Brenda didn’t feel well
when she woke up last night,
she was feeling hot and dizzy
and she didn’t feel quite right.
Each time she tried to stand up
to get out of her bed,
she felt sick and wobbly
so she lay back down instead.
Then Brenda started shouting
and banging on the wall,
to call out to Amy
in the room next door.
When Amy heard her shouting
she rushed in to her room
and spoke to Brenda in her bed
to find out what was wrong.
Brenda said “I’m very ill,
I’m hot and I feel sick,
Amy, go and fetch the phone,
now go and do this, quick!”
Amy went to fetch the phone
then said “It’s dark outside,
who can i phone to help you,
in the middle of the night?”
Brenda said, “remember,
if you need health advice,
you can phone 111
it’s open day and night.”
So Amy dialled the number,
a man answered right away,
Brenda said “I’ll talk to him
and took the phone from Amy
The man said his name was Joe
and he was here to help,
then he said “now first of all
I need your date of birth.”
Joe asked Brenda for her name
and said please can you spell this?
When he asked her for her postcode
Brenda couldn’t remember it.
So Amy wrote the postcode down
and showed this to Brenda,
then Joe asked for her address
and for her phone number.
When he asked why she was calling,
Brenda said “I don’t feel right,
I’ve been feeling hot and dizzy
Since I woke up in the night.”
Joe asked her some more questions
but Brenda didn’t understand,
she told him not to use long words
and asked him to slow down.
He said, “Brenda, I am sorry
and he asked her once again,
then he listened carefully
as she started to explain.
Each time Joe asked a question,
he made sure she understood,
Amy stayed beside her because
Brenda asked her if she would.
Joe gave Brenda some advice
and Amy listened too,
when Brenda put the phone down
they both knew what to do.
Now Brenda feels much better,
she was ill for a few days,
her doctor gave her medication
and now she’s well again.
So if you are feeling ill
and you don’t know what to do,
if you need some health advice
who would you speak to?
When would you see your doctor?
Or phone 999?
Or go to the chemists?
Or visit A and E?
And when would you ring 111
just like Amy did,
for advice about your health
so you know what to do next?
©Karen Murray www.magnoliastreet.co.uk
