I thought today I would share another positive experience we have had with the public health service here. If you read any of the main expat blogs here you will undoubtedly hear a lot of negativity about the health service here. I am not, in any way, saying that these are not legitimate experiences but we often simply hear the negatives as people rarely share positive ones, for a number of reasons.So now my disclaimer is out-of-the-way on to the story.

On Sunday morning my son and my husband went up to Amager Strand for my son to try out his new (to him as I bought them on a Mødrehjælpen second hand shop) roller blades. He is a relatively competent ice skater and enjoyed an afternoon at a roller disco last month. Within the first few minutes he took a tumble but got back up and continued. He returned home and complained a little that his wrist hurt. We left it until after lunch (and homework) to see if it settled down. It didn’t so at 1.30pm I called 1813. My call was answered immediately and the medical advisor happily spoke with me in English. We were given an appointment an hour later at Amager Hospital for an x-ray and consultation.

On arrival we were told that it could be an additional hour’s wait so we sat down in a busy waiting room ready for this. Ten minutes after our original time we were called in to see a nurse. He did a few physical checks and then at 2.50pm we were dispatched downstairs for an x ray. Again my son went in straightaway and then ten minutes later we were back with the nurse upstairs.

Sadly my son had a hairline fracture and he was plastered up. We left the hospital. all finished, almost exactly an hour from our original appointment. Throughout we were dealt with efficiently and kindly.

A number of friends on my private social media commented on how happy my son looked in the photos I snapped of him being put into the light plaster cast. Some commented that he didn’t look that bothered by it and was enjoying the attention (they were not commenting spitefully but observationally). I would say this is partly his fascination with all things medical but the main reason was how kindly and cheerfully he was dealt with by the medical staff there. He didn’t feel scared or worried at any time. To be fair he did cry immediately after one picture was taken and knowing him well you can see he was just about holding back the tears in the picture.

The point of writing this is to show that not all experiences of the somewhat overstretched medical services here are negative and for people not to be put off contacting 1813 or seeking medical attention. And yet again to give a big thanks to the staff at the Skadestuen at Amager Hospital and the operators at 1813.