Really don’t know what to do if unwell

[Reallydontknow22]

If you’re really pretty unwell and google (I know, never google) indicates that you should be seen by someone ASAP, but there’s just no one available - what the hell do you actually do?

There isn’t a functioning healthcare system and it’s scary

Thing is if it is a genuine emergency most of the time it will be treated as one. A few months ago a relative had cardiac arrest on her bedroom floor, ambulance was there within 10 minutes, they performed mechanical CPR, got her in the ambulance then the air ambulance took over on the way to get her in to hospital and she was straight in to resus. Sorry but if you are managing to argue as articulately as you are on here that's why you aren't going to seem like an actual emergency like the one I've just described.

Is it just me who would beg a friend or neighbour to help or just crawl down the stairs and crawl along the pavement into a taxi if it was my only route to the urgent medical attention I needed rather than just mumsnetting?

And yes you're right that it's terrifying that getting an ambulance isn't a solution anymore.

No it is definitely not just you. To be honest if I was bad enough to warrant an ambulance call out, posting on MN would not be to the forefront of my mind.

While you are waiting focus on practicalities - pack a small bag, charge phone, get any medicines together, if you can move downstairs maybe start to.

OP if you can't stand up without fainting, I'd say that's legit 999. Paramedics can likely help with that and will be with you a while at hospital.

can you call someone to help?

So google tells you need an ambulance but both 999 and 111 who you rang and had no problem getting through to, went through your symptoms and didn’t think you needed an ambulance.
OP in would be inclined to take the advice of a professional above a random google search.
Ambulances do come out quickly most of the time in an emergency. I had to call one when my child was choking on something, turning blue and blood pouring out of her nose. The ambulance was there in less than 10 mins giving her first response treatment before driving to A&E.

You are able to be awake, cognitive and posting on here it’s likely an ambulance isn’t needed in your situation.
Phone a taxi, crawl down the stairs slowly, I’m sure the cab driver would be more than happy to help you in and out.

Or just continue to complain but take no action. 🤷‍♀️

In fairness I don’t think I’m at deaths door imminently but there are quite a lot of red flags for cancer which is very worrying. Thank you for your kind words.

Oh @luxxlisbon do give over. I’m not ‘complaining’, I am very unwell. Either you accept that or you don’t. Of course you don’t know me and I could be a lying arsehole who is constantly at A and E and misusing the NHS but equally, I could just be very unwel. Couldn’t I?

I'm increasingly irritated by the "just get yourself to A&E" suggestion. I live in a decent-sized town about 40 mins to an hour's drive to the nearest A&E, depending on the state of the traffic. It's also a town where taxi provision seems to have plummeted recently. Last week a parent had to call out on local facebook to get a lift to A&E because their child had hit their head, the driving parent was away, and they couldn't get an ambulance or a taxi. A kind stranger obliged in the end, but its a pretty scary situation to be in.

OP if you’re that ill and you need an ambulance stop MNetting and criticising the NHS get on the phone to 999 and bloody call one.

@Orchidflower1 @EllisActon I'm in suburban Surrey - low deprivation, high housing costs. As we hit retirement age we've decided to swallow the high cost of living here to make sure we have good health and social care services.

@Reallydontknow22 in general if a normally fit and healthy adult genuinely cannot get themselves to an appointment an ambulance is appropriate. But presumably 999 / 111 have gone through things with you and made a professional assessment. If things are worsening you need to call them back as I’m sure they said.

in terms of red flags for cancer A+E is probably not the best place for that to be assessed - they are focusing on the very acute issues. Your GP is a better port of call but if you need tests, as you say, then you are going to need to leave the house for those so again a home visit is not helpful.

Unfortunately cancer symptoms are not (usually) an emergency. Of course they need seeing urgently, but a GP and 2WW referral is usually the more appropriate route, rather than an ambulance/A&E.

You say that both 111 and 999 have confirmed you do not need an ambulance and you’re awaiting a call back from a clinician? I’m not sure what else you’re expecting in the circumstances.

I do agree though that ambulance waits are now a bit terrifying often. Happened to be in a cafe the other day where an elderly man had collapsed and offered to help - total time waiting for the ambulance was 4.5 hours, to be fair he was stable and not deteriorating but still pretty grim.

You can ring for an ambulance, but you will be triaged to see if you need one and will still likely have to wait.

If 111 had felt you needed an ambulance urgently they would have sent one.

For someone who is at deaths door and cannot stand up without fainting, you're doing a bloody good job of conversing on here!

OP I mean this kindly, but googling symptoms will often lead to "red flags for cancer". If this is your worry, you need to see your GP not call an ambulance.

True actually I didn't think of that. There aren't many taxis operating in my town at all these days.

I'd be on the phone to the GP and if they said no appointments I'd be insisting on escalating to the practice manager in if I was that unwell I was going to call 999 as an alternative. They will find a slot for you you just need to be firm about how unwell you are.

Failing that you can call your local pharmacist for medical advice via a telephone/virtual triage service.

@Badger1970 I hope you don't mind me asking but how to private GP's work for someone with T1D please? I understand you pay for the consultation, but presumably anything they prescribe to manage your diabetes (insulin, test strip etc) is free if you have a diabetes exemption certificate....?

One of my DCs is T1D and GP access is something I really worry about especially as our GP's told me to just call again tomorrow when I phoned to say he had ketones on his breath, immense thirst and weight loss pre-diagnosis.

I took him to A&E instead :)

You’ve been triaged and you’re going to be contacted by a health care professional... I’m not really sure what you’re bothered by tbh. The “generic” questions you keep going on about are exactly what they’d ask if they saw you in person, but you can speak, so if there’s something the matter that they don’t ask, you’ll be able to say so 😐

If you need an ambulance at that point, they’ll arrange one.

Your surgery should have a clinic in place specifically to support their diabetic patients. Same as asthma clinics, blood test clinics etc etc.

Agree with@Cardio101 . If you have cancer symptoms and have self diagnosed by google , you need an urgent referral via gp. Can you get a virtual appointment? Many symptoms are also common in other , less serious conditions. Unless you have acute symptoms which cannot be treated in a and e you are unlikely to get a referral or admission by that route.

If you're bed bound and pass out when you move, I'd call 999 and let them make a decision.