients sit during consultations to facilitate good doctor-patient rapport – we have all heard the familiar greeting from our GPs to ‘take a seat’.
“But we also know that GPs spend a long time sitting down during the working day – which can contribute to poor health outcomes – and evidence suggests that doctors often neglect their own health.
“Therefore, we need to find ways of getting GPs on their feet and moving more often. Standing consultations could help GPs to be more active, as well as highlighting to patients the importance of reducing and breaking up their sitting time.”
She added: “We want the GPs to be standing in their job … but obviously the extra bit is also being a role model to getting the patients to be more active, or certainly standing more.
“So we are hoping we get a double win.”
What are your views? Would you welcome an appointment with your GP if you were both standing for the consultation? Or would this make you feel less comfortable?
