On holiday in England, how to access GP

[Didyeaye]

we’re on holiday from Scotland in Ribby Hall, near Preston.
pretty sure DS has a chest infection. How do we go about accessing care? Do we turn up to a walk in care centre type place or call 111?

Call 111 first or A/E but they would prefer you ring 111

In the past I’ve phoned 111 and they’ve arranged an out of hours type of doctors appointment at the nearest health centre.

thanks both, I assumed 111 but wanted to check. I know if we use 111 for minor injuries etc back home then it goes a bit more smoothly and can potentially get an appointment time rather than just turning up and waiting!

Calling 111 is fine. I was taken ill once when away for a few days just 100 miles from home and needed an urgent doctors appointment. 111 were able to liaise with my normal GP and get a local GP sufficient background records that they werr able to see me and dispense the prescription I needed.

They will always liaise with your home GP as it's not unknown for patients with particularly difficult to manage situations to be in conflict with their own GP about how much of something they can be prescribed and trying to circumvent this by engineering a crisis which away from home. Obviously not what OP is doing but this adds a layer of bureaucracy to the whole process.

Hope your son feels better soon OP.

Pop along to the walk in centre

Whitegate Health Centre

150-158 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9ES

Opening Times

Monday - Sunday, 8am - 8pm