There's an old joke about the mechanic and the surgeon, in which the mechanic mentions that he does the same job and the surgeon says "Try doing that with the engine running."

Patients often compare their bodies to motor vehicles, an idea I've recently developed it to point out how stubborn people are when it comes to seeing their GP or generally seeking Medical advice.

It's that point of a consult when the Pharmacist asks if the patient has seen their doctor... or even thought about it. I'm going to put a mechanic's spin on each of the four usual responses;

1. It's too expensive.

A visit to the doctor, during the week is going to cost you a maximum of thirty bucks as a gap payment. Many people use bulk-billing Medical Centres. You remember, the free ones.

A service for your car? That's $220, without blinking. Money well spent?

2. I have to wait for too long, it's inconvenient

Sure, medical centres and emergency departments can make you wait. Sometimes, you might be an hour behind your scheduled appointment, other times you'll sit in the ED waiting room for six hours, or more.

Last time you got your car serviced, chances are, you changed your entire day around. You had someone meet you at the mechanic's to give you a ride to work, or you shelled out for a cab. All that will add up to at least an hour out of your day. Worse, though, think about the last time you broke down. When your engine started smoking or the radiator blew; did roadside assistance get there in half an hour? How about two hours? And the whole mess, took what, about five hours...?

3. I can't get an appointment.

It's true, doctors are busy; the good ones seem to have appointments booked for at least the next three weeks.

I'd also warrant that you're willing to wait that period of time to book your car in. Why is that?

4. By the time I see a doc, I'll feel better. I don't want to go when I'm healthy.

I recently met a bloke who hadn't seen a doctor in forty years. He was fifty five. He'd had some very worrying symptoms for the last three months, and was just happy to push on.

Pretty sure that he would have his car looked if the engine rattled or the brakes creaked for that length of time, even if they sounded fine before he got it into the shop.

What's more, the motorists just love getting their cars serviced at 10,000km, 20,000km and so on until, at 90,000km, when the car can still be sold, the ad reads "Full service history."

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In short, people will devote time, money and energy into getting their pride and joy seen by a good mechanic. But for some reason, they don't devote the same amount of energy into looking after themselves. Please, don't wait for the engine to blow. Go and see your doctor.