| "Why get involved? I’m not a trained money adviser”
used to be my reaction to the debt issue. With only ten
minutes for each patient, I felt my time was better spent on
medical matters rather than asking about money worries and risk
opening up a can of worms.
However, asking people about their financial
situation has now become a part of my routine practice. This is
because it has allowed me to identify and tackle the root causes of
some patients’ poor health.
Critically, I have not had to become a debt
expert. Instead, following four simple steps, I now:
- Consider debt as an
underlying cause in stress-related illness, both mental and
physical.
- Ask simple questions about
debt;
- Refer to an appropriate debt
agency (telephone, on-line or face-to-face).
- Engage with (and also
support) the adviser, as well as check on the patient to
see how they are coping.
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