What do you do if you need a dr but you aren't well enough to leave the house?

[trytopullyoursocksup]

I think i have a chest infection or similar, ill in bed for a few days with fever etc and my chest is very sore and congested. I think I need a dr who would probably prescribe anti bs and steroids. (I have asthma). things might look different in the morning, but over the past few days i have been getting kind of worse not better and I am in no shape to go anywhere. What do people do under these circs? I have been told before that chest infections can't be diagnosed / prescribed for over the phone.

Ring 111.

Or ring your own GP in the morning if you can wait.

Starts with ringing 111 who may take a long while to get back to you but should know what services are available in your area, and may well be able to get a GP to prescribe remotely.

Would anyone be able to pick a prescription up from the pharmacy for you if necessary?

I think if you can't get out to see your GP then you'll just have to deal with the infection without antibiotics but obviously that will take a lot longer to clear.

Honestly, I'd drag my arse to the GP - the sooner those antibiotics are in you the better.

Ring the go for a house visit - they do these in the afternoons:

Or call 111, if you’ve had this before there’s no reason they can’t prescription over the phone. Some chemists do hime delivery too.

Sorry to be dense but why can't you go to the GP? I get that you have a fever and not feeling well but is there no way that you can get there? Get a friend to drive you etc? Ours will do a home visit but only in an emergency eg when DH's back pain meant that he literally could not move. He couldn't even crawl.

Taxi or ask someone to give you a lift to the GP?

If you honestly can't get to a gp/walk in centre, you could ask for a home visit. We had to have one for my mam when she had a severe chest infection.
If you can walk then 111 and an out of hours perhaps

I don't think GPs come to the house unless you're elderly.

There are private GPs that will give you a consultation by FaceTime and prescribe what you need.

I'll call the GP in the morning. I think I need to see someone so even if I could get someone to prescribe over the phone, honestly i am concerned it might be something worse. I am going mad sitting here thinking things like "how would you know if it was pneumonia" (yes I have been on my own for too long). i think I probalby just need to get in front of a dr I guess I can just call a cab, if driving feels dangerous. I'll ask about home visits but I doubt it.

If you guess you can get in a cab try that. GPs are so overstretched for home visits.

not chest infections. They won't diagnose or prescrie for those remotely

Here, when you ring your GP for an appointment, they have a separate option for home visits.

I had tonsillitis once and I was so I'll I was flat out in bed. There's no way I could have got out of bed to go the doctors and I even needed help going to the toilet. The doctor came out but this was some years ago when doctors did home visits. They had to come out twice because the first lot of antibiotics didn't even touch it. That's the illest I've ever been, horrendous.

Saying that, if you're well enough to come on to Mumsnet to type out a post you may be well enough to get to the doctors if someone can take you.

You just call a cab and go.

I will have to get there. Why can't i? I can't even get to my kitchen. I ordered a supermarket shop from deliveroo because the front door is nearer to my bed than the kitchen and I can drink bottled water without having to keep refilling the bottle. i have to recover for a long breathless time after going to do a wee. but - I will have to get there, not just because it might be the only way tp get drugs but having this conversaion has clarified that I am worried and I want a dr to see me

My GP does home visits

I get it, I'm in bed with raging tonsillitis and getting to the doctors tonight was so much effort. I could have cried when I realised I needed to go to the chemist after that

You sound pretty sick. Not sure how old you are, but people go to A&E with symptoms like this.

You need someone to listen to your chest and do bloodwork.

If you call 111 they will tell you to go to A&E which would be a much more difficult and uncomfortable (and lengthy) experience than seeing your GP. Do you have any family, friends or neighbours who can take you? I would happily take a neighbour to the GP in these circumstances even if I had never met them before.

yeah a and e would just be hell, no way. I will brave the dr tomorrow. Assuming I can get an appointment. I'll give it my best shot

I hope you manage to get there in the morning and start to feel better soon.

It sounds like you started feeling g I'll on Friday and then got worse over the weekend. Looking ahead, it's always worth getting yourself down to the surgery before they close for weekends and bank holidays.

There are some walk in places too, but you have still got to get there.

Get well soon

They do.

I was really unwell last year & I was asked to go to the surgery. I physically couldn't so the doctor came out to me.

Is that a rule at your practice? Mum and I have both had these from phone appointments - at different GP surgeries.

wish you better asap 💐

@Redglitter your GP sounds amazing!

As a 111 health advisor, the out of hours Gp will only do home visits if you're elderly or housebound. I would recommend you call 111, depending on your symptoms the out of hours gp can send a prescription. However, you'll probably need someone to collect it for you.

Also, if you're that unwell then ambulance or a&e may be recommended.

We are very fortunate and can access a GP via an app through DP’s private healthcare. I did get prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection on the basis I made an appointment at the actual surgery to be seen in person and have my chest listened to. (That was February and the first appointment was last week!) Feel better soon.