TY - JOUR T1 - Viewpoint: Doing nothing JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 72 LP - 72 DO - 10.3399/bjgp17X689161 VL - 67 IS - 655 AU - Jessica Watson Y1 - 2017/02/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/67/655/72.abstract N2 - As a newly qualified GP I sometimes feel I’m walking a tightrope. Non-specific symptoms may represent early undifferentiated disease, yet overzealous blood tests and investigations can lead to patient harms.1 How can we get the right balance?Skill in general practice lies in dealing with uncertainty; inevitably this involves risk. Yet, risk management is an increasingly dirty word in a culture where health professionals face criminalisation for missed diagnoses2 with ‘zero tolerance’ for patient harms.3 This fuels a wave of fearfulness among GPs, who often use blood tests and investigations to reassure themselves that they are not ‘missing something’. Unfortunately this can lead to a vicious cycle; rather than reassuring ourselves, inconclusive or borderline results can generate increased uncertainty and anxiety.4 This in turn … ER -