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By *lcee OP Woman
over a year ago
Leeds |
So I’ve been moaning about being ill for the last few days...and, to be fair, I am pretty bad now. Not really slept all night and now both of my tonsils have swollen up with white spots on them, high temperature, aching joints, aversion to bright light. To make things more fun, I seem to have developed cystitis as well that is not going away I know the score from a long history of both...this actually does call for antibiotics.
Only at 4.30 in the morning when I’m trying not to sob loudly enough to wake up my other half, I realise that Saturdays are pre-booked appointments only at my GP. Cue utter panic. I can’t live like this until Tuesday. Besides, we’re booked in to see Endgame tomorrow and I’m not missing that. No way. Nope.
While furiously googling online GPs, it hits me. A service I’ve written about many times at work. NHS 111 Online. No calling up (because I sound like a real weirdo right now, trying to talk without moving my tonsils), just answer the questions online and get triaged.
Two minutes answering questions online and I’m told I need to call my GP right away (ok, not panicking here - that tone is just the NHS way). If it is closed (duh, it’s like 4.45am on a Saturday), you can get a call out from an out of hours GP at the Outpatients hospital *literally at the end of my road*.
Called back within a minute. I’m pathetically grateful, falling all over myself to apologise and thank him in my weirdo voice. Doesn’t waste time, books me in for 9.45am at the site four minutes walk away from my house. It would take me nearly fifteen minutes longer to get to my actual GPs.
This is amazing. Five minutes online and I have been triaged, appropriately handled and have a GP appt for that morning. And now I’m not sobbing helplessly and I actually feel calm because duh, they’re going to sort me out.
It’s a revelation...not one I reckon many will comment on...but it has made me very happy this Saturday morning. Long live our NHS! We’re catching up to the times (at our own sedate pace ) |