nhsdirect.nhs.uk

From personal experience ,working in a busy GP surgery ,I have come across patients who just don’t have a clue what is the best option to take when illness or accidents occur. On one hand, there is the person who insists on being seen straight away with the slightest ailment. In contrast to this there are people who ignore potentially life threatening symptoms because they don’t want to be a nuisance or, quite commonly, are scared to take the time off work. NHS Direct Online is designed to help people who have diagnosed conditions. It is packed full of useful information on how, where and when ... more

I popped into my Doctor’s surgery last week to pick up a prescription and while I was waiting I browsed through the masses of literature they had on display. You know the sort of thing ‘How to give up smoking’, ‘How to reduce your blood pressure’, ‘How to stop worrying about all the ailments you’ll never get.’ Pretty morbid stuff really, I came out of there quite depressed, feeling I should have made an appointment to see the Doctor on the off-chance that I had some plague or other. In amongst the leaflets I’d picked up for more detailed ... more

NHS Direct Online (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) is, as the name suggests, the online version of the NHS Direct service (a 24 hour nurse-led helpline covering the whole of England and Wales which can be called on 0845 4647). Obviously, looking things up on the website isn't the same as speaking directly to a nurse, but this site is still really, really useful for anyone with health concerns (i.e. all of us!). It is meant to be used, as the site itself says 'as the first step to help you decide the best course of action to take when you or your family are not well'. So first things first, it is NOT a ... more

Last Friday, was my birthday and I had rather a different start to the day. Just after Midnight Adam, our 4 year old, woke up after going to bed perfectly well, woke up sounding like he had croup. Now the only thing I really know about croup is that you can sometimes put them in a steamy room to ease their breathing, but in a bathroom our size, it would take a long while to steam it up. As Adam was trying to breath, he was making a noise like a barking seal as he inhaled. Exhaling was more normal, but his chest was rising fast and his lungs were having to work extremely hard. The longer this ... more

When my 6mnth son was running a slight temperature, was off his food and was a little lethargic I decided to give NHS Direct a call. The phone was answered very quickly and politely by a lady who asked briefly what the problem was and took his details- name, age, address, doctor etc. She asked me to hold for a few moments (I was played so pleasant music whilst holding) while she checked how soon a nurse would be able to call me back. She told me that I would recieve a phonecall within an hour, and that I should call back if his symptoms got worse, or if no-one had called me within a hour. All ... more