Older people ‘put off visits to GP amid fears of being labelled time-wasters’

According to new Department of Health figures, almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of people in their 60s put off visiting their GP because they think problems will simply go away.

Men in particular tend to tiptoe around their health concerns, with 71 per cent stating that they believe these are inevitable and therefore not worth reporting.

Professor Ken Fox, an expert in older people’s health from Bristol University, said: “We are not saying your body won’t change as you get older, it will, but it is important to get any unusual twinges and niggles checked out by a GP at the earliest opportunity rather than burying your head in the sand.”

The study found that almost half (47.7 per cent) of people in their 60s surveyed do not report health problems because of fear they will be seen as “time wasters”, while a similar number do not want to come across as hypochondriacs.

Dr Ian Watson, a GP from Oldham, said: “Older people often greet their GP with the words ‘sorry to bother you’, but this culture has to stop. It is worrying to think that people in their 60s might be hesitant to come and see me for fear of wasting my time or being judged as hypochondriacs.”

An internet click a day won’t keep the doctor away: Page 11; Comment: Page 12.