The 24 hour doctor. (NHS 24)

Member Name: candy-pink

Product:	NHS 24
Date:	21/07/08 (740 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly, understanding and very helpful.

Disadvantages: -

I love the idea of our national health service but it never seems to run anything like as smoothly as it is supposed to and although it is free health care for the nation we still seem to spend half our time moaning about it.

Well there is one part of the national health service (NHS) that works tremendously well or has done for me in the times I have used it which is five in total 3 times for myself and twice for my little niece and that is the NHS 24.

NHS 24 is a helpline set up for people to use out of surgery hours when they cannot contact a doctor rather than everyone just descending upon A&E departments. The idea is you phone the NHS 24 and you will be dealt with by someone with medical knowledge who will take all your details and the symptoms with which you are suffering then either give you the advice you need, speak to one of their doctors who will give you the advice you need or set up an appointment at your nearest hospital for you if they think you need seen.

I have twice phoned them with serious pains in my stomach when I went through a period of about 7 months where I had recurring pains that I sometimes just could not suffer, on both occasions I was greeted with a very sympathetic ear and was once given pain relief advice and once had an appointment made for me to see a doctor, the appointment was made for exactly 1 hour after I had phoned and I just walked into the hospital gave my name and the doctor was waiting for me.

I have also phoned once for my little niece who just would not stop crying through the night when I was watching her and another time when she fell and banged her head. On both occasions they arranged almost immediate appointments for her to be seen by a doctor at the local hospital and just as it had happened for me, we walked in gave her name and were seen straight away.

The other occasion I phoned them was for a slightly more delicate matter that I will not go into but the help I received was again brilliant. They really seem to be very knowledgeable and if you do phone them with something they are unsure about then they will seek further advice and either phone you back or have a doctor contact you direct.

I find that they are very patient and understanding when you call and if you are in pain they realise that and try to ask as few questions as possible and get straight down to helping you in any way they can. I have never phoned them and had my call put on hold or not been able to get straight through so I guess there must be plenty call handlers to cope unlike some help lines. So whilst our NHS and the people behind the scenes tend to make a lot of mistakes they seem to have got the NHS 24 help line spot on.

If you have some medical problems out of hours then I would strongly advise seeking help from NHS 24 rather than heading for accident and emergency because it will turn out much quicker in the long run and there is nothing worse than being stuck suffering in an A&E waiting room. If we all used NHS 24 it would also allow A&E to deal with the real accidents and emergencies, the people who cannot wait and have to be seen straight away. Do your bit an help the system run more smoothly use NHS 24!

Their number is : 08454 242424


Candy

Summary: I have certainly had no problems with this service and give it the full 10 stars!