Telehealth appointments

were something I had never heard of this time last year. I have now had two. 

For the uninitiated a "telehealth appointment" is an occasion on which your doctor phones you at a pre-arranged time so that you can  "see" him or her.  Our local medical clinic has been insisting on them as a matter of safety.  Unless you actually need to be physically there you will talk to your doctor over the phone and only actually visit once a year.

Now for someone like me that probably works reasonably well. I have a nephew who is a doctor - Middle Cat's son. If I thought I needed to see someone or Middle Cat thought I did (Middle Cat trained as a physiotherapist)  then I would have access to someone.  

Middle Cat took my blood pressure readings on Monday - close enough to an 8:10am appointment to make no difference. I could give those to my GP.

And yes C.... phoned at the right time (I was first on the list) and we were all over and done with in less than five minutes. I was prepared. I knew what to tell her, what to ask for and how to answer the questions I knew she would ask. This morning I go for the six monthly fasting blood test after having my GP leave the necessary paper work at the reception desk in the clinic.

Now I can do all of this and I am pleased I can avoid one visit to the clinic. I will go and see my GP shortly - as the law requires. It works for me because I have family back up and I am reasonably knowledgeable about my health. I can answer questions and I can describe symptoms - often in medical terms. 

Many people can't do that. Some have put off going to the doctor at all during the last twelve months because they are fearful of the Covid19 virus. I understand how they are feeling but I also feel for all the GPs who are now getting patients presenting with problems that should and could have been dealt with months ago.

The virus has a lot to answer for and I hate to think what the situation is like elsewhere. The NHS in the UK is undoubtedly overloaded.  

Nevertheless it was a relief to find that my NHS number is still in my file. I'm told that, should I ever visit the UK again and need a doctor then I will need it.