NHS Direct... Telling me to ring 999, surely not right?
Discussion
Ok... Those of you that know me will know I've been ridiculing swine flu for the last few weeks... which was great fun, right up until the point I caught a cold 
NHS Direct clumps a load of symptoms together, so you have serious sounding ones such as chest pain, and then less serious ones such as muscle and joint ache - which you obviously get with normal flu, and then just gives you a yes or no answer to all of them.
Well the answer is yes, I have a sore throat, blocked nose, joint ache and chills. Feeling pretty lethargic and sleepy (Keep having micro-naps between phonecalls).
I don't have chest pain or shortness of breath, other than that thing where your sore throat makes you cough on a deep breath.
But then it tells me to ring 999 immediately. Is this swine flu thing THAT similar to normal flu? I was just gonna hole up for a good nights kip with a good dose of nurofen and see how I felt tomorrow but thought, i'll just have a little check-aroo.
I know it's not common and what not and I'm probably over-reacting but not sure why they would lump all those symptoms together
Now I've worried myself
NHS Direct clumps a load of symptoms together, so you have serious sounding ones such as chest pain, and then less serious ones such as muscle and joint ache - which you obviously get with normal flu, and then just gives you a yes or no answer to all of them.
Well the answer is yes, I have a sore throat, blocked nose, joint ache and chills. Feeling pretty lethargic and sleepy (Keep having micro-naps between phonecalls).
I don't have chest pain or shortness of breath, other than that thing where your sore throat makes you cough on a deep breath.
But then it tells me to ring 999 immediately. Is this swine flu thing THAT similar to normal flu? I was just gonna hole up for a good nights kip with a good dose of nurofen and see how I felt tomorrow but thought, i'll just have a little check-aroo.
I know it's not common and what not and I'm probably over-reacting but not sure why they would lump all those symptoms together
Now I've worried myself
OllieWinchester said:
Ring NHSD, they will be able to triage your condition more effectively over the phone, don't ring 999 unless you are at deaths door. Its busy enough as it is, believe me.
Yeah I fully appreciate that... also a bit embarrassing asking them to send an ambulance and take that out of the loop for a normal virus. That's what the site said - Ring 999 and ask for an ambulance immediately.Actually, my fingers are going a bit funny...
KingRichard said:
OllieWinchester said:
Ring NHSD, they will be able to triage your condition more effectively over the phone, don't ring 999 unless you are at deaths door. Its busy enough as it is, believe me.
Yeah I fully appreciate that... also a bit embarrassing asking them to send an ambulance and take that out of the loop for a normal virus. That's what the site said - Ring 999 and ask for an ambulance immediately.Actually, my fingers are going a bit funny...
If you go down the "Cough" route on NHS direct, you only get told to ring 999 if you say yes to this:
"Do you have any of the following:
severe headache,
severe pain in your eyes when they are exposed to the light,
a stiff neck that is painful when you bend your head forwards, or
feeling mentally confused and sleepy?"
Is that what you meant by sleepy? I would guess that these symptons mean death is imminent, rather than symptoms of man flu (which, my condolences, it sounds like you have)
"Do you have any of the following:
severe headache,
severe pain in your eyes when they are exposed to the light,
a stiff neck that is painful when you bend your head forwards, or
feeling mentally confused and sleepy?"
Is that what you meant by sleepy? I would guess that these symptons mean death is imminent, rather than symptoms of man flu (which, my condolences, it sounds like you have)
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pandemic-flu/pages/qa...
Their reccomendation is to call NHS direct or your GP. But not to go to hospital to avoid spreading it. I guess 999 will most likely get you to hospital so give the GP a call.
Either way I wouldn't sweat it unless your mexican or a baby.
Their reccomendation is to call NHS direct or your GP. But not to go to hospital to avoid spreading it. I guess 999 will most likely get you to hospital so give the GP a call.
Either way I wouldn't sweat it unless your mexican or a baby.
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