Barton Family Practice News – June 2024

What is a medical emergency? It might seem to be an obvious question to ask, but there are concerns that people may be confused about the answer. Our phone message makes it clear at the beginning of the recorded message, “If your call is about a medical emergency, hang up and dial 999.” It is vitally important for people to recognise when symptoms may indicate a serious condition which may deteriorate rapidly. So, what sort of symptoms might suggest an emergency? Well, here are a few examples:

A heavy nosebleed lasting more than 20minutes, particularly in someone over 65 years of age. Chest pain or a dull ache in the middle of your chest lasting more than 10 minutes, particularly in men over the age of forty or women over sixty. Breathlessness that started within the last few hours, or which is getting worse, particularly if it makes speaking difficult. Abdominal pain, which is bad enough to stop your normal activities, particularly if it puts you off your food. Drowsiness at the wrong time of day, or which seems unusual. Shivering not due to being in a cold environment, and when your skin may feel hot to the touch.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and more than anything else, if you feel terribly ill, then it is an emergency. Please call 999. It is far better to be safe than sorry.

We would like to mention a feature of our telephone system, the callback function. The reception team try as much as possible to answer calls promptly. However, there may be delays at times of heavy call volumes or if they are dealing with complex queries. Please use this facility if you are waiting for a long time on the phone. The system will keep your position in the queue, but please be ready to receive the call.

Best wishes from the team at Barton Family Practice.