Dear LPG,

I am lucky enough to have survived a heart attack.   I had just come in from a shopping trip and felt a little odd. I remember getting to the front door, staggering to my sofa, sitting for a while, being aware of chest pain and feeling really faint before having the presence of mind to dial 999.  The whole episode was like that of really extreme indigestion and once it was over I was left really weak. 

I have had the experience of being a nurse for most of my working life, so I had a good idea of what was going on with me, but with all the NHS advice to only get in touch if your case is really urgent, I have to wonder if someone else would have bothered to call and at what health related cost to them.  It has to be said that accidents happen to people of all ages but, as we get older, there tend to be many more sudden health issues that arise, and often when we are alone.

My concern is most of us have nothing but really basic medical training, so would not be able to work out the difference between a heart attack and indigestion. 

The NHS tell us to see a GP rather than go to A & E if it is not an emergency, and though in many cases it will be obvious, the average person is not equipped to work out the difference between the NHS’s idea of what constitutes “an emergency”.  I wonder how many people in my position would have phoned their Doctor rather than 999 because of this NHS advice.  In many cases they would have had to wait for upwards of 15 minutes just to get a telephone reply.  We also have the option of dialling 111 but, if in pain, I am not sure that there is always time to start analysing the severity of one’s condition. And if someone else is affected, are we any more equipped to work out how much pain someone else is in before making that phone call.

So I ask the question again.  Did our generation not pay our national insurance so that we could be sure of medical help in our old age, whenever we need it?  

It appears to me that the public are being expected to do the NHS’s initial job, when we are told that we need to analyse our own symptoms and most of us are not equipped to do that accurately. 

GD, Grove Park.

LPG found some information…

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