The universal GP Training website for everyone, not just Bradford.   Created in 2002 by Dr Ramesh Mehay

Consultation Skills

Families, Relatives & Carers

Why families and relatives are as important as patients

Individual patients do not live in a bubble.  Their lives are defined not only by their own existence but that of people around them – families, relatives and friends.   And that’s why it’s important that when families or relatives come to the consultation accompanying the patient – not to ignore them.   The patient has usually brought them along for support and because that person usually matters in their life.  So, include them in the consultation – their thoughts, feelings and so on.  

On a different thread, understanding family dynamics is incredibly important because it has a massive impact on the way a medical disease affects the patient’s lives.   Some families are very good and support.  Others are incredibly dysfunctional, making the patient’s experience of their medical illness a lot worse.    Sometimes, helping a patient achieve a more positive family dynamic is all that is needed to lessen their pain (rather than going up the WHO analgesic ladder!).   

Look at this video on pain to demonstrate the point…

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How IT ALL STARTED
WHAT WE'RE ABOUT
WHO ARE WE FOR?

Bradford VTS was created by Dr. Ramesh Mehay, a Programme Director for Bradford GP Training Scheme back in 2001. Over the years, it has seen many permutations.  At the time, there were very few resources for GP trainees and their trainers so Bradford decided to create one FOR EVERYONE. 

So, we see Bradford VTS as  the INDEPENDENT vocational training scheme website providing a wealth of free medical resources for GP trainees, their trainers and TPDs everywhere and anywhere.  We also welcome other health professionals – as we know the site is used by both those qualified and in training – such as Associate Physicians, ANPs, Medical & Nursing Students. 

Our fundamental belief is to openly and freely share knowledge to help learn and develop with each other.  Feel free to use the information – as long as it is not for a commercial purpose.   

We have a wealth of downloadable resources and we also welcome copyright-free educational material from all our users to help build our rich resource (send to bradfordvts@gmail.com).

Our sections on (medical) COMMUNICATION SKILLS and (medical) TEACHING & LEARNING are perhaps the best and most comprehensive on the world wide web (see white-on-black menu header section on the homepage).