"Questions to Ask": Getting the most out of your medical appointment

Questions to Ask has been developed by the Department of Health to help everyone get the best out of their appointment with their doctor or health professional. It is designed to provide patients and carers with suggested questions to ask a health professional during their consultation through a series of prompts and tips. We have been asked to promulgate this as widely as possible and downloadable leaflets are therefore provided here for convenience. It is well known that many people forget most of what the doctor said as soon as they walk out of the clinic or hospital. This is one way of getting the most out of your time with the medical professionals. To some extent it ties in with the 'Information Prescriptions' which the NHS is trialling and is due to roll out nationwide 'soon'. Information Prescriptions will provide advice and answers for the patient about their condition and the treatment and providing a reminder after the visit. The same leaflet in a wider range of formats is available from this NHS website. Any queries or comments should be sent to by email to: questionstoask@dh.gsi.gov.uk.­