Most people with food poisoning will not need to see their GP.
Usually, you only need to see your GP for a diagnosis if:
- your symptoms are severe and are not getting better
- you have symptoms of severe dehydration, such as sunken eyes and not being able to urinate
- there has been an outbreak of similar cases of food poisoning linked to a possible source of contamination
Your GP will ask you about your symptoms and how you think you could have come into contact with contaminated food or liquid.
They will refer you for blood tests to check for infection. You may be asked to give a sample of your stools to test for bacteria or parasites.
Further testing is usually only required if you have symptoms that suggest the infection has spread from your digestive system to other parts of your body, such as your nervous system.
