Struggling to make your GP take notice of your ailment?
Actress Robyn Holdaway, who appeared in Sex Education, alongside their spouse Natasha Miles, revealed on TikTok what they term “cheat codes” to ensure doctors take you seriously. They uploaded a clip highlighting particular phrases that could be crucial in getting your point across during doctor consultations.
Robyn captioned their video: “These are some of the phrases that we, and our followers, have found helpful when dealing with medical professionals.” Kickstarting their list were the expressions, “This is having a significant impact on my/my partner’s quality of life”, and, “It is keeping me from carrying out my day-today activities” – ideal ways to express your urgency.
The pair also advised viewers to mention if health problems necessitate time off work or lament that you’ve “struggled to get the appropriate care”. And when feeling ignored, they suggest asking the doctor to “make a note” explaining why they’re “denying” necessary treatment or requesting your medical records post-consultation.
“Other people have noticed the problems I’m having and have said to me that it may be an issue”, is another phrase Robyn flagged, while Natasha followed up with: “My pain is significant enough that I can’t sleep or I can’t walk”.
For those who are overweight, Robyn suggests informing your doctor that you’re already on a weight loss journey, but your symptoms have worsened. “This can be a really quick cheat for your doctor to not just say, ‘Have you tried losing weight?'” they added.
Natasha, meanwhile, advises individuals with a complex psychiatric history to tell their doctor they’ve consulted with all involved in their psychiatric care and they agree this is not a psychiatric issue. If you’re struggling, the pair also recommend telling your GP that over-the-counter medication hasn’t worked and you’ve tried everything to manage your problem, but now need to “escalate” it.
Wrapping up their advice, Robyn suggests stating your expected outcome at the start of your appointment, while Natasha adds if the desired result isn’t achieved, request a referral to a specialist or a second opinion from another colleague. This is an “amazingly passive aggressive” tactic she says.
The video has since gone viral, with hundreds of TikTok users sharing their thoughts. A former medical professional was one of the first to respond: “As an ex-nurse who left the NHS because of bullying and gaslighting I strongly approve of everything you have said here!”
A second person hailed: “You’ve mastered the art of effective communication, significantly enhancing your ability to be heard.” A thankful third expressed: “This is great! (Also though a little bit sad that we can’t just get help from doctors without having to ‘cheat’).”
Meanwhile, a fourth individual commented: “Really good tips! I always get a copy of my medical records from the doctors regardless as it’s proof of everything that’s happened to you for future reference.”
Elsewhere in the comments, a doctor added their professional perspective: “To clarify, this helps us doctors because we can use these direct quotes to justify referrals to other specialists/further tests, otherwise that test/referral risks being bounced back or rejected.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
