How to Get a Good GP Appointment for HS: An Actionable Guide

We’ve all been there. You wait two weeks for a ten-minute slot, you rehearse what you’re going to say, and then you’re in the room and it all goes to shite. The GP is rushed, and before you know it, you’re walking out with another useless prescription and a feeling of profound defeat. A bad GP appointment can feel like a professional gaslighting session.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The key is to stop being a passive patient and start being an active participant. You need to walk in with a plan. This is your guide to getting a good GP appointment for HS.

The First Move: Your Secret Weapon

Before you even say a word, your first move is to hand your GP a tool. It’s an act of respect and strategy. I’ve designed a simple, one-page Patient Information Leaflet (you’ll find it on my Treatment page) specifically for this moment.

Download it. Print it out. Hand it to them and say: “Before we start, I’ve brought this with me. It’s a brief summary of Hidradenitis Suppurativa, my condition. Could you take a moment to look at it, please?”

This one move does three critical things: it educates them, it shows them you are a serious and informed patient, and it gives them the context they need for the rest of the conversation.

The Pre-Battle Briefing: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

While they read, you get your own notes out. Your mission today is not just to “ask for help”; your mission is to get a referral to a specialist. Your checklist should include:

• A brief history of your flare-ups.
• A list of all the treatments that have failed (especially antibiotics, as I discuss in My Love-Hate Relationship with Antibiotics).
• Your desired outcome: “I need a referral to a dermatologist who actually knows what HS is.”

The Opening Salvo: Set the Tone

You have ten minutes. Make them count. Use the correct language from the very beginning. Your opening line should be direct:

“As you can see from the leaflet, I have Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and my current management isn’t working.”

The Endgame: Securing the Referral to a Specialist

This is where you state your mission objective.

“Given that these first-line treatments have consistently failed, I believe it’s time for me to see a specialist. I know there are dedicated Specialist HS Clinics in the UK, and I would like a referral to one of them, or to a dermatologist with an expert interest in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.”

Be polite, but be an unmoveable rock. This isn’t just a request; it’s the logical next step. If they push back, refer them to the leaflet again. Remind them of the average 7+ year diagnosis delay and the importance of early specialist intervention. A good GP appointment for HS is one where you walk out with a plan. You might have to fight for it, but it’s a fight you can win.

What’s the one tip you’d give to someone terrified of their next GP appointment? Share your wisdom in the comments.