"I feel extremely lucky to have this resource available"

“I feel extremely lucky to have this resource available, especially with NHS resources so over-stretched.”

During the festive period, I needed urgent medical assistance for my 6-year-old son. The symptoms he was displaying were very swollen tonsils, a fever and a sore throat. Worryingly, he couldn’t eat, and I know from past experience that he needed to get some antibiotics as soon as possible to start feeling better.

After learning that the NHS out-of-hours services were all over-capacity, and then being on hold to NHS 111 for two hours, and not receiving a call-back, I urgently needed to speak with a medical expert.

I reached out to Teladoc Health’s GP service and they took immediate action. The general admin team also uploaded the guardianship documents early in the morning, so I could request a call for my son.

To speak with a doctor on the same day was great. I was given an 8pm-12am time slot and got a call just after 9pm. The doctor was able to provide medical advice to help me address my son’s condition, all from the comfort of our own home.

Due to antibiotic shortages, the general team liaised with the clinicians twice to reissue a prescription for alternative medications.

If it were not for this virtual doctor service, I’d have had to wait until the next available in-person appointment at my local GP surgery.

It was truly relieving to gain access to the right medications for my son at a worrying time for both of us.

I feel extremely lucky to have this resource available at the present time, with NHS resources so overstretched.