"I used the 111 service for my hip/leg pain"

I have been suffering some pain in my left hip and thigh for the last few weeks, but recently, late evening, the pain was so excruciating that my left leg was unable to walk or move.

My husband had to call the non emergency medical services at the local GP and there was a recorded message to advise him to call 111 which he did. An ambulance had arrived about 25 minutes later. The 2 male crew members were very courteous and polite, after jotting down all the details and prepared the necessary paperwork, one of them had a brief look of my hip and later advised me to go to the A&E at the hospital of my choice (West Middlesex Hospital).

Upon arrival at about 01:30, I was wheeled into a treatment room accompanied by my husband. One of the ambulance crew was so considerate that he even had found a clean sheet for me before transferring me onto the treatment bed.

After an hour, a doctor came to see me and had asked all the relevant questions and then sent me to have an X-ray. Blood and urine samples have also been taken in between. About 05:30, a doctor came back to see me and told me there was nothing wrong with me, no bone fracture or infection, and suggested the pain was mainly muscular and should be healed naturally in time, and advised me to take Ibuprofen. I had also been given a very strong pain killer in the meantime. We then returned home.

My muscular pain has been recovering by day and now, my pain has virtually totally disappeared. I must say, I have a very valuable experience from the 111 service and from that I have received the treatment which can allay my fear of other more serious cause of my leg pain.