There’s nothing fun about waking up with a banging headache, sore throat and a snotty nose… especially when you realise that you’ve drilled all over your pillow during the night. But after that fiasco, it’s never fun finding out that you have a cold. The first thing you’ll likely do when you wake up feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus is to run to your medicine cabinet to find anything to numb the pain, but what happens when you can’t find anything?
Most of us will probably next think about getting to the doctors to see our GP. But what do you do if the surgery is fully booked?
Tell them the urgency
If you simply cannot wait to get an appointment with your doctor because you feel like a pile of poop, then make sure that you are completely thorough in your explanation to the receptionist and tell them every symptom you have. If you are forgetful it might be worth writing a list before you call. If you really feel terrible, make sure that you emphasise how in need you are of seeing a doctor, and they might be able to contact you if an appointment gets cancelled throughout the day and bring you in for an urgent appointment.
Get a referral
If you can’t get an appointment with your regular doctor, you can try to get a referral to allow you to see another doctor in the area. It might be a bit of a trek to the surgery, but at least you’ll be seen on the day and you can get some help. Or if you still want to stay at your local surgery, you can always see one of the other doctors available.
Get to the walk-in clinic
No one particularly likes taking a visit to the hospital, but in some cases it is better to get yourself seen as soon as possible and cope with the sterile atmosphere than wait it out until you can see your doctor. If you do wake up one morning and you simply can’t get yourself to work, then drag your sorry butt to the hospital and visit the walk in centre . You will have to give a list of your symptoms to the receptionist when you enter and then you’ll just need to wait for your name to be called. They will always prioritise more severe cases so if you are going there with a tickly throat, you won’t be seen as quickly as someone with a full-blown virus.
See a telehealth or online doctor
One of the great joys about modern technology is that it makes things much more convenient for everyone. One of the things that is made more convenient is seeing your doctor. If you are too lazy to walk to the doctors surgery, you can still get some medical advice from your sick bed. Speak to a Dr Online with new apps which are coming out on the market, and if you really hate people, you can just call a telehealth provider instead so you don’t need to see anyone face to face.