General practice doctors are the first healthcare professional a patient sees, in the surgery, at their home or within other settings such as care homes. Their work plays an important role in getting them the treatment they need. When diagnosing illness and recommending treatment, you will have to take into account physical, emotional and social factors to provide a holistic approach.

Part of the role will be to refer patients to hospital clinics for further assessment or treatment and you may also run specialist clinics for patients with specific conditions, such as asthma.

GP partners who are in charge of running their own practices as a business will also need to:

• make decisions on the running, development and future of the practice
• keep financial records and make sure the practice runs within budget
• recruit and arrange training for staff
• carry out audits
• commission hospital services for the community