NHS Direct

Let_Robinson_Sing

a few weeks ago I had to call NHS direct for some medical advice, I called them up and i got the usual automated switchboard but then hey presto i was through to a nice lady who took my problems and my contact telephone number, the lady said that it could take up to 3 hours for the nurse to get back in contact with me. i said ok and ended the call. 15 minutes later i got a call from a very pleasant nurse who was very polite, well mannered and patient told her all the problems and she told me what i should do and it was to contact my primary care. Anyway I felt that the service was fantastic and professional!


Anyone else had similar service with NHS direct?

wrexhamandy

Hmmmm had a bad one myself, found them useless and got no offer of a nurse to call me back. Think it was when it was a fairly new service though so sounds like it's better now. It's a great idea if they'd expand it a bit, should free up GP time filtering out all the paranoid hypochondriacs and people who can be fixed with just a simple over the counter thing. Not that I hate GP waiting rooms or anything....!

Andy

Idontknow_2

To be very honest I think NHS direct is absolutly useless.
I called them to ask them a very simple question, My son had bene diagnosed the previouse day in A&E with blood on the eardrum and I called to ask if it was ok to wash his hair.
They send me an ambulance to take me back to hospital, they completly ignored me telling them I'd been to A&E the previouse day and that I just wanted to know if I needed to cover his ear or not.
In the meanwhile somebody could have been dying and no ambulance available to them as it was at my house for no good reason.
I think they should put properly trained people on the phone instead of stubborn people who don't listen.

shampain

Yes, I have had a few experiances with NHS direct and all of of them have been fantastic, I have been called back each time by someone qualified and they have been so polite, helpful and most of all cheered me up when i have been close to tears with pain! I cannot say a bad word about it!

Idontknow: I dont think the people working somewhere where they come into contact with people who could be phoning up with life or death situations are not "properly trained" thats like saying i want to speak with a properly trained nurse!

ethansmum

I've used them on a number of occassions. Baby with impetigo/chicken pox/eating washing powder each time I was reassured and called back with advice within minutes.

Oh and my Mum called because my Dad was looking very poorly- they immediately realised he had a life-threatening condition and called for an ambulance. My Dad's life was saved by that phone call to NHS Direct.

I highly reccommend them!

Bossyboots

I have yet to meet someone who has not hadn an ambulance sent to them or been sent to their primary carer after calling NHS Direct.

looby75

I think NHS direct is great, for the most part. I've phoned them quite a few times for both myself and my kids and all bar once they have been so helpful, polite and gave really good advice.

It was actually a NHS direct nurse that "diagnosed" (told me I needed to go back to my gp and push for an official diagnosis) my sciatica. I had been having problems with pains in my lower back, bum and leg for months, I also started to get funny tingling feelings, like pins and needles in my foot and dead spots (no feeling at all) on parts of my leg. I had been to see my gp loads of times and he kept telling me I had pulled a muscle and it would just get better itself. It didn't and when the tingling feeling got so bad it would keep me awake at night I called NHS direct. I spoke to a really nice nurse who went through all my symptoms and told me she thought I had sciatica, as I had all the classic symptoms and that I really needed to go back to my gp and ask him if it could be that.

I did, he ummed and ahhed for a while and said "yes it probably is, I hadn't thought of that because you said you do a lot of walking" he prescribed me some anti inflammatory and within a couple of days it was great, pain gone.

(pity it didn't stay that way, waiting for a scan now )

SO if it hadn't been for NHS direct I might never have been diagnosed or at the very best it would have taken a heck of a lot longer

roversbabe

My little boy (4 months) had a slight bump to the head and I rang them - DS wasn't phased at all and is totally fine. NHS direct totally saved my sanity, they were very thorough in their questions, extremely reassuring and really helpful. I'd definitely recommend calling them, especially if you're not sure what to do.

rb

Stompa

I've only used them a couple of times, and they were very helpful.

Elhall_2

I've used them a number of times. The last time was when I was on the edge of a break down. The person who talked to me was very calming. I must have been quite bad because they put me straight on with a nurse. I was in a bad way, but when they were convinced I wasn't go to eat every tablet in the house they helped me with the problem. They phoned the doctor for me, after finding out that I could walk there, as I couldn't have made the call myself. I got the help that I needed.

Bad experiences can happen with the NHS, but remember the people who initially answer the phone HAVE gone through training on what to pass to the nurses or if emergancy treatment is needed. I believe that they have charts which help them make discissions on what help to give. Any mistakes are made in YOUR interest. Make sure that you explain yourself CAREFULLY.

Again, they quite possibly saved my mums life. I mis read the signs (which I kick my self for) and they got her the help she needed.

I wonder if different areas have problems? I have never had any problems.

LondonDiva

There are different NHS Direct contractors for each locality.

However, if you have had a good experience of them, I would urge you to write or email to the Cheif Exec and let him / her know.

They hear about all the grief, but few people take the tiem to let them know about the everyday reassurrance/ heroics.