This tool is for you…

• This booklet is designed to help make you think about what you want to say, and the kind of questions you want to ask, while at your appointment.
• You may want to ask a family member, a friend or a carer to be with you, to ask questions that you may not think of and help you remember what was said.
• Above all it encourages you to write these thoughts down so that it will be easier for you to say them when you meet your health care provider. We hope it will help you take more control of your health.
• Take this booklet on your travels and holidays so if you fall ill away from home or abroad all your information is available to the local doctor.

Before the appointment…

Before your medical appointment, take some time to read through this booklet. There are spaces for you to record your concerns and the questions you want to ask. It may also help you to discuss the booklet with a family member, friend or carer.

Although busy, the doctor or nurse wants you to ask the questions that matter to you, about your condition. Thinking about these questions beforehand and the answers you get, will help you and the doctor or nurse to work together to provide the correct treatment that will help you feel better.

What should I do?

• Think carefully what you have felt or noticed happening to your body that worries you. Make a list and write down the questions you want to ask
• List all the medicines you have been taking, when you take them, how many, and any side-effects you do not like.
• Note any other factors e.g. smoking habits and mood changes that could affect your health.
• Also list any health problems that your family members may have.
• Think also about other things affecting you/your life that are worrying you.

Remember to cancel an appointment immediately you discover you no longer need it, to enable somebody else to get the slot!