To think that the NHS online symptom checker must create extra work for the NHS?

[Flexiblefriend]

DD was unwell earlier this week. She spent an unpleasant day vomiting, then on the second day she developed a temperature, and started complaining of a stiff neck, and a headache. This had me a little concerned, so I went online, to check her symptoms, and see if she needed to see a doctor.

It had a section to rule out meningitis symptoms, and I ticked no to all of them, apart from one which asked if she had been more drowsy or confused than normal. I put yes to that, as it defined drowsy, as more lethargic and sleepy than normal, and she had slept longer than normal, and barely moved off the sofa all day, which is unusual for her.

The end result advised me to go directly to A&E, which seemed ridiculous. AIBU to think they need to make the definition of drowsy a little clearer, as I'd imagine most sick children are more drowsy than normal, and if everyone is advised to go to A&E they are going to be awfully busy with people who really don't need to be there!

YANBU, it always tells you that you are basically dead!

I've given up using that service and the phone service. Whatever your symptoms both always tell you to consult either GP or go to A&E.

DD(18) tried to book a GP appt last Fri (not yesterday) - nine available until 10/5, so I took her to local walk-in centre today. Min 4hr wait!

It's not an accident or an emergency, but she does need some medical advice - flipping ridiculous.

To be fair when I contacted my GP he was brilliant, and said DD was almost certainly fine, but he would like to see her to be sure. Did your DD manage to get seen by someone eventually Youdont?

The last twice I have used it I have been told to call an ambulance via 999 due to numbness and pins and needles in my legs/feet following a back injury. The first time I ignored it, the second, with far more severe symptoms rang the doctors. I had to go in for emergency appt with GP but was told I should just continue to take the prescribed pain relief. I wish I had called an ambulance because after months of being messed around and being off work I am no further forward and too doped up to drive or even go out alone. I do wonder if I had gone in treatment would have been faster and more effective than this being left in limbo.

Google creates work for the NHS too.

It told me I had meningitis when I had and itchy arm from an insect bite

Every time I have used it the advice says go directly to A&E...

I think it does presuppose some common sense.

My DH used the phone line when he already knew he had pleurisy, it was a week after diagnosis and no better after the antibiotics. They blue lighted an ambulance to the house as chest pain = heart attack. I know its better to be safe than sorry, but still surely a bit ott.

No, she hasn't been seen yet. She's going to make a GP appt on Monday for whenever she can get one, and try the walk in centre again at a time she thinks it might be quieter. Will cancel GP if she gets to see someone at walk in. Its a good job it's nothing major (hope its not!)

The problem is they have no choice - if they miss something, they will be sued/all over th media . So, to cover themselves They send everyone to a &e. Rendering the whole system pointless.

That's actually not true.

A&E referrals are not common. Mainly it's just appts to be seen by ooh GP or GP home visits or district nurse visits or speaking to community psychiatrist nurse or many other things.

It's a pointless system really because 9 times out of 10 they will advise you to go to A&E and if they don't, the fear and anxiety of not having access to a GP/out of hours will cause you to go there anyway.

Someone I knew called NHS direct because she was concerned bout her young son. They went through a raft of questions one of which was 'can he talk', she answered no so they sent out an ambulance immediately. Well of course he couldn't talk, he was only 10 months old.

I was sent to A&E with an alleged pulmonary embolism just after Christmas - what had actually happened was I'd started my NY resolution jogging in the cold and my very mild asthma was playing up. They don't listen on the phone, just read from a script. It's a joke.

I'd rather cause them/myself extra work than having something major go undetected.

A few years ago I was in the situation of out of hours saying to phone 999 as I needed blue lighted to a and e while 999 referred me (my parents actually, I was incoherent with pain) back to out of hours. It took an hour to get an ambulance out- I had meningitis...

The moral of the story being, I'd rather they were safe than I wound up being sorry/dead.

Do you have OOH GPs in England?

Ubik, I used my common sense, and answered the question accurately based on the questions asked, and the definition given. What should I have done differently? I m not medically trained. How could I know what level of drowsiness was OK? That is my point. Maybe the questions need to be more specific.

I can see why it is how it is, so they don't miss anything, but surely that renders the whole thing pointless, as it won't screen out anyone who doesn't need to see a doctor. People may as well just go straight to their GP/hospital to get checked for everything.

I think rather than a phone call, it should be a Skype call, so they can see you and you can accurately show where it hurts.

In reality quite alot of people are given advice from a clinician and advised to see their own GP in the morning or a pharmacist or get a visit from a district nurse.

It's a misconception to think that "everyone gets a referral to A&E"

Also the drowsiness thing - everyone's idea of drowsiness is different, it's understandable that for safety's sake, a child will be looked at by someone who is medically trained.

according to the NHS checker, I've been having a stroke since October . Recently my general NHS experience has been "let's look at the worst possible scenario first" rather than ruling out the more obvious things first. And that panics people unecesarily (in my case making symptoms worse )