PRAISE - Met Police launches 101 number for non-urgent calls

fluffnutter

Bit like NHS Direct online symptom checker...

1. Does *this* hurt? If yes, you have cancer. If no, you have cancer without realising.

MamaMoo_2

fluffnutter wrote: »

Bit like NHS Direct online symptom checker...

1. Does *this* hurt? If yes, you have cancer. If no, you have cancer without realising.

I phoned up once. "I'm 6 weeks pregnant, and have a pain in my side. I just want to know what painkillers I can take as paracetamol is not strong enough. The pain is from a recent appendicectomy."

"you have an ectopic pregnancy. Go to A&E"

Cue me pooping myself, heading to A&E and being told "here're some stronger painkillers. The baby is fine. You were right, it was pain from your op"

bargainbetty

http://www.subtafuge.com/2008/04/genuine-complaint-to-the-devon-cornwall-police/

Any excuse to provide a link to this complaint about the police response.... truly brilliant.

fluffnutter

MamaMoo wrote: »

I phoned up once. "I'm 6 weeks pregnant, and have a pain in my side. I just want to know what painkillers I can take as paracetamol is not strong enough. The pain is from a recent appendicectomy."

"you have an ectopic pregnancy. Go to A&E"

Cue me pooping myself, heading to A&E and being told "here're some stronger painkillers. The baby is fine. You were right, it was pain from your op"

But what if it had been an ectopic pregnancy? That's the problem with NHS Direct; it's a flawed concept. Basically they have to err on the side of caution so much (because the consequences could be so dire if they don't) that the advice is meaningless. You might as well ask your cat.

Mind you, at least they didn't say it was cancer.

TheSaint_2

LOL @ MamaMoo - Am I the only one that got that joke?

Classic series

MamaMoo_2

fluffnutter wrote: »

But what if it had been an ectopic pregnancy? That's the problem with NHS Direct; it's a flawed concept. Basically they have to err on the side of caution so much (because the consequences could be so dire if they don't) that the advice is meaningless. You might as well ask your cat.

Mind you, at least they didn't say it was cancer.

Apparently, due to the size of the baby, if it was an ectopic pregnancy, there's no way it'd even be felt at that point. :S

vyle

TheSaint wrote: »

LOL @ MamaMoo - Am I the only one that got that joke?

Classic series

But you didn't get mine? :eek:

MamaMoo_2

vyle wrote: »

But you didn't get mine? :eek:

I've been singing that phone number all day...