I guess it was inevitable really – the Coronavirus paranoia (or Coronavirunoia) is setting in!

I called my local GP today to get an appointment for my son…

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Me: Please can I have an appointment for my son?

GP surgery: Yes, no probs. What’s the problem?

Me: He’s had a fever for three days, and has some pus on swollen tonsils.

GP surgery: Yep, we can fit you in this morning. Oh, wait, have you travelled overseas recently?

Me: Yes, we were in Austria last week. Good job it’s not one of the coronavirus risk countries!

GP surgery: Right. Please hang up immediately and dial 111 [the phone service that is handling all calls from the community related to ? Coronavirus, amongst other things].

Me: Why? Austria isn’t one of the risk countries! And he doesn’t have symptoms consistent with coronavirus!

GP surgery: Sorry, we can’t give you an appointment; you need to dial 111.

Me: JUST GIVE ME AN APPOINTMENT RIGHT NOW. [Ok, this last bit is made up – but the rest is verbatim – and it’s how I felt!]

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So, I dialled 111, waited for an hour on hold, and eventually got directed back to the GP for an appointment.

I am grateful that we have a connected national health service in the UK, which has mounted an impressive and rapid response to the coronavirus outbreak. And I recognise that things are moving very quickly so education is bound to lag behind. But I worry that access to primary care may be interrupted for those who need it if coronavirunoia runs unchecked. We all have a role to play in making sure that doesn’t happen.