Is it ever worth calling NHS direct?

I don't rate them. I had an allergic reaction to something while I was breastfeeding Scarlett and the woman on the end of the phone advised me to quit breastfeeding and take anti-histamines. WTF?

I never bother. We have an OOH service who seem to assess much better, so I call them instead.

Blimey, we've had far better treatment from NHS direct than that, twice. both times they contacted an emergency doctor on our behalf who called us back to make an appointment

i wonder if that was because they were both weekend calls? so they couldn't use the 'you call a doctor' suggestion?

I can see how it is a hard job to do but I've never had helpful advice from them. The last time I tried I called as I had a small (1cm by 0.5cm) burn on my arm and once I'd put it under water for a while I couldn't remember whether to cover it or not. Their advice was to go to A&E.

The times I've used it an emergency doctor has called back, gone through symptoms and made an appointment to see us. They were calls about children though so that might make a difference.

I phoned them last year when I had pregnancy induced piles the size of cumberland sausages and then my arse fell out.. They made an appointment at A&E for me, so I went along and got called straight away.. they were queing out the door as walk in's, I reckon I would have been there for the day if I had just gone myself.

When I was in Yorkshire, I found them very helpful - they arranged an emergency doctors visit for Boy1, identified an Uncle's heart attack and sorted out an ambulance and got me booked in to the doctors on call service when I was having pg related problems.

Down here (Sussex) - hopeless! I needed an emergency dentist - they tried to tell me the county city I live in was actually in Hampshire, not sussex at all and that my nearest emergency dentist was in Surrey! (rather than the one half a mile away at the hospital which they told me didn't exist as there was no hospital in the city!). Other times, the advice relating to Boy2 has been questionable to say the least (I've given up using them now) and my GP Practice formally complained about the D&V in a 5 month old advice that I got given.

I think with all of these services it really does depend on the person you speak too, I have had both good and bad experiences with them, but at the moment I am doing my diploma and one of the other students works at NHS Direct and he really prides the work he does.

Also they can have awful callers as well

The GP receptionist did the right thing - ?stroke - equivalent to ?heart attack and needs 999 input - waiting for a GP is not appropriate

Aside from the fact that NHSDire is about 25% more expensive per call than each patient encounter with a GP, and 2/3 get referred on to a GP/hospital anyway.

It's the hugest waste of taxpayers' money and is a disgrace.

An NHS Direct person once told me that 'you young mums do worry' When my son was ill. I ignored their advice and took him to A&E. He was on I-V antibiotics for several days for suspected meningitis. We never knew whether he did have it because they gave him the antibiotics almost immediately. I've never had a good experience with them, I'd rather have access to a good out of ours service.

Never had a good experience with them - huge, huge waste of time.

On the other hand, we have used our out of hours doctor service a few times and they have been more than excellent. I would never bother with NHSDirect again

I agree the OOH GP has been far better for us too.

I've used them a few times for me, H and mom and have always had brilliant advice.

I called them 3 years ago when my scar from an ovarian cycstectomy burst a week after the stitches came out. They were really helpful but I confused them as I was at my mum's and not near the surgery they had listed for me in London. They told me to go see the OOH GP and gave me all the contact details as my mum didn't have them as she doesn't use it anymore now my brother and I have left home.

Can't say I was very impressed with them when i used them. H phoned them because I was vomitting so hard that I was in pain, they insisted on speaking to me which I couldn't do because I was busy vomitting!

I eventually spoke to a very odd doctor who advised me to sip camomile tea off a teaspoon?????

Thankfully I haven't need to phone them since!

I think I would pick and choose what I called them for. Eg I've called them (Well Scottish equivalent NHS24) a few times. Once when H had a burn on his hand and I wasn't sure whether it needed medical attention that night or could wait, they asked about the size of the blisters and when I told them told me to take him to A&E and they faxed the hospital to tell them we were on our way. Phoned a couple of times re our son, once when he'd eaten Sudocreme and a couple of weeks later when he'd eaten Vicks Vaporub, latter time they told me to go to A&E just to get him checked over although he was likely fine (he was) and again they faxed the hospital ahead, it was a Saturday night and we were seen right away.

However a few weeks ago our son woke in the night apparently struggling to breathe and there was no way I was faffing about calling them in those circumstances, parcelled him up and headed straight to A&E with him. It (thankfully) wasn't anything serious but there was no way I was taking telephone advice about a 2 year old with breathing difficulties, I wanted him seen and given previous experience, we could have been at the hospital by the time one of the NHS24 medics/nurses actually rings back.

We've had mixed success with them. Once we called when Honey was bleeding from her backside - I was freaked out as she as only 7 months old and I knew if it got worse things could deteriorate very quickly. They said they would phone me back ASAP when a nurse was free. This was at 5pm. They called back at 1030pm! In the meantime, we'd given up waiting (at about 5.30pm) and gone to the minor injuries unit t the local hospital (no A&E or we would have gone there). Baby was fine, of course, but imagine she hadn't been and we'd waited!

Another time, H was doubled over in pain from a sinus infection, which we didn't know was a sinus infection, and they insisted in speaking to him and getting him to confirm all the information I'd just given them. He was sick afterwards from the effort of it. They didn't give any advice except 'take some ibroprofen and see your GP if you can'. Two hours later we were in A&E, with him on a drip and being checked for menengitis.

On the other times we've called, they've been quite useful. It is good when they give advance warning to the hospital or out of hours doctors that your on your way.