Do you have a family doctor? In a time like this, you need a primary care physician. Here are 7 reasons why you need a primary care physician.

You’re young, you’re healthy, and you’re very, very busy. Do you really need a primary care physician? The short answer is, “Yes, you do.”

Family doctors create caring relationships with patients and their families. They really get know their patients. They listen to them and help them make the right health care decisions.

They take care of the physical, mental and emotional health of both their patients and their patients' families. They know your family's health history and how it can affect you. They are trained to care for you through all the stages of your life.

Here are some of the benefits of establishing a therapeutic relationship with your chosen family doctor.

1.  Having a family doctor improves healthcare outcomes.  It has been shown that people who have a relationship their own family doctor spend less on healthcare and get ill less.  Using a primary care physician as their regular source of care compared with those using a specialist had 33% lower annual adjusted health care expenditures. [source]

2. Your family doctor takes the long view - your lifetime - your history, your family history and your potential future.

3. Your family doctor provides holistic care, treating you (not just disease) in the context of your family, work and other important aspects of your life. You are more than your joints, your gastrointestinal system and your hormones.

Good primary care attends to your body, mind, relationships and spirit.

4.  The family doctor who knows you well may be the best physician to help you make personal health choices, sorting through information you've read on the internet, advice from friends and the opinions of other physicians.

5.  A primary care physician is a doctor who is going to be the organiser of your healthcare, a starting point.  When you require more treatment, your family doctor will coordinate this with the relevant specialists.

6.  One of the greatest advantages of having a primary care physician is the bond you'll create over time. Research shows that people who have an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician have better overall health outcomes, lower death rates and lower total costs of health care.  Remember, it takes time to build a relationship with your doctor.

A healthier, happier life starts with doctors who put your needs first.

Apart from the above, my specialist interest is in functional medicine to enable you to live life in the "ultra well" zone, with greater vitality.