I qualified in medicine from King’s College, Cambridge and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, and practised as a GP in Hertfordshire from 1974 to 2003. Having read experimental psychology instead of biochemistry as an undergraduate, I became interested in the psychology of the doctor-patient relationship and the process of the general practice consultation. My first book, The Inner Consultation (1987, 2nd edition 2004), described a ‘5 checkpoint’ roadmap to the consultation, and introduced the concepts of ‘safety-netting’ and ‘housekeeping’ to the vocabulary of general practice. The Inner Apprentice (1992, 2nd edition 2004) looks at the GP trainer-trainee relationship, and The Inner Physician (2016) explores how doctors’ own psychology contributes to their clinical effectiveness. My most recent book, Consulting in a Nutshell (2020) sets out a simple 3-part approach to the consultation, and is aimed primarily at GP trainees preparing for the MRCGP exam. The 2nd edition of this book (2024) deals specifically with the new Simulated Consultation Assessment of the exam.I was an examiner for the MRCGP for 20 years, and Chief Examiner from 1997 to 2002. From 2003 to 2006 I was President of the RCGP. Now retired from clinical practice, I continue to lecture and teach widely in the UK and abroad, mainly on consultation skills and the doctor-patient relationship. I am currently Visiting Professor of Medical Education at Brunel Medical School, London.I believe that GPs’ best antidote to the stress and frustration of NHS practice is to find satisfaction in their consulting skills, and I hope that my books can help them to do this.Read more about this authorRead less about this author