Dr Tim Billington, from the Lordshill Health Centre, tells you how to get the best out of your GP

Last week I went to a wedding reception and sat next to a woman who had fallen off a wall and broken her pelvis.

She told me how difficult it was to describe her pain to the doctors and nurses. They wanted to know whether it was sharp, dull, gripping or burning, and then to give it a number on a scale of 1-10 where 10 was excruciating.

The difficulty for her was that it was only one and aching when she was lying or sitting, but 100 and excruciating whenever she moved.

Another lady with hot flushes rang to tell me that she was no better with the tablets I had given her.

As we talked I discovered that, although she was having flushes every hour before the tablets, she now only had two or three per day. For me that was better but for her better means no more flushes.

How can doctors and patients speak the same language when they often mean very different things with the same word?

Sadly, doctors on average will interrupt a patient after only 19 seconds! Here are one or two suggestions that might help you get the most out of your appointment with a doctor, whether it is your GP or a hospital doctor.

*A list - if you have more than one problem to discuss write them down.

But please tell your doctor about the list at the beginning of the consultation. It may not be possible to cover everything in the seven or eight minutes available, but at least you can agree how you are going to tackle the list.

*Discuss your appointment with the receptionist - If you think it is a complicated story that may need more than seven minutes, ask the receptionist if a double appointment might be better.

You do not have to go into details but something like "I think I will need more than an average appointment, would you like to give me a double appointment?"

*Put it in writing - Sometimes patients find it helpful to write down how they feel and deliver it in advance so that I have time to think about it before I meet them.

*Use the time in the waiting room thinking how best to say how you feel, how long it has been going on, and whether anything makes it better or worse.

*Bring all your medicines if there is any confusion over what you are taking. The little mauve ones is not much help these days - and may be dangerous.

*Bring another pair of ears with you - If you are going to hospital to discuss the pros and cons of an operation or are expecting bad news, please take someone with you.

So often our minds go off at a tangent when we hear certain dreaded words that it helps to have someone else with you to remind you what was said and to chat about it afterwards.

Now all you need is a doctor who listens!