doctor visit conversation

Conversation Between Doctor and Patient [Five Scenarios]

• Updated on Nov 12, 2023

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This post contains conversation between a doctor and a patient/ attendant on five different medical issues:

• Fever and sore throat,
• Stomach ache,
• Cancer, and
• Glaucoma (an ailment of eye)

Whereas the first three conversations take place in a clinic, the last two take place in a hospital.

The three main characters – doctor, patient/ attendant, and support (reception, billing etc.) – in these conversations have been color-coded for ease of browsing. Furthermore, explanations and activities outside the conversation have been put in brackets so that you can easily follow what’s happening.

1. Conversation about fever and sore throat

Patient : Good evening doctor.

Doctor : Good evening. You look pale and your voice is out of tune.

Patient : Yes doctor. I’m running a temperature and have a sore throat.

Doctor : Lemme see.

(He touches the forehead to feel the temperature.)

Doctor : You’ve moderate fever.

(He then whips out a thermometer.)

Patient : This thermometer is very different from the one you used the last time. (Unlike the earlier one which was placed below the tongue, this one snapped around one of the fingers.)

Doctor : Yes, this is a new introduction by medical equipment companies. It’s much more convenient, as it doesn’t require cleaning after every use.

Patient : That’s awesome.

Doctor : Yes it is.

(He removes the thermometer and looks at the reading.)

Doctor : Not too high – 99.8.

(He then proceeds with measuring blood pressure.)

Doctor : Your blood pressure is fine.

(He then checks the throat.)

Doctor : It looks bit scruffy. Not good.

Patient : Yes, it has been quite bad.

Doctor : Do you get sweating and shivering?

Patient : Not sweating, but I feel somewhat cold when I sit under a fan.

Doctor : OK. You’ve few symptoms of malaria. I would suggest you undergo blood test. Nothing to worry about. In most cases, the test come out to be negative. It’s just precautionary, as there have been spurt in malaria cases in the last month or so.

(He then proceeds to write the prescription.)

Doctor : I’m prescribing three medicines and a syrup. The number of dots in front of each tells you how many times in the day you’ve to take them. For example, the two dots here mean you’ve to take the medicine twice in the day, once in the morning and once after dinner.

Doctor : Do you’ve any other questions?

Patient : No, doctor. Thank you.

Check out other conversations:

• Conversation between nurse and patient in a hospital
• Conversation between two friends on issues such as pollution, job change, and picnic
• Conversation between waiter and guests in a restaurant
• Conversation between customer and a shopkeeper in a grocery shop

2. Conversation about headache

Image by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Patient : Doctor, I’ve headache since yesterday evening.

Doctor : Have you taken any medicine so far?

Patient : Saridon, but the headache hasn’t disappeared.

Doctor : You’ve a running nose. Looks like your headache is a result of sinus infection, and not the regular one that results from anxiety and fatigue. Lemme check.

(The doctor checks the patient thoroughly.)

Doctor : It’s quite clear that the infection in your sinus is the reason for your headache. I’ll prescribe an antibiotic to clear the infection and a pain reliever to relieve the pain.

Patient : Thank you, doctor.

3. Conversation about stomach ache

Image by Unsplash

Patient : I’ve stomachache and loose motions since last night. I also vomited few times in the night.

Doctor : What did you eat yesterday?

Patient : I ate some snacks on the roadside eatery. It’s likely a result of that.

Doctor : Likely you ate contaminated food. Because of diarrhea, you’ve lost plenty of body fluids. You need to be hydrated. Drink water regularly. Mix some Glucon-D powder or Electral in it. Fruit juice is fine too. Avoid caffeine, dairy products, and solid foods at least till evening. And get plenty of rest.

Patient : Any medicines, doctor.

Doctor : Yes, I’m prescribing few to control diarrhea.

4. Conversation with an oncologist on cancer

Image by Ken Treloar on Unsplash

In this conversation, the patient’s family member (attendant) talks to the doctor.

Doctor : So, what brings you here?

Attendant : Doctor, my father has been diagnosed with abnormal growth of cells in colon, which doctors so far have confirmed as a case of cancer.

Doctor : What tests have you conducted?

Attendant : On the advice of doctors in Lucknow, we conducted blood tests, CT scan, and biopsy. We’ve taken three opinions on the reports and all have opined colorectal cancer. Here are the reports.

(The doctor goes through the reports.)

Doctor : Yes, this looks cancerous. What we’ll do is admit him today itself and get few tests done. And let’s meet tomorrow morning when you’ve the reports of these tests.

Attendant : OK. Thank you.

(The doctor writes his observations on his letterhead and hands it over to the attendant. The attendant then gets the patient admitted and visits the doctor again the next morning with new reports in hand.)

Doctor : The cancer is just one stage before it’ll spread to other parts. In this case, the best course of action is immediate surgery to remove the affected part followed by radiation therapy.

Attendant : How many days of hospitalization will be required?

Doctor : We can perform the surgery day after tomorrow. Thereafter, we’ll keep the patient under observation for 4-5 days. Radiation therapy has become pretty standardized and therefore you can get it done in any tier-2 city, which will not only be convenient to you but also reduce your expense.

Attendant : And for how long the patient will have to undergo radiation therapy?

Doctor : One dose every two weeks for three months. You need to visit the hospital only on days you receive therapy. Once radiation therapy is done, you should consult an oncologist every three months in the beginning and every year later on to check for remission of cancerous cells.

Attendant : OK. I’ve heard radiation therapy has side effects.

Doctor : Yes, radiation therapy has side effects. It can lead to hair loss, nausea, and loss of appetite.

Attendant : Thank you doctor. We’ll get him admitted today.

5. Conversation with an eye specialist in a hospital

Image by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash

This conversation involves not just the doctor, but also people conducting different tests and those at reception and billing desks in the hospital.

Support : Good morning sir. How may I help you?

Patient : Good morning. I had an appointment with the doctor at 9 AM.

Support : Have you registered with us earlier?

Patient : Yes.

Support : Please show me your registration card. Or I can search for your details through your mobile number.

Patient : That would be better. My mobile number is 989930xxx.

(She searches for the patient’s past records on her computer.)

Support : OK, I’ve found your details. You last visited us in August 2016.

Patient : That’s right.

Support : You can pay the doctor consultation fee here.

Patient : Sure. Here is my card.

(She swipes the card and hands over the invoice to the patient.)

Support : Pl take a seat, and feel free to help yourself with water, newspapers etc.

Patient : Thank you.

(After 15-odd minutes, the attendant calls the patient’s name, following which the patient proceeds to the doctor’s cabin.)

Patient : Good morning doctor.

Doctor : Good morning. How’re you doing today?

Patient : I’m fine. Thank you. How about you?

Doctor : I’m good. So what brings you here?

Patient : I’ve come for a regular checkup for a suspected case of glaucoma. I don’t have it, but few years back a doctor after examining my eye and knowing my family eye history advised me to undergo precautionary checkup once a year.

(He puts the past reports on the table. The doctor peruses them.)

Doctor : I see that your optic nerve is thicker than the normal. That’s probably the reason why you were asked to undergo precautionary tests every year. You can have the same two tests – visual field analysis and OCT – today and once you’ve the two reports, we can meet again in the afternoon.

Patient : Alright.

(The doctor scribbles the names of the two tests on his letterhead and pushes it across the table.)

(The patient leaves the doctor’s cabin and again approaches the reception desk.)

Patient : I saw the doctor. He has asked for these two tests.

(He pushes the prescription towards the billing lady.)

Support : OK. The two tests will cost you xxx and you’ll get the reports in around two hours. Is that fine?

Patient : That’s fine.

(He slips his card toward her. She swipes it again and hands over the invoice a second time.)

Support : Please be seated there. Someone will call you for the first test in few minutes.

(Over the next two hours, he undergoes the two tests and receives the reports. Thereafter, he meets the doctor again, this time with reports.)

Doctor : I hope you had a smooth experience going through those tests.

Patient : Yes, it was. And because I’ve taken these tests in the past too, I knew what was coming.

(The patient pushes the reports toward the doctor. The doctor pores through the pages, looking at the colored images of the eye minutely.)

Doctor : Your reports are absolutely fine. Since these reports haven’t shown anything suspect in so many years, I think you can now take these tests once in two years, and not once a year.

Patient : OK.

Doctor : Well, that puts glaucoma thing to rest. Does your work involve working on laptop for long hours?

Doctor : In case your eyes get tired quickly, I would recommend xxx. It’s an eye drop, which you can use 2-3 times in the day. Our eyes get dry when we look at the computer screen without blinking for long, a common reason for tiredness in eyes. This eye drop will lubricate your eyes.

Patient : Yes. I see few thin, black, wavy structures floating in front of my eyes and they don’t disappear even when I close my eyes. What are they? Are they harmful?

Doctor : They’re called floaters, and most persons develop them to different extent as they age. They’re not harmful.

Patient : Thank you doctor. Thanks for your time.

Doctor : You’re welcome.

Anil is the person behind content on this website, which is visited by 3,000,000+ learners every year. He writes on most aspects of English Language Skills. More about him here:

11 Comments

I want conversation between cardiologist and patient.

I want dialogue between doctor and patient who is having weight problem.

I want dialogue between a doctor and a patient about surgery.

Hey! Please, can I get a dialogue between doctor and myself about the issue of stress and how can we overcome it.

I want a dialogue between doctor and patient who is suffering from sleepless nights and not any other disease.

I want a conversation between doctor and patient about covid 19.

Can I get a conversation between doctor and patient wherein they are friends and talk about their life and not about illness and medical stuff? Pl.

Conversation between doctor and patient about diabetes, pl.

Can you provide dialogue between doctor and patient on liver infection?

I want dialogue between doctor and patient about fever and cold.

I want a conversation between me as a patient and the doctor is explaining about the result of my laboratory using medical terms

Comments are closed.

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ESL Doctors Conversations

When you are abroad you hope you do not get ill, but if you do these ESL doctors conversations could help. They will show you the sort of speaking that you will need to do when booking an appointment or seeing the doctor.

These conversations complement the ESL doctors vocabulary . You can use the vocabulary list to look up the definitions of any of the words you do not know.

There are two example conversations for you to read or you can watch the videos of the conversations that are included below each one. Then there are some exercises for you to do to practice your understanding of the ESL doctors conversations. The exercises are:

• Filling in the blanks with the correct phrase in a conversation.
• Writing your own conversation.
• Conversation topics so you can have a conversation with a friend.

Conversation 1

Situation: Jane is unwell and visits the doctor.

Doctor: Hi, what’s wrong? Jane: I feel unwell and keep vomiting all the time. Doctor: How long have you felt like this? Jane: Nearly two days. It started just before going to bed the day before yesterday. Doctor: Let me examine you. I will press on your stomach to see if it hurts and then listen to your heart. Jane: Ok. It doesn’t hurt when you press my stomach. I just feel tired. Doctor: Ok. Did you eat anything different from usual before you started to feel this way? Jane: Yes my boyfriend cooked dinner for me. He isn’t a very good cook and the food tasked a bit strange. Doctor: You’ve got food poisoning. It is not very serious and you should be better in another day. Jane: Oh dear, what should I do. Doctor: You need to drink lots of water and get plenty of rest. Jane: Ok, thank you doctor. Doctor: You’re welcome. If you are not better in 48 hours come and see me again.

Conversation 2

Situation: Andrew does not have an appointment and needs to see the doctor urgently.

Andrew: Cough, cough. I’d like to see the doctor please. Receptionist: Do you have an appointment and what’s your name? Andrew: No I don’t have an appointment. My name is Andrew Jones. I’m registered as a patient of Doctor Crow. Receptionist: Doctor Crow is making house calls all morning and all the other doctors have a full schedule of appointments all morning. Make an appointment and come back tomorrow. Andrew: Surely there must be something today. I really am very ill. I feel awful. Receptionist: Someone might cancel an appointment. You can sit and wait if you want to.

Receptionist: Mr. Jones, the doctor will see you now. Please go to consulting room number 3.

Doctor: Good morning Mr. Jones. What is wrong? Andrew: Morning. I feel very ill. I am coughing and sneezing, I have feel hot and cold all the time and eating makes me feel sick. Doctor: Let me take your temperature. How long have you had the symptoms? Andrew: They started about a day ago. Doctor: Yes your temperature is very high. You have the flu. You’ll have to go home and stay in bed until it gets better. Drink lots of water. Andrew: Can you give me some medicine? Doctor: I can give you something to reduce your fever but you just need to get bed rest. I will write you a prescription and you can collect the medicine from the pharmacy. Andrew: Ok, thank you.

ESL Doctors Conversation Exercises

Once you have read and watched the above esl doctors conversations and learnt the conversation vocabulary you can do the three following exercises for practice.

Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks

Fill-in the blanks in the following conversation using the options provided in the 5 question below.

Situation: Lucy visits the doctor to get some test results.

Receptionist: Good morning, _________ (1) _________ Lucy: Yes I do. My name is Lucy Smith and my appointment is at 10.30 am. Receptionist: Yes, thank you. _________ (2) _________ and the GP will see you as soon as she is free. Lucy: Thank you. Receptionist: Ms. Smith, _________ (3) _________

Doctor: Good morning Ms. Smith. I have your test results here. Lucy: Good. I hope that everything is alright. Doctor: Yes everything is ok. There are no major problems. I would suggest that you try not to eat too much food with a lot of cholesterol in it. Lucy: Oh dear. Is my cholesterol level too high? Doctor: It is quite high and you should try to stop it getting any higher. Lucy: Ok. _________ (4) _________ to help reduce the cholesterol? Doctor: No. It isn’t too high so it would be better for you to lead a healthier lifestyle rather than take medicine. Lucy: Ok doctor I will try. Doctor: Ok that will be good. Lucy: Thank you doctor. I’ll make another appointment _________ (5) _________

ESL Doctors Conversation

Exercise 2 – write a conversation.

Now try to write an esl doctors conversation yourself. This should be between two or three people and be related to visiting a doctor. A couple of ideas could be a patient visiting a pharmacy to get their prescription or a mother taking her son or daughter to see the doctor.

Exercise 3 – Conversation Topics

Below you have two sets of esl doctors conversation questions. With a friend discuss the topics. One person should have set of questions A and the other set B. Try to give long answers and use as much of the vocabulary you have learnt as possible.

You can also download the questions on conversation cards by clicking the following picture.

If you would like more conversation cards, then you can download my ‘ 80 ESL Conversation Cards ’ ebook. This has 80 cards with five questions each. Half of them will never be published anywhere else.

Question set A

• How often do you visit the doctor?
• Do you think it is important for people have health checks from a doctor regularly?
• Would you like to be a doctor?
• What should happen when a doctor makes a mistake?
• Do you think doctors are important, why?

Question set B

• Is it better to see a doctor in a clinic or a hospital?
• How long do doctors have to train for?
• Have you ever had to visit a specialist doctor?
• Do you know anyone who is a doctor?
• What do you think is the best part of being a doctor?

   Other Pages about Doctors that You Might Like

ESL Doctors Listening ESL Doctors Reading ESL Doctors Vocabulary ESL Doctors Writing

Excellent ESL 4U

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Learn english, english idioms, kids english, contact excellent esl 4u, site information, recent articles, esl new year listening.

Dec 18, 16 03:17 AM

There are several ESL New Year listening tasks for you to do on this page so you can learn how to listen to the vocabulary.

ESL New Year Writing

Dec 11, 16 03:40 AM

This page has a range of ESL New Year writing exercises for you to do.

ESL New Year Conversation

Dec 04, 16 02:07 AM

There are example ESL New Year conversations on this page as well as some exercises and activities.

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AT THE DOCTOR Dialogues and Vocabulary List

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Health, Illness and Disease Vocabulary

• Illness Expressions

Common Illnesses and Diseases in English

Medicine, medical equipments and tools, medical specialists list, what to say at the doctor.

Doctor’s Questions and Answers to Patient

• Patient Symptoms

At the dentist’s

At the chemist’s

pain feeling in your body when you have been hurt or when you are ill,sick

• Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her neck, shoulder, waist, arm, leg, stomach.
• Take an aspirin to relieve the pain .

ache continuous pain; feel a continuous pain

• I can’t sleep because my head aches too bad.
• I have a terrible headache,   backache,   stomach-ache .

ill suffering from an illness or disease; not feeling well; sick

• My elder sister is seriously ill in St John’s hospital.
• The children started to feel ill an hour after the meal.

sick physically or mentally ill; wanting to vomit

• I feel very sick , I don’t think I can work today.
• Be careful with the cake, too much of it can make you sick .

sore painful (and often red) because of infection or because a muscle has been used too much

• I have a sore throat, I mustn’t take that cold drink.
• She says her stomach is still sore after the operation.
• His feet were sore after the bicycle trip.

illness the state of being physically or mentally ill

• Our secretary missed a lot of work through illness last month.
• Flu can be a serious illness if you aren’t careful enough.

disease serious illness, often caused by infection

• Peter’s uncle suffers from a rare blood disease .
• A fatty diet increases the risk of heart disease .
• The government is planning further health measures to prevent the spread of disease .

heal become healthy again; make something, somebody healthy again, make somebody feel happy again

• As I see it will take a long time for your wounds to heal .
• This ointment will help to heal your scratches.
• The tea you made really healed me.

cure make somebody or something healthy again after an illness; make an illness go away

• He was seriously ill for a long time, but the doctor cured him at last.
• Scarlet fever is a serious illness, but it can be cured fairly fast.

cure medicine or medical treatment that cures an illness; the act of curing or the process of being cured

• There is no known cure for this illness but the it can be treated.
• I’m afraid you must be taken to hospital for the cure .

treat give medical care or attention to somebody or something; deal with something or somebody

• I was treated for flu, but later I was diagnosed with pneumonia.
• This illness is usually treated with antibiotics and a strict diet. .

treatment (the way or process of) curing an illness or injury or making somebody look and feel good; the way of dealing with something or somebody

• Doctors apply various treatments for this illness.
•  My sister goes to a wellness centre to receive beauty treatments .

diagnose define what an illness or the cause of a problem is

• The blood test is used to diagnose all kinds of diseases.
• She was diagnosed (as) (a) diabetic in her early childhood.

diagnosis medical description of an illness or condition

• The doctors didn’t share every detail of the diagnosis with the patient’s family.
• We had to wait a lot for the exact diagnosis after the examination.

injury harm done to the body, for example in an accident

• They were lucky to escape the fight without serious injuries .
• There were only minor injuries in the crash.

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injure harm somebody or yourself physically, especially in an accident, receive/suffer an injury

• He injured his finger when he was cutting the meat.
• Nobody was killed in the accident, but two people were seriously injured .

wound an injury to part of the body, especially one in which a hole is made in the skin

• He died from the wounds that he had received in the crash.
• He was taken to hospital although his wounds didn’t seem too serious.

cut a wound caused by something sharp

• He had such a deep cut on his arm that he was taken to hospital.
• The victim had several cuts on his chest, still he survived.

bruise a blue, brown or purple mark on the skin after somebody has fallen

• He was covered in bruises at the end of the football match.
• The man came to the surgery with a huge bruise over his eye.

scratch rub your skin with your nails, usually because it’s itching; a mark or a small cut or injury made by scratching

• The cat continuously scratched itself behind the ear.
• She had a long scratch on her arm when she came out of the rose garden.

infection illness caused by bacteria or a virus; the act or process of causing or getting a disease

• Wash your hands carefully to decrease the risk of infection .
• She almost died from blood infection .

inflammation a condition when a part of the body becomes red, sore and swollen because of infection or injury

• My knee was twice the size of the other one due to the inflammation .
• You had better not eat fatty food so soon after your stomach inflammation .

symptom a change in your body or mind that shows that you are not healthy

• You don’t necessarily need a doctor with symptoms like a headache or sore throat.
• Depression can cause physical symptoms , too.

temperature the measurement of how hot your body is

• have a temperature – when your temperature is higher than normal due to illness
• I feel so weak, I think I have a temperature .
• She had such a high temperature that she was immediately taken to hospital.

fever a medical condition in which someone has a temperature that is higher than normal; a particular type of disease with high temperature

• Did you take aspirin to reduce the fever ?
• Our daughter has been diagnosed with scarlet fever .

cold illness affecting the nose and/or throat, making you cough and/or sneeze

• I think I caught a cold on the ice rink yesterday.
• She can’t come to school, she’s in bed with a cold .

flu a very bad cold, an infectious disease with fever, pains and weakness

• Please don’t visit us this week, the whole family has the flu .
• If you’re not careful enough and you don’t take antibiotics, you may even die from the flu .

vomit discharge stomach contents through the mouth

• There must have been something wrong with the food as both children vomited shortly after the meal.
• I’m afraid I’m pregnant; I vomit after getting up every morning.

medicine a substance that you drink or swallow so as to cure an illness

• You look so pale. Haven’t you taken your medicine this morning?
• The doctor prescribed three kinds of medicine for me.

antibiotics medicine that kills bacteria and cures infections

• My mum’s throat infection went away after she started the antibiotics .
• Hot tea won’t be enough to cure your flu, I think you also need antibiotics .

pain killer kind of medicine that takes away some or all of the discomfort of an illness or injury

• I had such a horrible headache last night that I took two pain killers .
• She says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to take pain killers too often.

blood pressure the rate at which blood flows through the body

• Drink some coffee if you feel your blood pressure is too low.
• High blood pressure increases the risk of having a heart attack.

pulse the regular beat of blood as it is sent around the body

• The doctor started the examination with taking my pulse and blood pressure.
• He has such a weak pulse that it’s hard to feel.

x-ray a photograph of a somebody’s bones and organs

• They took x-rays of my knee to make sure it wasn’t broken.
• The doctor says that the x-ray has proved his suspicion of cancer, but I don’t believe him.

patient a person staying in a hospital or medical facility

• The doctor examined the patient very carefully but he didn’t find any disorder.
• There were so many patients in the doctor’s surgery that I didn’t wait and I went home.

surgery a place where a doctor or dentist sees patients; medical treatment of injuries or diseases involving cutting open somebody’s body

• I wanted to see a doctor but the surgery was closed.
• I hope they can cure me with medicine and I don’t need undergo surgery .

operation cutting open a part of somebody’s body in order to remove or cure a part

• The operation was successful but the patient died.
• The doctor says I can hardly escape an operation .

operate on somebody (for something) cut open a part of somebody’s body in order to remove or cure a part

• He soon recovered after he was operated on for appendicitis.
• The doctor ordered to take my brother to hospital and they will operate on him tomorrow.

operating theatre a room in a hospital used for medical operations

• The patient died on the way to the operating theatre .
• She felt nervous as she looked round the operating theatre .

chemist’s (shop) a shop where medicine is sold

• The doctor suggested to go to the chemist’s for the medicine straight from the surgery.
• This syrup is also sold in the supermarket, so you don’t need to go to the chemist’s .

prescription an official piece of paper filled out by a doctor with which you can get medicine from a chemist’s shop

• Unfortunately, the doctor forgot to sign the prescription and so the chemist refused to give me the medicine.  
• Keep this prescription even though you don’t need the medicine now; you may need it later. 

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Illness expressions

• feel ill, sick
• have a temperature
• have a pain in your back, chest, waist, arm, shoulder
• have a headache
• suffer from stomach cramps
• have a black eye
• have a swollen, sprained ankle, wrist, foot
• have a lump
• have a broken leg
• have a fracture
• burn, cut a finger
• sprain an ankle
• be allergic to antibiotics
• produce an allergic reaction
• come down with a cold
• be in bed with a cold
• have a heart attack, stroke
• suffer from asthma, malnutrition, diabetes
• fight cancer, depression, addiction, alcoholism
• (go to) see a doctor
• examine a patient
• take, feel your pulse
• take, measure your temperature
• diagnose an illness, disease
• diagnose a condition, disorder
• prescribe medicine
• make up a prescription
• take someone to hospital
• undergo an examination, operation
• dress a wound
• a bandaged arm, leg
• put on a plaster
• give an injection
• have a blood test
• prevent the spread of disease
• enhance, build immunity to a disease

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• scarlet fever
• tonsillitis
• indigestion
• appendicitis
• heart attack
• heart disease
• lung cancer
• nervous breakdown

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• tranquilizer
• pain-killer
• antifebrile
• elastic tape
• thermometer
• stethoscope
• syringe, forceps, scissors, oxygen mask, test tube, vial, IV bag, blood pressure monitor, crutches, wheelchair

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Nurse: doctor’s assistant Allergist:  treats food and environmental allergies Anaesthesiologist:  provides pain prevention during surgery Cardiologist:  heart specialist Dentist:  tooth specialist Dermatologist:  skin specialist Gynecologist:  specializes in women’s needs Midwife:  helps women deliver babies Neurologist:  brain specialist Oncologist:  tumour specialist Ophthalmologist:  deals with eye diseases Pediatrician:  treats babies and children Physical therapist:  specializes in the body’s movement Psychiatrist:  mental health specialist Radiologist:  specializes in imaging tests (x-ray, etc.)

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Going to Doctor

• I think you should see a doctor.
• You look very pale. Shall I call the ambulance?
• I’m ill. I don’t feel well. I need a doctor. I must see a doctor.
• Doctor Bulb’s surgery hours are from 9 to 12 every morning.
• Where do I find the GP’s office? (general practitioner – a doctor who is trained in general medicine working in the local community)
• What are the consulting hours of the ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist?
• Do I have to make an appointment?
• What’s the matter? Where’s the pain? What do you complain of?
• Have you taken your temperature?
• For how long have you been feeling ill?
• Take your clothes off. I’ll examine you. Let me take your pulse, please.
• I’ll measure your blood pressure.
• Your blood pressure is rather high. Your blood pressure is too low.
• Let me sound your back. Take a deep breath. I’ll check your lungs.
• Can I have a look? Where does it hurt?
• Does it hurt here? Breath out slowly.
• Show me your tongue. Poke out your tongue.
• Have you got any other symptoms?
• What infectious diseases have you had?
• What have you eaten/drunk?
• Have you been injured?
• Don’t worry. There’s no serious problem.
• I don’t think it’s too serious.
• You’ve got to be vaccinated against tetanus.
• You must stay in bed and take this medicine three times a day, after meals.
• I’ll dress the wound and put a plaster on your arm.
• You must follow a diet, you need to rest and you shouldn’t worry.
• Your test results have come in. The blood test came back negative.
• The biopsy shows a tumour.
• You should consult a specialist.
• We’ll know more in a few days.
• It would be better if you went to hospital.
• I think you’ll have to stay in hospital for a week.
• Hopefully, there won’t be any complications.
• I don’t think you need chemotherapy.
• I’ll give you a prescription. Take this medicine three times a day / after meals / an hour before lunch.
• You’ll soon be well again.
• Come back next week if you don’t feel better.

Recommended for you: Making Complaints in English: in a restaurant, on the phone, by letter Best English Grammar and Spelling Checkers Online

Patient Symptoms 

• I’ve got a high temperature.
• I feel really rough. I’m shattered/exhausted.
• Could you check my blood pressure? I’ve got high blood pressure.
• There’s a sharp pain here. I’ve got a pain in my limbs.
• I feel dizzy. I’ve got a kidney problem. I’ve lost weight.
• I always feel bad after meals. I’ve got a stomach ache.
• I’ve got a splitting headache. I often have nosebleeds.
• I have diarrhoea. I’ve lost my appetite.
• I’ve got circulation problems. I sweat all night.
• My ears are buzzing. I’ve got an upset stomach.
• I’ve sprained my wrist/ankle. My hand/foot is badly swollen.
• I think I’ve pulled a muscle in my leg/arm.
• I’ve had scarlet fever, mumps, the measles.
• Is it something serious? Is this a common problem at my age?
• When will the tests results come in? Are you going to run more tests?
• Do I have to be operated on? Will I need surgery?
• How long do I have to stay in hospital?
• I hope there won’t be any complications.
• Could you prescribe some medicine for me?
• How often should I take this medicine?
• Shall I come back next week if I don’t get better?
• I’ve got a pain in my back teeth and my gum is bleeding.
• I’ve lost a filling. My denture’s broken.
• Does the tooth have to be extracted or can you replace the filling?
• Would you make up this prescription for me?
• Shake well before use. Not to be taken orally.
• Can I get a packet of vitamin tablets?

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Thanks a lot. I have learnt many from this.

Thank you so much for your feedback! ❤️

Excellent compilation!. Very useful. Thank you! Csilla

Glad to help you! Thank you so much for your feedback! 🧡

Thanks a lot. It is highly useful…

Hi! Thank you so much for this highly useful articte. I am overwhelmed by useful information which I couln´t find for a long time on the web. 🙂

I am happy we could help you! Have a nice day!

Thanks for this! It’s very useful!! Well put together!

Thank you, a thorough study on vocabulary on health. It will help my students increase and have a real understanding on the use of this vocabulary. Carmen Alicia Moncayo Ecuador

Glad we could help Carmen! ❤️

Medical conversation

Very interesting, good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog.

I’m glad to help!

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5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Doctor Visit

Communicating well with your doctor is key to receiving good health care. Learn how to have an effective conversation with your doctor.

To share the image, right-click on it and select "save image as" to save the file to your computer. We encourage you to use the hashtag #NIAHealth in your social media posts to connect with people and organizations with similar goals.

You may also be interested in

• Reading more about preparing for a doctor's appointment
• Exploring worksheets to help talk with your doctor
• Watching a video for tips on talking with your doctor

Being able to talk with your doctor is important, especially if you have health problems or concerns. Use these tips to make the most of your doctor visit.

• Prepare for your visit. Be ready to ask three or four questions. Share your symptoms, medicines or vitamins, health habits, and any major life changes.
• Take notes or ask for written materials. Don't be afraid to ask the doctor to repeat or clarify important information.
• Make decisions with your doctor that meet your needs. Discuss risks, benefits, and costs of tests and treatments. Ask about other options and preventive things you can do.
• Be sure you are getting the message. If you have trouble hearing, ask your doctor to face you when talking and to speak louder and more clearly.
• Tell the doctor if you feel rushed, worried, or uncomfortable. You can offer to return for a second visit or follow up by phone or email.

Learn more about communicating with your doctor .

nia.nih.gov

An official website of the National Institutes of Health

How to talk to your doctor in English

Do you feel overwhelmed when going to a doctor?

Do you have kids who translate for you when you go to the doctor’s or you use a translator? It may feel overwhelming when you can’t speak for your kids or for yourself. I can relate to this situation with my own family. I used to translate for my mom when going to places where we needed to speak to someone. It was very difficult for my mom, but I remember telling her she should try to practice to get over the fear. After a few years and several times practicing, her English showed great improvement.

In the following dialogue, I will demonstrate a conversation between a doctor and a patient. It also includes the dialogue you would have with the appointment setter on the phone. Please be aware that I am not qualified to provide medical advice. This is just an example.

Dialogue between a doctor and patient

Making a doctor’s appointment on the phone before arriving to the clinic:.

• Patient: Hello, I would like to make an appointment, please? 
• Receptionist : sure, what is going on?
• Patient : my son is not feeling well, has a headache, diarrhea, and vomiting. He also has a fever.
• Receptionist :  OK, do you have your insurance information?
• Patient : yes, I have the insurance information
• Receptionist :  OK, what’s the insurance provider number
• Patient : yes, it is…..
• Receptionist : What is your son’s name and date of birth ?
• Patient :   his name is David Ramos and his date of birth is 3/27/2005
• Receptionist : great, do you prefer mornings or afternoons?
• Patient : I prefer mornings
• Receptionist :  OK, I have Wednesday at 9 am, is that OK? 
• Patient : yes, thank you so much!
• Receptionist : we will see you then!

Arriving at the doctor office:

• Receptionist : Hello, how can I help you?
• Patient : I have an appointment for my son at 9 am
• these forms include basic information including medical history
• Patient : I have finished thank you
• Receptionist : thank you, we will call you when the doctor is ready for you
• Patient : great, thank you

The nurse or doctor calls you in:

• Doctor/nurse :  David?
• Patient :  Yes, right here.
• Doctor/nurse :  hello David, what’s going on?
• Patient :  Hi, David has been experiencing some headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and a little bit of a fever . 
• Doctor/nurse :  we will take a look at his vitals and see what’s going on
• Doctor/nurse : alright David, please take your shoes off and step on the scale
• vitals include blood pressure, ears/nose/mouth/eyes, breathing, and heart rate
• Doctor/nurse: mom, is there something different in his diet? 
• Patient: we had some salmon and he has been feeling bad ever since 
• Doctor/nurse: was this his first time eating salmon?
• Patient :  yes, that was his first time and he didn’t take it very well
• Doctor/nurse: it sounds like David has food poisoning or a stomach bug
• food poisoning/stomach bug : maybe allergic to a certain food or the salmon wasn’t cooked right

The doctor will now give instructions

• Doctor/nurse: Do you have any more questions about your son?
• Patient: is there something I can give him to make him better? he has been throwing up a lot 
• Doctor/nurse: He should stay hydrated and he has a fever give him some Tylenol and he should be fine in a few days

As you can see, it is a lengthy conversation but it is a great way to practice reading and understanding a conversation between a doctor and a patient. Remember to do your best to fend for yourself but if it is too advanced for you, always ask for help translated as needed. I hope you were able to get more practice and your vocabulary has expanded.

Check out this similar post for more medical phrases and vocabulary HERE .

For more content like this, don’t miss our free Go Natural English tips. Let us send them to you by email! Sign up for free at  https://www.gonaturalenglish.com/email/

Gabby Wallace, M.Ed TESOL

About the Author Gabby Wallace is the Founder of Go Natural English, where you can quickly improve your confidence speaking English through advanced fluency practice. Even if you don't have much time, this is the best place for improving your English skills. Millions of global intermediate - advanced English students are learning with Gabby's inspiring, clear, and energetic English lessons. Gabby has a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Boston University and 20+ years experience helping students become fluent through her online courses and membership program.

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Do you freeze up in front of your doctor? Here's how to talk to your physician

Marielle Segarra

Clare Marie Schneider

Watch this video for tips on talking to your doctor — including what information to bring to an appointment and what follow-up questions to ask after a diagnosis.

When you're sitting on an exam table wearing a paper gown, it's easy to forget all the questions that brought you in to see the doctor in the first place. Maybe you thought your physician would ask you about something, but they didn't, so you weren't sure if you should bring it up. Or a symptom felt like a big deal to you, but they brushed it off.

"I think most patients feel that the doctor is all-knowing, and that in the medical encounter or the relationship, that they are powerless," says Dr. Jennifer Mieres , professor of cardiology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the chief Diversity and Inclusion officer at Northwell Health.

But your doctor can't read your mind. "I always say I didn't have ESP to figure out what was going on," says Mieres. "This is a partnership." She says ideally, doctors and patients should work together as "co-detectives."

And that detective work will be easier for you and your doctor if you come to your appointment ready. "Prepare as if you're going to your accountant getting ready for taxes," she says. "You don't show up without receipts."

Here are a few ways Dr. Mieres says you can prep for an appointment

• Keep a log book of symptoms, including details like:
• When your symptoms began 
• What were you doing when they started 
• How long they have persisted 
• What makes them worse 
• The impact they're having on your life (for instance, it hurts when you bend down to tie your shoes)
• Know and share your family's health history 
• Keep track of your vitals like blood pressure 
• If there's something you know you'd like to discuss at your appointment, send a portal message to your doctor in advance so they're prepared

If you feel dismissed by your doctor, Mieres says that's a warning sign and a signal to hit the pause button and take control. Some helpful phrases in those moments: "This is limiting my life," and "I think that there's something going on and I'm having a hard time putting it together. I need your help."

You can also ask for a referral to see another specialist and bring a friend or family member to your next appointment to ask questions or take notes.

To see Dr. Jennifer Mieres and Life Kit host Marielle Segarra act out a conversation between a doctor and a patient, along with pop-up notations about how to make the most of a conversation with your doctor, watch the video at the top of the page or on YouTube or listen to the podcast episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

This video was hosted by Marielle Segarra; directed by Iman Young; produced by Iman Young, Sylvie Douglis and Beck Harlan; edited by Christina Shaman; filmed by Nickolai Hammar, Christina Shaman and Iman Young, and animated by Kaz Fantone and Jackie Lay. Audio engineering support comes from Neal Rauch. Supervising editors are Meghan Keane and Nick Michael.

The audio portion of this episode was produced by Sylvie Douglis. The story was adapted for digital by Beck Harlan and edited by Meghan Keane.

Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , or sign up for our newsletter .

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• Life Kit: Health

Lanternfish ESL

ESL Visiting a Doctor Roleplay

This is an oral communication activity in which students practise describing symptoms to a doctor.

A Visit to the Doctor Roleplay

Introduction.

The purpose of these materials is to get the students to practice visiting a doctor and communicating in English. This is a fairly simple role-play intended for false beginners (or perhaps even beginners). In short, students will go to the doctor, describe their ailment, get a prescription, and get some advice. Doctors will listen to ailments, ask a few questions and then prescribe medicine and give some advice.

Resources to Download

Doctor's activity sheet, patients activity sheet, ailment cards, treatment cards, activity description.

The class is divided into two groups: Doctors and Patients. Doctors are given the Doctor's Activity Sheet and the Treatment Cards . Patients are given the Patients Activity Sheet and three Ailment Cards .

For each ailment, the patients will visit two doctors and get some advice and a prescription. There is a fair amount of vocabulary for this exercise so it might be wise to have the students prep for class with some worksheets or exercises. If you are in an ESL setting it might also be a good idea to have the main terms translated. Also, the ailment and treatment cards are in MS Word format so you can edit them to whatever sickness you want.

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How to Encourage a Doctor's Visit

• Healthcare Barriers

Our Conversation Coach Can Help

If you have a loved one who refuses to see a medical professional, be it skipping an annual check-up or resisting a visit when they’re hurt or sick, you might be worried about the effect their avoidance will have on their health. You may need to address the importance of seeking routine medical care with them, especially if they have risk factors for a silent condition (such as osteoporosis or arthritis) or if they are experiencing symptoms they think will resolve on their own (such as bone pain or joint pain ).

It may take more than one conversation, and you may find it difficult to get started—or keep the chat’s momentum going, especially if you sense your loved one is shutting you out. Our Conversation Coach can help avoid communication pitfalls by simulating a respectful and effective conversation between you and your loved one. It’ll provide you with clear and accurate talking points to help encourage a doctor’s visit, both for preventive care and in response to symptoms.

Note: The conversations below address encouraging an elder to visit the doctor in response to a fall or for preventive care, but can be applied to other loved ones and situations in your life as needed.

By Abby Norman Abby Norman is a freelance science writer and medical editor. She is also the author of "Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain."

How to Record and Transcribe Doctor Appointments with an App

Rev › Blog › Transcription Blog › How to Record and Transcribe Doctor Appointments with an App

It’s not uncommon to attend a doctor’s appointment alone. Whether it’s in-person, by phone call or video chat, you must understand the medical information so you can later heed the advice and discuss it with your family and friends. Your best option is to record the conversation.

Why? Recording doctor visits put you in control of the information. You can give your full attention to your doctor (without taking notes by hand), then review every word later via recordings.

Can I Record my Doctor Visit?

This is a common question, often followed by more questions. Is it legal to record your conversation with a medical professional? And, do you have to tell them you’re making a recording? 

Do you plan to visit in person? Ask your doctor (and their nurses) if they mind if you record the audio part of the visit, then abide by their wishes.

If you’re dialing in for your appointment, it’s good to know the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) doesn’t currently have rules about recording phone conversations. However, your individual state might have regulations about disclosing that you’re recording and request that you get consent from the other party before pushing the record button. Learn more about state laws regarding voice recordings here .

How to Record a Doctor Appointment

Once you have the green light to record, make it as simple as possible. We understand doctor visits can be stressful or confusing. Plan ahead before your visit.

1. Download the Rev Voice Recorder App to your smartphone before your appointment

Do this beforehand so you don’t have to fumble with the process when you should be paying attention to the doctor. The app is free and available in the app store on your smartphone. 

With this software, you can record appointments with no limits. You can later trim your recordings to remove the conversational chatter at the start or end of your medical appointments, so you only save the important details.

There’s even an easy sharing button that allows you to upload the recordings to a trusted person via email or text message. And with one touch of a button, you can listen back on the conversation from the convenience of your phone.

2. During your appointment, place the phone in front of you, between you and the doctor

Set the phone to Do Not Disturb mode to avoid interruptions.

3. Open the app, and press the Record button.

That’s it! If you leave your phone in a purse or coat pocket, it won’t be able to pick up the audio clearly. As you visit with your doctor, project your voice and avoid chewing gum, drinking or eating. Chewing can make us mumble and records as background noise, making it more difficult to hear the speakers on the audio file.

How to Use Your Appointment Recordings

Having recordings of your medical appointments helps you gain a deeper understanding of your health concerns and care instructions, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Listening to the conversation again after the visit allows the information to process and absorb. This is especially helpful if your mind wandered when receiving difficult or confusing information.

Plan to transcribe doctor appointments if you want to have them available in a written format , such as a Word Doc, PDF or Plain Text. We think this step is important if you keep a file of medical records related to an ongoing condition. Transcriptions make it easier to share information with your pharmacist, specialists other healthcare professionals. 

How to Transcribe Doctor Visit Recordings

Ordering a transcription is simple in the Rev app. In the Rev Voice Recorder app, scroll through your list of recordings. Tap the one you want to transcribe, then tap the blue “Transcribe” button. Rev guarantees 99% accuracy for our transcription service.

Did you record your doctor visit on a different app or recorder? No problem! You can upload your recorded audio or video file here and get a transcript back in a matter of hours. Rev only costs $1.50 per audio or video minute for transcriptions.

Some doctors use language we’re not used to, and we need to look up the definitions to fully grasp the meaning. We recommend printing a copy of the transcription. You can make notes on the paper to help you learn and retain the information. A transcription is also helpful for appointments detailing dosages and elaborate care instructions involving a home health aid or caretaker. Simply make a copy and share it with them!

Above all, we want you to get the most out of your next medical appointment. Learning how to record doctor visits, using a simple app and later choosing to transcribe doctor appointments lets you access the information over and over again to better understand your health and make informed decisions.

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A Terrorist Attack in Russia

The tragedy in a moscow suburb is a blow to vladimir v. putin, coming only days after his stage-managed election victory..

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Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Anton Troianovski

Produced by Will Reid and Rachelle Bonja

Edited by Patricia Willens

Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

More than a hundred people died and scores more were wounded on Friday night in a terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow — the deadliest such attack in Russia in decades.

Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The Times, discusses the uncomfortable question the assault raises for Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin: Has his focus on the war in Ukraine left his country more vulnerable to other threats?

On today’s episode

Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading

In Russia, fingers point anywhere but at ISIS for the concert hall attack.

The attack shatters Mr. Putin’s security promise to Russians.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Translations by Milana Mazaeva .

Special thanks to Eric Schmitt and Valerie Hopkins .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Anton Troianovski is the Moscow bureau chief for The Times. He writes about Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. More about Anton Troianovski

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A trip to Moscow

I'm going to organize a trip this summer. I want to plan everything. I’ll fly from London to Moscow, and I also want to visit St. Petersburg. Could you, please, advise me what places I should visit? I’ll stay in Moscow for about 10 days before going to St. Petersburg. Thank you!

Not a country I’d be spending my money in at the moment.

Ditto. Ditto!

I don't really see the point of shunning a country because you don't agree with its leader and/or its government. Would you go to Italy? China? Tourist dollars are more likely to get into the hands of the people rather than any corrupt bureaucracy and meeting friendly tourists might just change the locals opinions of foreigners and even give them some information they don't get from local news media.

Hopefully , I won't be starting a war here , but I must say I agree with Chani's comments . Having taken three year visas in 2015 , we have been to Moscow and St; Petersburg ( once to Moscow , and twice to St Petersburg ) . The History , Art , Music ( I am a classically trained musician ) and Culture , fascinate us . Much to experience there and advance preparation is essential , To get a good grounding for your visit , read this lavish and detailed book by Suzanne Massie , it's one of the best ways to immerse yourself in what you will experience - https://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-Beauty-Old-Russia/dp/096441841X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521652009&sr=8-1&keywords=land+of+the+firebird+massie&dpID=51CPK13XKGL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

And while leaders of such countries can point to foreign visitor numbers as a sign of support ? I also believe that personal safety for certain travellers, especially obvious minorities, cannot be guaranteed, as fervent nationalism increases, and tolerance levels evaporate. Just as I may decide against a purchase at the supermarket because of a company’s behaviour, ethics will always be a consideration.

Well, I'd argue supermarket ethics does not readily translate to travel ethics - the latter is far more complex. Personally, I see the whole "vote with my hard-earned travel dollar" approach as overly simplistic, but if it's your position - I totally respect it.

What I don't understand is members volunteering ethical guidance in response to what seems an innocuous request for travel-related information.

Note a discussion on ethics hosted a year ago by the Webmaster of this very forum.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/travel-ethics-612334a0-0ca1-4128-b088-c13d1d8a91c3

I appreciate Rick Steves' point of view in his "Travel As A Political Act". That said, Putin's Russia is not a place I would support. But, to each his or her own....

From a practical point of view, travel between the two countries can be difficult. I understand the Russians who traveled in the US this past winter had to go to the US Embassy in the country of Georgia to get visas because the Russians expelled American embassy personnel. If you do travel to Russia, you may be on your own. See the American travel advisory: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/russia-travel-advisory.html

Travel Advisory January 10, 2018 Russia – Level 3: Reconsider travel Reconsider travel to Russia due to terrorism and harassment. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory U.S. citizens are often victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion by law-enforcement and other officials. U.S. consular assistance to detained individuals is often unreasonably delayed by Russian officials. Russia also enforces special restrictions on dual U.S.-Russian nationals. Due to the Russian government-imposed reduction on U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia, the U.S. government has reduced ability to provide services to U.S. citizens.

We have traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg over the past few years. As in the US, most of the people we encountered helpful and not particularly political. In Moscow, we stayed at The Garden Ring Hotel which was a close walk to the metro. The hotel was very comfortable and quiet for being in the city. We loved the art museums and the Georgian restaurants. In St. Petersburg, we stayed at both The 3Mosta hotel near the Hermitage and the Art Hotel Demetra.. In St. Petersburg, we especially liked the Hermitage and Russian museum. Learning the Cyrillic alphabet and having a good map is a must.

As I think the point about ethical considerations has been made, please keep future replies more specific to the question at hand. Thanks.

Either read a good travel book or book a guide who can personally take you to the best places that interest you and tell about the sights you're seeing. We used Dan Petrov on 2 different trips to Moscow and found him to be wonderfully friendly and witty not to mention super knowledgeable.

Latest advice, Australian Governmemt, 1 April 2018. “Due to heightened political tensions, you should be aware of the possibility of anti-Western sentiment or harassment. While the Australian Government is not aware of any increased difficulties for Australians travelling in Russia at this time, you should follow the security and political situation closely and keep up to date with this travel advice. Remain vigilant, avoid any protests or demonstrations and avoid commenting publicly on political developments.”

We very much enjoyed our group trip to Moscow and St Petersburg last year. excellent guides and accommodations. While Steven who has replied here has excellent advice, ( and we took advantage of it), we felt an organized tour really facilitated our enjoyment of the country. You may want to consider a combination of an organized tour and than adding independent days . Some of the Australians on the tour had arrived a couple of days earlier than the tour stated and then some stayed later. If we were to go again (which I would), that"s how I would do it. And I must say , it was enlightening to have conversations with the Russian tour guides and the non Americans about the current world situation. Not that we went into any great depth, but I think we all went away with a little more understanding. Top places: allow lots of time in St Petersburg at the Hermitage- take a separate day for the Impressionist building. In Moscow, the Russian Art Museum was amazing.

Solid advice from Australian government quoted above, especially the keeping up to date part.

I checked the current version (Sep 18) of that advisory - and it hasn't been updated much. In fact, some sections don't seem to have changed since 2005 - their recommendations for importing/exporting currency and financial instruments, for example, are at least five years behind.

I do like reading governmental travel advisories for entertainment purposes - for instance, up until very recently the US one sternly advised potential travelers that Moscow was largely a cash-based economy (couldn't be further from the truth) and warned about intrinsic dangers of gypsy cabs (which had all but disappeared by 2015).

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Politics live: Two ministers quit Sunak's government - signalling mini-reshuffle is coming

Two ministers have joined the exodus of Tory MPs ahead of the election. It comes after Rishi Sunak faced questions from the Liaison Committee, including on the pensions triple lock, the war in the Middle East, the Rwanda plan, and notorious comments by his predecessor Liz Truss.

Tuesday 26 March 2024 17:34, UK

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• Armed Forces minister quits and will stand down at election
• Skills minister also joins Tory exodus - taking total to 63 MPs
• Sam Coates: One of these departures is a particularly big moment
• Today is last day PM can call 2 May election
• Sunak asked about Truss's 'deep state' claims
• Shapps accused of 'smoke and mirrors' on Ukraine
• Jon Craig: PM struggles with tetchy exchange on Rwanda plan
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler  and (earlier)  Ben Bloch , Emily Mee , and Brad Young

Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow, has confirmed he is resigning as the minister for apprenticeships and skills today.

He will also step down as an MP at the next general election.

The MP's resignation follows hot on the heels of the departure of Armed Forces minister James Heappey, who quit his role minutes before ( see 16.00 post ).

Mr Halfon said: "After well over two decades as the Harlow parliamentary candidate and as MP, I feel that it is time for me to step down at the forthcoming general election, and in doing so, to resign as a minister in your government."

This means more than 60 Tories have now confirmed they will not stand at the next general election.

And, as our chief political correspondent Jon Craig says, there has been some suggestion "that this number could rise".

You can read Mr Halfon's resignation letter in full below:

The government has long been planning a new recycling scheme that would see people recoup a small deposit when they return single-use bottles and cans.

It's been in development at the environment departmental for seven years and was in the 2019 Tory manifesto.

Ministers had hoped 2025 would be the year it finally launches, after criticism from the drinks industry saw it pushed back from this year, but 2027 has now been mooted as more likely.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said work to ensure the scheme was aligned between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland was also proving a drag on proceedings.

2025 deadline 'not realistic'

"Given this balance between the benefits of the scheme versus the benefits of having something interoperable, I don't think 2025 is now realistic and I don't think business would view it as realistic," he said.

"But I suspect if I was pushed on it, a sort of 2027 deadline is probably more likely."

Mr Barclay was taking questions at the Environment, Farming, and Rural Affairs Committee before MPs head off for their Easter break.

Our deputy political editor Sam Coates has just given his reaction to the double resignation this afternoon of Robert Halfon and James Heappey.

The Tory MPs have quit as skills minister and Armed Forces minister respectively and won't stand at the next election.

Sam says Mr Halfon's decision is "a particularly big moment".

While he's not alone among Tories in expecting the election to be "something of a change moment", his departure "will strike a chord" with many within the party.

"He has something of a special place in the party, he represents a particular strand of working class conservatism," says Sam.

Elected in 2010, he became known for "pushing causes to make sure Tories represent parts of communities that the party hasn't always been associated with".

"He has pushed for higher spending to make sure people who need to be looked after were looked after by the state," Sam notes.

And with the prime minister unwilling to budge on the issue of public spending, instead pushing the state to "cut back and find more efficiencies", it may have given even more reason for MPs like Mr Halfon to think now's the time to move on.

By Becky Johnson , communities correspondent

Documents revealing why Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi - a convicted sex offender - was granted asylum have been made public for the first time, while Sky News has obtained pictures of him being baptised.

Ezedi attacked a woman and two children with an alkali on a street in south London in January.

The 35-year-old, from Afghanistan, had twice been refused asylum by the Home Office after arriving in the UK on the back of a lorry in 2016.

The second refusal was overturned by a judge in an appeal hearing in October 2020 because of Ezedi's claim to have converted to Christianity.

A suggestion that he would be at risk of persecution if he returned to Afghanistan was supported by a vicar.

Judge WK O'Hanlon, who granted Ezedi asylum at Newcastle Immigration Court in November 2020, said in his judgment that "the most compelling evidence was that of the former Reverend Merrin".

The details of that hearing were not initially made public but Sky News can now reveal exactly what happened after receiving the court documents in full.

Read more below:

By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

Back in the 1990s, a row was brewing over the state pension.

After it was introduced for everybody back in 1948, men were entitled to receive it when they hit 65, but women started getting the payments from the age of 60.

With more women heading to work and longer life expectancies, many argued it was time to even out the playing field and bring women's retirement age in line with men's.

And come 1995, John Major's Conservative government introduced the Pensions Act, setting out a timetable to make the change.

The legislation said the qualifying age for the state pension would slowly increase over 10 years between 2010 and 2020.

You can read more from Sky News below:

The East-West Council is expected to "enhance" the political ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, Chris Heaton-Harris has said.

The Northern Ireland secretary said that now the Stormont executive has been restored, it was important to "make sure we get our working relationships completely right".

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove added the council would help ensure UK government funding - agreed as part of the deal to restore power-sharing earlier this year - delivers for Northern Ireland.

It will help make sure funds get channelled to those who need it, like community organisations working to renovate buildings and "transforming opportunities for young people".

He said a new body, InterTrade UK, was also discussed, and that these were all "tangible gains" of the council.

Over a year ago, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister met his pledge to halve inflation by the end of 2023.

However, he is faring less well with his other pledges.

With the general election approaching, how is Mr Sunak doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below.

In response to Robert Halfon's resignation, Rishi Sunak has said he is "very sorry" to see the education minister go.

The prime minister has seen a rush of Conservative MPs confirm they will stand down at the general election, with Mr Halfon being the 63rd to do so.

The departure of the minister and Armed Forces minister James Heappey also means a mini-reshuffle is likely in Mr Sunak's cabinet.

You can read Mr Sunak's letter in full below:

As had been expected, Armed Forces minister James Heappey has just confirmed he has resigned from the role.

He said he had "loved every minute" as Armed Forces minister, adding: "Our Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence civil servants are the very best of us. 

"Representing them in parliament and around the world over last 4.5 years has been an amazing privilege."

Mr Heappey added: "My sincerest thanks to all who serve so brilliantly in our nation's Armed Forces and to the families that stand behind them.

"We're asking a lot of them at the moment - rightly so, the geo-political situation demands it - and we should never forget their sacrifice."

It comes a day after he called for the government to spend more on defence, as it continues to fall short of the 2.5% of GDP - or even more - that many Tory MPs have been calling for.

Mark Francois, the Tory MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, has accused Grant Shapps of "playing smoke and mirrors" with money earmarked for the Ukraine war.

He says: "The amount we're giving to Ukraine next year is £2.5bn, so it's almost exactly the same as the cut in next year's core defence budget.

"So if you compare apples and apples, that £2.5bn that goes to Ukraine is not part of the UK's defence budget, because you can't spend the same pound twice.

"If you're spending it on shells for Ukrainians… you can't spend it on army salaries or submarine maintenance or on new runways for the air force."

Mr Francois says the department for defence has "suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the Treasury, you've had your budget cut by £2.5bn, and you're now trying to play smoke and mirrors with the Ukrainian money to pretend that your budget hasn't been cut, when it's been slashed".

Mr Shapps, the defence secretary, denies this is the case.

"I disagree, and actually the problem with the numbers you've read out is the numbers are in themselves misleading," he says.

Mr Francois interjects: "They're in the budget red book!"

The minister goes on: "The reason those numbers come out as misleading is simply because the previous years' numbers you read out includes the supplemental.

"The next year you're reading doesn't include the supplemental."

Mr Shapps says: "You can't include it in one, and not in the other."

But he has admitted the Treasury's own figures on funding for Ukraine are "misleading" ( see 15.27 post ).

Get the latest on the Ukraine war in our dedicated live blog:

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