At a glance

• Record the date, time, symptom and duration.
• Use a simple severity scale consistently.
• Note likely triggers, associated symptoms and what helped.
• Record the effect on sleep, work and usual activity.

Choose what to track

• The main symptom in plain language.
• Start time, duration and whether it was sudden or gradual.
• Severity using the same scale each time.
• Relevant meals, activity, sleep, stress, menstrual timing or exposures.
• Medicines taken and the response, without changing doses yourself.

Bring the pattern to your appointment

• Highlight what is new, worsening or different.
• Summarise frequency rather than expecting the clinician to read every entry.
• Mention episodes that stopped normal activity or disturbed sleep.
• Bring relevant device readings only if your clinician asked for them.

When to book a GP review

• Symptoms are becoming more frequent, severe or prolonged.
• The symptom affects eating, drinking, sleep, mobility or daily function.
• A medicine or treatment appears linked to the symptom.
• You are uncertain whether it is safe to wait for the booked appointment.

Review and reset

• Ask whether continued tracking is useful after the appointment.
• Use the plan agreed with your clinician for recurrence or worsening.
• Store or dispose of sensitive records securely.

Emergency advice

Call 000 for severe chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, signs of stroke, collapse, heavy bleeding, a seizure, immediate danger, or another severe or rapidly worsening symptom.

Rochedale Family Practice is not an emergency service.