Dr Phil Hammond is hilarious. He has me in stitches during the interview. And yet there is a slight feeling of concern. After all Dr Phil is a GP, so should we really be laughing about such serious matters? And should he really be on tour? Katherine MACAlister delves deep into Dr Phil’s world of health, laughter and inappropriateness to find out.

There is nothing apologetic or reticent about Dr Phil Hammond. Currently touring with his Dr Phil’s Rude Health Show – a witty, informed and hilarious view of some of today’s controversial health problems – there’s no time for blushes.

So for those of us who haven’t seen him on stage before what can we expect?

“Access to a GP,” he says grinning. “It’s hard getting in to see a doctor these days, so I always bring my black bag, prescription pad and sick notes. I tend to get problems from the audience, rather than heckles, and my changing room is open for swabs during the interval. Most of the material has a medical theme but it’s accessible to everyone. And if you’re too shy to ask a question, you can always drop one into Dr Phil’s secret sack.”

Which gives you a good idea what you’re in for and woe betide anyone who ever takes him at face value. Expect the country’s controversial health problems to be aired while addressing topical issues such as how to put a condom on with less than three hands, what to do if someone dies on you during sex, and is it safe to fall asleep while using a vacuum pump...

Dr Phil did, after all, work in a sexual health clinic so he’s been there, done that and got the chlamydia T-shirt. “I do give the audience the chance to choose between political and anatomical humour, but then – like any other doctor – I just to do what takes my fancy,” he quips.

And yet there is a massively serious, separate side to Dr Phil. He is Private Eye’s medical correspondent and broke the story of the Bristol heart scandal leading to the largest public inquiry in British history. “It saddens me that lessons from Bristol may not have been learnt, but I’ve realised over the years that change in the NHS happens incrementally, not overnight, and you have to keep consistently fighting for quality, safety and an open and accountable NHS, and we might get there before I need to use it,” he says. “I mean £105 billion a year and the NHS is still no safer than bungee jumping.”

Dr Phil’s media career is also consistently busy. He does a regular show on BBC Radio Bristol, presents the Music Group on Radio 4 and has just become a science presenter for The One Show, making films which all include an experiment. He also does a lot of writing (three books and a sitcom about a GP polyclinic called ‘Polyoaks’) and has been Private Eye’s medical correspondent for nearly 20 years.

So not much time for doctoring then? “Most doctors who go into comedy give up the day job, but I’ve kept my hand in,” he explains. “Not just because I need the material, but also because I enjoy seeing patients. I hate all the bureaucratic nonsense and hoop jumping – most GPs spend half the consultation staring at the computer – but the beauty of not being a partner is that you can follow the patient rather than the money. I’ve just got a job working as a GP in a challenging area of south Bristol and I still teach medical students and do a lot of serious lecturing, as well as just taking the mickey. And I like being a dad, so it takes a lot to drag me away from home.

“I do a minimum of six hours a week seeing patients, and the same again keeping up to date. It doesn’t sound a lot but I’m hoping that when my other careers take a nose-dive, I’ll be able to do more.”

And with that he’s off back to listen to more of us complain about our hilarious ailments, which will then no doubt be re-told live on stage.

* Dr Phil Hammond is appearing at Banbury’s Mill on Thursday, April 28. Call the box office on 01295 279002.