At any time of the year it is difficult to get a doctor’s appointment and so many decide to descend upon A&E. If you have done this then you know you will have a long wait and possibly feel there surely must be a better option available.
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Of course this may well cost money and while for some this is not an option for others it can be. One such option is offered by VideoDoc. A single consultation via App can cost £24 and this will include any prescription that may be required.
There are three other choices that will not need a payment from you.
An employee benefit scheme.
A corporate partnership scheme the example given sign up for a new phone and get six month free access to Video Doc.
Your local NHS organisation can procure the VideoDoc service to reduce strain on the local GP service.
It all starts with you downloading the VideoDoc app from either your iOS or Android store.
‘Before you even register with the App you are warned that if you think you have a life threatening emergency to call 999’. There is another paragraph that states ‘VideoDoc are unable to conditions such as severe chest pains, severe abdominal pain, difficulty breathing or any stroke symptom such as difficulty speaking, weakness or numbness’.
So having created an account you get to the VideoDoc check in which needs you to answer three questions.
The Reason for today’s visit?
What medication are you taking?
Do you have any allergies?
The next screen asks who you are (this should already be filled in).
And then Add Dependant.
There are two more tabs, schedule an appointment and consult history.
As far as the initial setup of the account it seems you have to back track an onscreen calendar to enter your date of birth which if you are young will not take long but as this is one month at a time and if you have done your ‘three score and ten’ then this could be six hundred presses or more and so I suggest you do it while you are feeling well.
A suggestion on this from me is why not allow the year of birth to be selected and then you use the calendar for day and month.
While I have a range of illnesses that keep my GP and a couple of nurses busy and also the odd specialist at a hospital or two I have not tried this service as luckily – I hope should I ever need it – my practice has a reasonable out of hours service.
Yes getting an appointment is not easy and there are occasions when you are not sure if your condition is urgent or can wait the normal two to three weeks.
Anyone with a child will worry more for them than themselves and if the money is available this service by VideoDoc may put their mind at rest or indeed it may well suggest that they should join the throng at A&E.
The VideoDoc (no space between Video and Doc) App is currently available from the Google store, beware that on my tests ‘Video Doc’ appears first which is the Irish service and not applicable to the UK.
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