London Medical Review - 3rd October 2007

[helwardman 1]

Got up at 4am. Got on the train at 5:15am. Arrived bang on time at Euston at 9:13am. Decided to walk out of Euston Station to try and flag down a taxi. The first one I approached, I was greeted with an unfriendly "I'm too busy mate". Finally found out where the taxi rank is then joined the back of a VERY long queue. Spotted the girl that plays Mandy in Hollyoaks just in front of me in the queue. Watied in line for 30 minutes then jumped in the back of the cab.

Conversation with the Cheery Cockernee Cabbie went as follows:

CCC: "Where to, squire?"

Me: "Bentinck Street please"

CCC: "Where the bleedin' hell's that then? Strike a light etc etc"

Me: "I've got a postcode if that helps. It's W1......."

CCC:"Aaaah you mean Bentinck Street! No problem me old china"

CCC:"So where have you travelled from today, lor luvva duck etc etc?"

Me: "Cumbria"

CCC:"Oh is that anywhere near Durham?"

Me: "No Durham's on the other side of the country"

CCC: "I've always wanted to go to Durham, apples and pears, leave it out, dog and bone etc etc etc............"

Dropped me off at Bentinck Street about 5 minutes later for the princely sum of £6.00. I was about 40 minutes early so I sat on the steps opposite, ate a ham bun and a blueberry muffin and mentally patted myself on the back for having the good sense to not live anywhere near London.

Went in to Bentinck Mansion about 10 minutes before my alloted appointment time. Inside there's a reception with 2 windows and then a waiting room. I was told to take a seat. The woman behind the desk asked to see my passport, passport photo (I handed over a UK size one with no probs), letter from the embassy and questionaire. She gave me another questionaire to fill in that was very similar to the first one and a HIV form to read and sign. I handed those back in and was told to wait.

Only had to wait a couple of minutes and I was called out and into a side room with a nurse. She asked about my vaccination history (which I had nothing of) and she informed me of the different alternatives available to me. To her credit she didnt try the hard sell on getting them done there and then. I chose to have them done, mainly because I'd psyched myself to it.

I told her I'm scared of needles and she said "no problemo, I'll come in and do them right after the doc takes the blood, that way they are all done quickly". Which I thought was very nice of her.

Went to the room next door to see the female doc. (Doctor Cronje) I didnt get a chance to ask her if she was related to Hansie, the cricketer.

She asked a couple of questions like "have you ever been in hospital?" and "have you ever had mental problems?" then she told me to take my shoes and socks off. I was weighed and had my height measured. Then she took me behind the curtain and asked me to take all my clothes off but to leave my pants on and to lay on the bed.

She felt my pulse and said "You're very nervous arent you?" to which I replied a very truthful "Yes!". She took my blood pressure and said it was through the roof. She prodded my stomach a bit and listened to my chest through the stethoscope then pulled the front of my pants down and asked me to cough. Then pulled the front of my pants right down and had a quick shufty at the old crown jewels. I'm sure I heard a murmur of satisfaction from her. But it might have been a car driving past outside.

Then she took the blood from my arm and the nurse came in and gave me the Tetanus shot in one upper arm and the MMR in the other upper arm. All the needle-related stuff is very quick so if you are worried about it it's not a massive deal.

I put all my clothes back on and went back to the waiting room. Waited about 2 minutes and was called in for the x-ray. That took about 45 secs then I was back in the waiting room. About 5 minutes later the woman behind the desk called me up and handed over the immunisation record and some other bits of paper. Went round to the window and paid by credit card, said thank you and that was that.

All told, I was in the place for just an hour.

Flagged down a taxi on Marylebone High Street. Straight back to Euston and waited an hour or so for the train. Back home in time for tea.

[willchels 0]

Got up at 4am. Got on the train at 5:15am. Arrived bang on time at Euston at 9:13am. Decided to walk out of Euston Station to try and flag down a taxi. The first one I approached, I was greeted with an unfriendly "I'm too busy mate". Finally found out where the taxi rank is then joined the back of a VERY long queue. Spotted the girl that plays Mandy in Hollyoaks just in front of me in the queue. Watied in line for 30 minutes then jumped in the back of the cab.

Conversation with the Cheery Cockernee Cabbie went as follows:

CCC: "Where to, squire?"

Me: "Bentinck Street please"

CCC: "Where the bleedin' hell's that then? Strike a light etc etc"

Me: "I've got a postcode if that helps. It's W1......."

CCC:"Aaaah you mean Bentinck Street! No problem me old china"

CCC:"So where have you travelled from today, lor luvva duck etc etc?"

Me: "Cumbria"

CCC:"Oh is that anywhere near Durham?"

Me: "No Durham's on the other side of the country"

CCC: "I've always wanted to go to Durham, apples and pears, leave it out, dog and bone etc etc etc............"

Dropped me off at Bentinck Street about 5 minutes later for the princely sum of £6.00. I was about 40 minutes early so I sat on the steps opposite, ate a ham bun and a blueberry muffin and mentally patted myself on the back for having the good sense to not live anywhere near London.

Went in to Bentinck Mansion about 10 minutes before my alloted appointment time. Inside there's a reception with 2 windows and then a waiting room. I was told to take a seat. The woman behind the desk asked to see my passport, passport photo (I handed over a UK size one with no probs), letter from the embassy and questionaire. She gave me another questionaire to fill in that was very similar to the first one and a HIV form to read and sign. I handed those back in and was told to wait.

Only had to wait a couple of minutes and I was called out and into a side room with a nurse. She asked about my vaccination history (which I had nothing of) and she informed me of the different alternatives available to me. To her credit she didnt try the hard sell on getting them done there and then. I chose to have them done, mainly because I'd psyched myself to it.

I told her I'm scared of needles and she said "no problemo, I'll come in and do them right after the doc takes the blood, that way they are all done quickly". Which I thought was very nice of her.

Went to the room next door to see the female doc. (Doctor Cronje) I didnt get a chance to ask her if she was related to Hansie, the cricketer.

She asked a couple of questions like "have you ever been in hospital?" and "have you ever had mental problems?" then she told me to take my shoes and socks off. I was weighed and had my height measured. Then she took me behind the curtain and asked me to take all my clothes off but to leave my pants on and to lay on the bed.

She felt my pulse and said "You're very nervous arent you?" to which I replied a very truthful "Yes!". She took my blood pressure and said it was through the roof. She prodded my stomach a bit and listened to my chest through the stethoscope then pulled the front of my pants down and asked me to cough. Then pulled the front of my pants right down and had a quick shufty at the old crown jewels. I'm sure I heard a murmur of satisfaction from her. But it might have been a car driving past outside.

Then she took the blood from my arm and the nurse came in and gave me the Tetanus shot in one upper arm and the MMR in the other upper arm. All the needle-related stuff is very quick so if you are worried about it it's not a massive deal.

I put all my clothes back on and went back to the waiting room. Waited about 2 minutes and was called in for the x-ray. That took about 45 secs then I was back in the waiting room. About 5 minutes later the woman behind the desk called me up and handed over the immunisation record and some other bits of paper. Went round to the window and paid by credit card, said thank you and that was that.

All told, I was in the place for just an hour.

Flagged down a taxi on Marylebone High Street. Straight back to Euston and waited an hour or so for the train. Back home in time for tea.

You must have been getting out of the cab when me and my wife left Bentick mansions, We concluded at 9.28 (even although our appointment was 9.30)

[Jasman0717 9]

Nice post

[~*Maria*~ 1]

Nice one

[edchels 5]

hey helwardman.

I will be going to London medical in the coming few weeks. I haven't had any vaccinations, and was wondering if they thought it was a big deal, do we absolutly have to have them, or if they think we are healthy enough, will they let us off?

Cheers, Ed

[helwardman 1]

hey helwardman.

I will be going to London medical in the coming few weeks. I haven't had any vaccinations, and was wondering if they thought it was a big deal, do we absolutly have to have them, or if they think we are healthy enough, will they let us off?

Cheers, Ed

They will not let you off. If you cant prove that you've had vaccinations for MMR and Tetanus/diptheria then you have to have them (Possibly if you can prove you are allergic to them there might be a way round that).

I've had measles, mumps and rubella as diseases as a kid and hence I am naturally immune but I couldnt prove that so I chose to have the shot just to get it sorted out. I think you can have a blood test to prove immunity but that seemed a bit of a long-winded way of doing it.

Good luck with your medical.

[willchels 0]

hey helwardman.

I will be going to London medical in the coming few weeks. I haven't had any vaccinations, and was wondering if they thought it was a big deal, do we absolutly have to have them, or if they think we are healthy enough, will they let us off?

Cheers, Ed

Ed

best to get them done with GP as Knightsbridge will charge you about £30 a pop (most GP's will do them either free or a nominal fee)