NHS Services
The UK's National Health Service, or NHS, provides many services to enable diagnosis, treatment and care of health-related issues. Different services will be appropriate at different times, and you may need to consult a medical professional to determine which service you need. Services on offer include:
- Hospitals
- Accident & Emergency Services
- Doctors
- Pharmacists / Chemists
- Dentists
- Opticians
- Social Care Services
- Walk-In Centres
- NHS Direct phone line
If you have been involved in a serious accident, or suddenly become very ill, you will typically be treated by the accident and emergency services. Typically, every hospital will have an accident and emergency, or A&E, department with specially trained doctors and nurses, skilled in treating accident victims, severe injuries, and heart attack patients for example.
If you feel unwell and need advice, or have an ongoing complaint and need regular check-ups, you will need to see a doctor. Usually, you will see a General Practitioner, or GP, for an initial consultation; if they consider that you need specialised help, they will refer you to a relevant specialist, such as an ear nose and throat doctor. If your illness does not require further investigation, the doctor may prescribe some tablets which you can collect from a pharmacist.
If you require specific tests, or perhaps an operation, you will may be referred to a hospital. Hospitals have many different departments each designed to diagnose and treat certain conditions; departments might include Cancer, Cardiology, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Hospitals provide out patient care, that is, care for people who come for a short appointment, and long-term care for people who need to stay at the hospital for one or more nights. You cannot turn up at a hospital department if you think you may need treatment, for example if you have chest pains and believe that the cardiology department could deal with your complaint; you will almost always be referred to a hospital department by a doctor, dentist, optician, or medical professional in the A&E department.
If you have a problem with your eyes you will need to see an optician; you can make an appointment with them directly. If they cannot resolve the problem, they may refer you to a specialist. Similarly, dental problems such as toothache should be dealt with by a dentist, who you can contact directly for an appointment.
Social care services offer support for people who need assistance coping with particular aspects of their lives, such as stress, disability or mental illness. Local councils liaise with the NHS to ensure that people are given the help they need.
Walk-in Centres, or WiCs, offer care to the general public without the need for an appointment. You do not need to register, and can discuss your complaint with a nurse or doctor. Walk-in Centres are often open outside regular surgery hours, giving you the chance to see a medical professional late at night without needing to visit A&E or call out a doctor for a home visit.
If you feel unwell but do not consider that you necessarily need to see a doctor or nurse, you can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. This health enquiry hotline is available twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, for callers in England and Wales. In Scotland, NHS 24 offers the same service, on 08454 24 24 24. Trained advisers help you devise the best plan of action, based on the symptoms you describe. They may be able to put your mind at rest over the telephone, or advise you to make an appointment with your doctor.
For advice when feeling unwell, see Dealing with Illness.
