Andoret van Wyk
Distinguishing a capable GP from a merely average one comes down to specifics: how thoroughly they investigate before referring, whether they maintain a functioning recall system for chronic disease patients, and whether they genuinely understand medical aid benefit structures or just submit claims and hope. Experience shows in how a practice handles occupational health certificates—whether they're rubber-stamped or actually involve proper assessment—and in the quality of their engagement with repeat prescriptions. A good practice knows when to escalate a patient to specialist care and when escalation is unnecessary anxiety-driven medicine. They maintain proper infection control protocols, use systems like Elixir or GoodX that integrate with medical aid billing, and track their own performance on common conditions like diabetes and hypertension. The difference between adequate and good is whether the doctor asks follow-up questions and remembers why you visited last time.