NHS Walk-In Centre

meester · 9 July 2008 at 8:39AM

Has anyone ever been to one?

Are they a waste of time? I'm not registered with a doctor and they suggested I go to the walk-in centre to get seen (I have conjunctivitis, fever, slight pain in swallowing/sore throat, cold). I understand they don't have any GPs, and I'm quite suspicious....

[Deleted User] · 9 July 2008 at 8:42AM

They're like A&E, but for less serious issues... sounds like you might need some antibiotics.. why not register with a GP and get it sorted? A walk-in center wouldn't be very good for continuous treatment but might get you what you need

Bargain_Rzl · 9 July 2008 at 10:12AM

I went to London's Liverpool Street branch once - I had not long moved house and hadn't got round to registering with a new GP yet. When you get there, you fill in a form (at which point you get told off for not having a current GP) and then it's first come first served. I went in the busy after-work slot and was seen by the nurse within half an hour. The only negative thing was the actual advice I was given! - the cream I was advised to buy (for a fungal foot infection) turned out to be practically obsolete and I had to take a pharmacist's advice on a substitute product...

merlinormartin · 9 July 2008 at 2:47PM

Hi Meester

... i have used the NHS walk-in many times and found them a great help. My local walk-in does have a GP who attends at certain times of the day/evening; if they suspect you need to see the GP they will tell you to wait or come back at a certain time when he is available.

elle45 · 9 July 2008 at 2:55PM

My son was badly scoulded last year!! We went to the walk in center and had excellent service there!! I thought it was better than hanging around in A&E!!

Savvy_Sue · 9 July 2008 at 9:46PM

I've used one, and would do so again. But it's no substitute for getting a GP. Can you not be seen as a temporary patient somewhere - presumably you're registered somewhere?

JennyW_2 · 10 July 2008 at 11:56AM

I've used our local one on a couple of occasions. First time I was worried about a broken toe - seen to straight away, x-rays. Second time I fell over and banged my head so just wanted to get checked out - straight in and seen to. Our one is excellent :T

angel · 11 July 2008 at 8:49AM

I've been to the one in Croydon twice and it was great. I burnt myself quite badly on Christmas day and went there instead of A&E as I thought that it'd be quieter. It was and I was the only patient. They said that they'd only had eight people in all day! A wonderful service.

angel · 13 July 2008 at 6:23PM

So why would my doctor prescribe antibiotics for a sore throat countless times in the past until I realised that the sore throat would probably just go of it's own accord anyway and stopped going to the doctor for them?

I'm not questioning you at all, just wondering why I'd been given them so many times for sore throats.

moneysaving_pharmacist · 14 July 2008 at 1:54PM

angel wrote: »

So why would my doctor prescribe antibiotics for a sore throat countless times in the past until I realised that the sore throat would probably just go of it's own accord anyway and stopped going to the doctor for them?

I'm not questioning you at all, just wondering why I'd been given them so many times for sore throats.

Because doctors often find it difficult to end a consultation without issuing a prescription.

angel · 14 July 2008 at 2:58PM

moneysaving_pharmacist wrote: »

Because doctors often find it difficult to end a consultation without issuing a prescription.

That's what I was thinking that the answer would be. It's a good job that I decided to stop going there with sore throats!

NHS Walk-In Centre

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