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

Some of us have surgeries which ring out

Feel for you OP. I needed to call 111 twice. First time I got a call back in an hour (and was told to go to A and E), second time the automated response was "Sorry, we cannot answer your call. Please call later" and they cut off. Tried again and again, many times, while being in pain, got the same.

The system is not working. In many cases, the phone triage is not at all accurate, there is far better chance to get a correct diagnosis face-to-face, and I would like to get it, but I am being discouraged from going to see a doctor.

And I don't want to be grateful for what is still available sometimes somewhere. NHS has a huge problem and it needs to be solved. Otherwise we will get used to the level of medical care that gets gradually worse.

Have read through the whole thread and am desperately hoping you get the treatment needed. Am sending virtual flowers and a prayer. 💐 x

I just go private now. The NHS is shot where I am

Not being able to stand up without fainting sounds circulatory imo.

So either you are in serious enough of a condition to need to be seen in A&E, and you need to find a way to get there, and wait. ASAP.

It could be your heart, or sepsis, or a hundred other things that you nor I are qualified to debate.

Or, you're not being honest about your symptoms, as you're not on deaths door, doctor Google has told you it's probably cancer, and you know that actually it's not that bad, and you're happy to spend time writing about it on Mumsnet and not in A&E.

Personally, if it were me, I'd be strapping myself to the stretcher and wheeling to my closest A&E unit like speedy Gonzales but you do what you think is best.

We’re cannon fodder. When people start understanding those in power see us as little more than animals to turn the mill maybe there will be civil unrest.

The call back I received told me it would be approx 4 hour wait for an ambulance (cat 2, so basically I was conscious, breathing and wasn't having a heart attack) for an ambulance, but to get to A&E by any means possible if I could. This turned out to be bad advice, and I wish I had waited for an ambulance now.

But it sounds like they are sending one now, it will just be a long wait?

I was a nhs patient with Babylon. They were excellent, on par with the private GP I also use.

But they closed their Birmingham service. They got a kicking in the press for not doing enough face to face appointments - but that was the whole point, you could get a video call first instance, very quickly and most things were sorted, if they needed to see you, you would mostly get seen the same day as the video consult. No receptionists to fight through, just book your own appointment on an app.

I know you can still pay to use babylon as a non nhs patient, but I might as well go to the private GP practice if I am going to pay.

Such a shame it’s only nhs in London now, it was great.

Sidebar - I just checked my prescription status on Patient Access and it might be crashing because it isn't doing anything

the doc sent me a link to make a routine appointment - not something I need but there you go - that link isn't working either.

i hope they're not all crashing or been hacked or summat.

Exactly. All we are are tax units to provide them with money to fund their morally corrupt and vain lifestyles. They don't care how many die.

I honestly don't know what to think here. At 8am OP said:

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

Yet she has spoken to 111 and now her GP who has agreed an ambulance is needed.

I do wonder about MN at times.

I don’t understand why people think we are anything but.

But as long as we are kept busy with entertainment and people to kick down on, most are oblivious.

I totally get what you’re saying

youre saying you need an ambulance and you can’t get one.

I have Addisons disease. Any GP on here or dr will know about adrenal crisis. Especially if they work in emergency. The adrenal crisis is life threatening and I have to call an ambulance quite often for it. Maybe once a year. I work for a charity which deals with people with my condition and they did a study which is 98% of people weren’t given the correct treatment in the correct time. (Most adrenal crisis are a resus type of thing). We also can present with some strange symptoms. Like we slur, act like we’re drunk. (Because of low blood sugar) We faint. (Because of low blood pressure) and adrenal crisis isn’t the first thing you think of. Though the drs that work for our charity spent something like 4 years trying to get it known which is now why if you ring 111 or 999 they ask ‘do you have Addisons disease’ and when I say yes I ALWAYS without fail get ‘oh my cos you’re the first one that’s ever said yes to that!’ So that also presents a tricky situation. Other than trying to raise more awareness though there’s not much we can do.

im pretty sure adrenal crisis is up there with strokes and heart attacks because but if there’s no ambulances available then people die of adrenal crisis. Unfortunately the disease does come with a higher mortality rate.

so what’s the answer? The only answer is to triage and hope to god they get to you in time. There’s no other way….

It shows as £49 per consult, is that right?

The NHS isn’t working properly at the moment.

This strep thing has only highlighted it more.

Our GP surgery recently made me put my phone in my kids to “see if her throat was sore” via video call. 10 years ago she would have been seen quickly in person. It’s so inefficient.

111 is a mess. Urgent treatment centres have a 12 hour wait round here. I find myself thinking more and more “there’s no point going to the doctors” which one day I might do and actually it might be cancer, or heart issues, or early stage diabetes.

we need to stop making the NHS this untouchable thing and scrap it/properly fix it. I’ve said it before… I’d be more than happy to pay for an appointment.

one thing I think we should do is create a completely separate service for mental health. No more ambulance calls or GP appointments. It should be properly funded and properly set up.

Unless you live in/near London and then you can be an NHS patient with them for no charge (as in, they will be your surgery, you can go to any of their London clinics to be seen face to face).

@Footballmyarse ah thank you, I'm not sadly!

House calls from GPs haven’t really been a thing in my lifetime and I’m 35. If you can’t get downstairs safely then it’s a bit irrelevant whether you can’t get an appointment at the GP because you wouldn’t be able to get there anyway.

It does seem like 111 has fallen over though, presumably as a result of the Strep A publicity and concerns.

I am cynical enough these days to suspect Rupert Murdoch himself starts these NHS threads, part of his undeniably rabid effort to encourage selling it all off. Or is it those fetid fish at the Telegraph? Can't decide.
Only half joking..

Honestly please pm me where you live if you’d rather not say here! Sounds good 👍

I have been waiting for a blood test from last week. I can't get an appointment and I can't get my life saving medicine until I have the blood test.
Yes I'm scared and worried

Just have an online consult from a private GP. OP, you could have booked it and possibly be seen already in the time it took this thread to get to two pages... 49 quid and any presciptions you need emailed through to your nearest pharmacy, or they will refer you on

thegpservice.co.uk/consultation/

I would (against all my principles) pay and do online /phone consult- have needed it twice in last few years and worked very well

OP, would you be so convinced that it was urgent if you didn't have the internet? Dr Google must be the bane of doctors' lives.