Doctor’s house calls could be perfect remedy

AN Oldham GP swapped his surgery and appointment schedule for overnight stays with three families in a bid help them improve their overall health for a new BBC show.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee took part a new three-part series “Doctor in the House” which involved spending two months observing the families and making health suggestions as part of a unique experiment.

The first episode, broadcast on BBC1 tomorrow at 9pm, sees Dr Chatterjee investigate eating habits, activity levels and sleep patterns.

Dr Chatterjee, a GP for almost eight years, said: “It was a stimulating and challenging experience to be able to observe these families and really understand how their lifestyle choices could be affecting their health.

“I believe a lot of the chronic health problems people face in today’s society are driven by lifestyle choices including diet, lack of exercise and increasing use of modern technology.

“Doctors used to see patients with infections or acute medical conditions and were able to take a ‘magic bullet’ approach, diagnosing them and prescribing medicines for illnesses.

“However this approach does not work with many of today’s conditions and I believe we are at risk of overmedicating people.

“Instead, doctors should be able to advise people on the simple modifications they can make to their lifestyle to help overcome a variety of different conditions, such as diabetes and even stress.”

He added that one five-year-old boy who he saw during the programme was on three separate medications from three different doctors for three medical complaints — stomach aches, skin problems and reflux.

However, after spending more time with the youngster, Dr Chatterjee realised they were all caused by one singular issue with his digestion and was able to drastically overhaul his health and limit the medication the boy needed.

Dr Chatterjee, a GP at John Street Medical Practice in Oldham town centre, added: “As a doctor, helping that boy was probably one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

“Just by making a few adjustments, his health was completely overhauled.

“However a GP may not have been able to do that in a 10-minute appointment because of the time constraints but also simply because we don’t have enough training in nutrition and lifestyle factors to advise patients.”

Other successes included a man who was able to go from needing three drugs to treat his type 2 diabetes down to just one, while another was able to kick his addiction to painkillers.

He added that he hoped the show would encourage more people to think about their own lifestyle. He also warned patients to be aware of “healthy” food such as low-fat yoghurt and cereals which can have hidden sugar.

Dr Chatterjee said: “There is a temptation as soon as you walk out of the door to eat unhealthily because junk food and sugar is so cheap and readily available.

“If people are then coming home after a hard day at work and still facing the temptation with cupboards filled with biscuits and crisps then it is only a matter of time before they give in. Instead it is about making healthy choices while shopping and not creating that temptation.”

The families are not only advised on how to change their eating and exercise habits but are also shown techniques to help relieve the stresses of a modern world.

Dr Chatterjee added: “We are the generation who have been brought up with all the benefits of modern technology, but we’re still unaware of the negatives.

“Many of the families found it difficult to ‘switch-off’ and constantly felt the need to be checking email and social media, which can add to stress levels.”