Before the clock hits 8.30am, Dr Paul Evans has already put the mind of an older man concerned about lesions on his back at rest. He's not got cancer, and can be on his way. "Nothing to worry about."
Along with his colleagues at the Bridges Medical Practice in the heart of Gateshead town centre - it's situated literally below Tesco - Dr Evans is seeing more patients than ever. And on a busy May Monday, he invited ChronicleLive to spend the day watching exactly what happens in a GPs' surgery in 2022.
Previously, the medic has been vocal about the pressures general practice is under - with changes to contracts afoot and the profession consistently calling for the Government to do more to train up more GPs and deal with the challenges like a high burnout rate.
