‘Questions to ask’ – previously named "Power questions" - was developed by the Department of Health to help everyone get the best out of their appointment. It was created in 2007 - but is relevant today, though the resource does not reference the changes in appointment protocols at GPs as a result of Covid.
‘Questions to ask’ is available in: English, Easy Read, Large Print, Arabic, Bengali, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi (India), Somali and Spanish
Resource explainer;
‘We know that shared decision making between patients and professionals can make a lasting and significant different to healthcare outcomes. Receiving and understanding the right information during an appointment is key to involving people in decisions about their treatment and care. “Questions to ask" supports this involvement by helping people with general questions during a consultation, such as "Are there any side effects or risks?" and "How will I know if the treatment is working?"
The questions and tips in "Questions to ask" were developed through an extensive consultation which gathered the views of more than 200 patients and professionals. They were asked about the content, style and format, and their views shaped the final version. The outreach consultation also sought the views of people who face the biggest challenges in accessing and understanding consultations, including people for whom English is a second language, residents of care homes and the homeless.’
