Maybe it’s the weekend, or you’re on holidays or you simply can’t get out of bed to leave the house. We all have periods when we’re ill and, for whatever reason, can’t visit a doctor. Yet we badly need to. It’s at times like these that Irish Life Health’s Digital Doctor is the perfect solution. It may sound like a robot – but in fact Digital Doctor connects people with a real GP who can be contacted by phone or video call at any time of the day or night – and from anywhere in the world. It offers unlimited access to a GP and is available to all Irish Life Health customers at no extra charge, Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Khristina Quigley, from Dublin – says Digital Doctor not only put her on the road to recovery quickly, but gave her instant piece of mind. She used the service on a Sunday afternoon when she found herself suffering from a high fever and feeling weak and unwell.
“I had a really high temperature and I was having to go to the toilet all the time,” she explains. “I knew something was wrong with me, but I didn’t know what.” Because it was Sunday however, the GP clinic she usually attends was not open. She explains that she could have waited until the next day, but her temperature was rising, and she was getting worried. “Besides, it would have meant missing a day’s work,” she adds. “I work in the hotel sector for an international group and I had an important business meeting the following day. Taking the next day off simply wasn’t an option for me.” It was then she remembered seeing the Digital Doctor service advertised on the Irish Life Health website and decided to give it a go. “I didn’t feel up to having a video call,” she says. “I had no make-up on and my hair was a mess. I opted to speak to the doctor by phone instead. I have to say I was extremely impressed with the service in general,” she adds.
First, she was put through a screening service, which took her details and then she was passed on to the doctor on call. “He asked me a lot of questions and was very sympathetic,” she says. “I felt immediately at ease as I trusted him.” Within 10 minutes the doctor-on-call had diagnosed a urinary tract infection and arranged for a prescription to be sent to her local pharmacy. “I was told this can take up to 24 hours, but after just one hour, I received a phone call letting me know that the prescription had arrived,” says Khristina, who drove down to collect it just two hours after she had first phoned Digital Doctor. “I couldn’t get over how fast the whole service was. What’s more it gave me immediate peace of mind.” Khristina was able to go to work the following day and within a few days, had made a full recovery. “I was blown away by Digital Doctor,” she says. “I would highly recommend it for anyone in need of a doctor. It was professional, accurate and easy to access. I will definitely be using it again when I need to.” For more information on Digital Doctor visit: www.irishlifehealth.ie/digital-doctor/