How do I find a doctor when I'm not at home?

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I'm in the hospital with my son, we're a good few hours away from home.
What started as a chest cough is now a chesty cough with a real piercing pain in my chest when I breathe in and out and I have been having high fevers, I figure it's something I should get checked but I don't know how to!
We're in London so plenty of places around I assume, do I just call a local one up and explain the situ and see if they'll give me an appointment, or is there likely to be a walk in clinic somewhere?
I'm in Chelsea.

You can be seen by any GP practice as an immediate & necessary patient - just ring up the closest one.

I’ve never said this - despite it being a constant refrain on here, but call 111, they’ll advise you & either get a doctor to call or send you to a GP or similar.

Ring 111 and they can make you an appointment with a GP somewhere local.

Just be careful as once you mention chest pains they are likely to want to send you an ambulance because of their computer software!

But you are IN a hospital?

What's that for? Is it A&E? Why do you need a GP as well? Can't they give you any information about finding treatment? Why can't Why treat you?

Ask if the hospital you’re in has an urgent care or minor injuries unit

why not ask the ward nurses where you are? there may be an OOH GP service in the hospital.

Sorry I should have said, I'm in hospital with my son, we're here for a while.
I don't want to make a fuss and be sent to A&E with chest pain, I have a bad cough so it's likely to be a chest infection or a strain. One of the ladies here has told me there is a walk on centre at Victoria station so I'll go in there tomorrow morning.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital A&E has an Urgent Care section were you can see a GP. At least they used to. Hope its still there.

Just ask your son's doctors if there's a clinic in the hospital? I'm in hospital with my son at the moment and I asked to see a doctor for myself today in a different department and they arranged it so I wouldn't have to leave him for hours.

You don't need to mention the symptoms, just say you think you have a chest infection.

Does the hospital your son is in have a walk in centre or an a&e for adults, if so go there. Alternatively I'd go to either the Chelsea and Westminster hospital, Hammersmith hospital or Charing cross, they will see you, the walk in at Victoria is a private clinic . Wherever you go they will do tests for the chest pain.

Are you on a children's ward with a chest infection? Can you speak to one else of the nurses and ask for advice?

I'm not in Chelsea and West, we're staying at the Royal Brompton, we came to C&W for a clinic and minor procedure. I can't leave DS for too long so I'll go tomorrow when there are more people here to sit with him. Thanks for the help.

Sorry I picked you up incorrectly. I thought you were in hospital because of the chest infection

Yep, Chelsea and Westminster still has an Urgent Care Centre, I just checked their Website.

If you call NHS 111 they may be able to give you an appointment time at the Urgent Care, saves you waiting time. They did that for us once once when DD was unwell.

Chelsea and Westminster hospital is nearer than Victoria, maybe the Brompton doctor can refer you to their own outpatient department, hope you and your son are ok and comfortable.

When I was in hospital with my son, the hospital had a local GP that they referred/sent parents who got ill when caring for their child- Can you ask the ward or at the information desk at the hospital.

When I went in, I was put down as one of the hospital mums, so seemed pretty normal.

At Royal Brompton they may have the same or use the urgent care near by.

Hope all ok with your son and you get some treatment and feel better.