Coughs
Who do I see?
Advice:
A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke. Most coughs are caused by viruses such as cold or flu. It’s rarely a sign of anything serious.
Most coughs clear up within 3 to 4 weeks and don’t require any treatment.
Please follow the advice and symptom checker at NHS Inform. This will guide you as to whether you will need to seek further medical advice. Most coughs can be safely managed at home with further advice and symptom relief available from your community pharmacy.
If you have been advised to seek further advice by using the NHS inform checker above, please submit an online medical consultation request for the Urgent Medical Problem Team giving us as much information about your problem as you can. You will get a same-day response usually by telephone or a time to attend the surgery for further assessment and examination.
For persistent coughs that have lasted for several weeks or months, typically without signs of infection or fever, please submit an online medical consultation request for the GP Clinical Team giving us as much information about your problem as you can. We will respond usually with an offer of an appointment with a GP or other suitable clinician to assess your problem further.
If you cannot use the online service please call us on 0345 337 1120 and a member of the care navigation team will help you.