Inside the GP Consultation: Common Diagnoses & How Medications Work with Dr Jagrati Acharya

What actually happens during a typical GP consultation? Behind a ten-minute appointment is often a complex process of recognising patterns, managing uncertainty, deciding what needs investigating and understanding how different treatments may interact. In this episode, we sit down with Dr Jagrati Acharya , an experienced GP who has spent 26 years working across both NHS and private general practice. Jagrati studied at Imperial College London before qualifying in medicine from St George’s Hospital Medical School in 1998, and today combines NHS practice with her private work at Biome Medical, the boutique private GP and lifestyle medicine clinic she founded in Chelsea.  We take a behind-the-scenes look at what GPs actually see every day, from common conditions and unexpected findings to the challenge of deciding what needs investigating immediately and what can be safely monitored. We also explore how much of general practice is about diagnosis versus reassurance, prevention and managing uncertainty. A major focus of the conversation is pharmacology and drug interactions . Jagrati explains what happens to a medication after we take it, why absorption, metabolism and elimination matter, and why the same drug and dose can affect different people in very different ways. We then tackle two areas that regularly generate questions and confusion: blood pressure and statins . We discuss how hypertension is diagnosed, why readings can vary so significantly, the role of home monitoring and lifestyle changes, and how doctors approach cardiovascular risk beyond simply looking at a single cholesterol number. The conversation also explores statins, including why they are prescribed so widely, concerns around side effects and the importance of understanding an individual's overall cardiovascular risk rather than treating cholesterol in isolation. Finally, we look beyond the prescription pad at prevention, lifestyle and holistic care , including the realistic role of diet, movement, sleep and stress, before asking what actually separates a good GP from an average one and how the doctor-patient relationship has changed in the age of Google and online symptom checkers.  🎙️ In This Episode, We Cover Jagrati's journey from medical school to 26 years in general practice The differences between NHS, private and unusual GP settings What GPs actually see during a typical working week The ten conditions commonly encountered in general practice Diagnosis, reassurance and managing uncertainty How GPs decide what needs investigating and what can be monitored How medications are absorbed, distributed, metabolised and eliminated Why some medicines need to be taken with food or at specific times Why the same drug and dose can affect different people differently How medication interactions actually occur Common interactions involving medicines, supplements and foods Managing patients taking multiple medications The risks and challenges of polypharmacy How hypertension is diagnosed Why blood pressure readings can vary White coat hypertension and home blood pressure monitoring Lifestyle changes vs medication for blood pressure What statins actually do and why they are prescribed Understanding cardiovascular risk beyond a cholesterol number Statins, side effects and the evidence behind common concerns Balancing conventional medicine with lifestyle and preventative care The role of diet, movement, sleep and stress Where complementary approaches may have a role What actually makes a good GP How Google and online symptom checkers have changed consultations The parts of general practice patients rarely see 🎯 Who This Episode Is For Anyone who wants to understand what really happens inside a GP consultation People taking regular prescription medications Anyone taking multiple medications or supplements Those wanting to better understand drug interactions People concerned about blood pressure or cholesterol Anyone considering or currently taking statins People inte