So if you're like me, the words "free clinic" bring up images of crowded waiting rooms and medical facilities that are covered in an inch of grime. Because surely if its free, it has to be substandard. Not true, says I. As I have been to two of these free (walk-in) clinics and find them to be, well, pretty damn good. The facilities aren't half bad. They are clean, the staff are helpful and you will get the medical care that you need. Trust me, I've had much more horrible experiences using Kaiser Permanente.
Now there are different clinics throughout the city that serve different purposes. Some of them specialise in sexual health, while others focus on flu-like symptoms, coughs and infections. Each centre lists its main services on the NHS website. As they are walk-in centres, everything is done on a first come, first serve basis. I highly recommend getting to the clinics when they open. That tends to cut your waiting time down and you'll either be seen immediately or within a few minutes. But if you can only go during the middle of the day, you're looking at a wait time of about 30 minutes. Unless of course, you're bleeding all over the floor, in which case you'll be rushed to the front and/or sent to the emergency room.
More info:
Finding a Walk-in Centre
Walk-In Centre General Info
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