How to make a GP appointment - for 11-18 year olds

Going to a GP for mental health support

Making an appointment with a GP for the first time can feel scary, confusing and overwhelming. Especially when you want to talk to them about your mental health. You might not know how to find a GP, what to expect or how it all works. Lots of us have these worries – you're not alone.

This guide helps you understand how to see a GP to talk about mental health. It explains the process of making an appointment and what your options are, so that you feel more prepared and in control.

No matter how you're feeling or what you're experiencing, talking to your GP can be the first step in getting the support you need.

What's on this page?

Jump to information on:

Have you already made an appointment?

If you've already booked to see a GP, go to our guide on preparing for your appointment and what might happen next.

Go to guide on what happens in appointments

You don't have to wait to be at your absolute worst to seek help. You wouldn't do that for physical illnesses and getting help earlier can massively improve your recovery.

What is a GP?

GP stands for ‘general practitioner’. Lots of us use the word ‘doctor’ to mean the same thing as GP.

Talking to a GP is a free service for everyone, provided by the NHS. We can go to our GP if something doesn't feel right with our:

Physical health, like pain, illness, injuries or changes in our body
Mental health, like anxiety, feeling low, stressed or overwhelmed

Both types of health problems are just as important, and both deserve support.

We can think of our GP as the first step to getting professional support. They'll aim to understand what's going on, then might offer advice, suggest treatments or refer us to see someone else.

My GP seemed caring, empathetic, and most importantly, very respectful about my decisions. I'm glad I asked for help.

How can a GP help with my mental health?

Lots of us find it scary to talk about our thoughts and feelings with someone we don't know. But a GP is there to listen and help us get the support we need.

If we make an appointment to talk about mental health, our GP can:

Listen to us and help us understand our feelings or experiences
Explain more about mental health or types of mental health problems
Explain treatments that might help, like counselling, talking therapies or medication
Refer us to a service for assessment, diagnosis or treatment, like Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Help us find support online or through organisations in our local area
Suggest ideas that might help us at home, school, college or work

It's up to you when you make an appointment to see a GP about mental health. But you don't have to wait until things get worse to ask for help.

My GP helped me understand what an anxiety disorder is... They eventually referred me to a therapist where I began to understand my own personal experience of mental health in more depth.

If you feel overwhelmed, or like you want to hurt yourself or someone else, you can:

Text SHOUT to 85258 to contact the Shout textline
Call HOPELINE247 on 0300 102 2470 or the NHS on 111 and select option 2
Contact Childline by using 1-2-1 chat or calling 0800 1111

If you feel like you may try to attempt suicide, or you or someone else is seriously hurt, this is an emergency. You should:

Call 999 and ask for an ambulance
Tell an adult you trust and ask them to call 999 for help

How do I find a GP near me?

To see a GP, you first need to find and sign up with a GP practice in your local area. But depending on where you live, you might hear this called a:

General practice
Medical practice
Health centre
Doctor's practice
Doctor's surgery – this has nothing to do with having surgery, like in hospital

If you haven't signed up yet, you can find your nearest GP practice using the NHS England search tool. If you live in Wales, you can use the NHS Wales search tool.

Most GP practices have a local area they cover, so you'll usually need to live nearby. But you might be able to register as a temporary patient in some situations.

If you don't have a permanent address, you can register with a GP practice using their address, or a temporary address.

Each practice might have different ways to sign up or register with them, like online, in person or by filling in a form. It's always free to sign up.

Sometimes, your nearest practice might say they're not accepting anyone new at the moment. If this happens, you might need to register with a practice further away – try using the NHS search tools again.

There is nothing wrong with admitting you need help. It is a brave and courageous thing to do – Lao, 18

How do I make a GP appointment?

Making an appointment with a GP can feel like a big step. Especially if it's your first time talking about your mental health.

Every practice will do things differently. But after you've registered, you can usually make an appointment by:

Phoning the practice and speaking to reception
Going in to talk to the reception staff in person
Booking online through the practice website or app

Your local practice's website should have an online booking system or page. Follow the instructions and answer each question as well as you can.

What do I say to make an appointment?

To make a GP appointment by phone or in person, you can start by saying “I'd like to make an appointment with a doctor, please.”

The receptionist might ask what the appointment is for. You don't need to give them details about your mental health, or give them any reason at all at this point.

If they ask what your appointment is for, you can decide how much you want to share:

“I'd like to talk to a doctor about my mental health.”
“I've been feeling anxious / low for a while, and I'd like to discuss this with a doctor.”
“I'd prefer to speak to the doctor about that.”

They'll usually ask for your full name and date of birth. Then they'll offer you dates and times for an appointment.

Will I always get the same GP?

When you're registered at a practice, you might be given a ‘named GP’ who's responsible for your care. But you don't have to remember their name or see the same GP every time. Especially if you feel like they've treated you unfairly.

The practice will usually offer an appointment with whoever is next available. In the future, you can ask to see a certain GP again when making an appointment. But it might not always be possible, or you might have to wait longer.

The first time I opened up to someone about my mental health, I regret not conveying what I wanted from them. It would have been easier for me to say, ‘Can I see a doctor about this?’ rather than waiting for them to suggest it.

What types of GP appointments are there?

There are different ways you can speak to your GP about mental health. Your appointment could be:

In person at the doctor's practice, in a private room
By phone, which means you'd need to find your own private space
Over a video call, but this is less common

The practice will usually decide what type of appointment is best. But you can ask for a different type if you'd prefer. For example, if you'd rather speak face-to-face than over the phone, let them know.

The practice will confirm the date, time and type of appointment by sending a text, email, or an online or in-app message.

If your appointment is when you're normally at school, college or work, let a teacher or manager know. They should be able to give you time off or arrange a quiet space for your call.

If the practice offers you a phone or video appointment, but you don't have your own phone or internet access, let them know.

You could use a computer at your local library to email the practice or make appointments on their website. But you'll need a more private place to have your call with the GP.

At my in-person appointment, I felt comfortable enough with my doctor to say what was going on. I was referred to CAMHS and received counselling at school.

Will I have to wait to get a GP appointment?

How long you have to wait for an appointment depends on where you live and your local practice. Sometimes you can get an appointment on the same day if you call as soon as they open. Other times, it could take up to a few days or sometimes weeks.

Waiting can feel frustrating or worrying, but it's not a sign that your mental wellbeing isn't important. Practices are very busy, and a GP will see you as soon as they can.

How can I cope while waiting?

Waiting for professional mental health support can feel hard, especially if you don't feel well. But you don't have to cope with this alone. You could try:

Talking to someone you know, like a friend, family member or teacher
Using helplines or online support services, which you can find on our useful contacts page
Writing down or journalling how you've been feeling, so it's easier to explain at your appointment

For other types of support, go to our information on mental health support options.

Tips for coping with waiting lists

You might find it helpful to read our information and advice on waiting lists for CAMHS.

GPs and CAMHS offer very different services, but some of these ideas might help while waiting for any type of professional support.

Get tips for CAMHS waiting lists

It helps to ensure you have a support network around you of people you can trust. Know how to be there for yourself when your mental health gets difficult.

What should I expect in my GP appointment?

In an appointment to talk about mental health, your GP will listen to you and might ask questions about:

Your mood, which might involve filling in questionnaires asking how you've been feeling recently
Your school or home life and any recent events that might affect how you feel
Any changes you've experienced recently, like changes in your sleep, eating habits or general health
Your medical history, and if you or your family have had health problems in the past

If you used an online form to make your appointment, you might've answered some of these questions already. Your GP might go through your answers with you, or might ask you to do another questionnaire to help them decide what support they can offer.

Your GP might also check your physical health. Doing this helps them work out if something else might be affecting your mental health. Like hormones or side effects from other medication.

They might do this by:

Taking your blood pressure
Measuring your weight
Doing some blood tests

If you talk on the phone, the GP might ask you to make a separate appointment in-person to check your physical health.

What happens during and after my appointment?

Read our detailed guide on how to talk to your GP about mental health. It also explains what to do if you have a problem with your GP.

Go to guide on what happens in appointments

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If you are in crisis right now and want to talk to someone urgently then you could call Samaritans on 116 123 (freephone). Our pages on crisis services have more options.