A&E or ??

I’d say the minor injury place to go. They can triage. Or. 111 have been excellent when we’ve had to use recently and can direct you or potentially make an appointment. Obvious signs of infection could be tracking etc. 

Is there a pharmacy open nearby? Exactly the kind of think you can speak to the pharmacist about 

Actually 111 as above is a good shout 

A&E on a Friday night during Xmas party season!!!?? 😱😱

100% minor injuries clinic.

Id say minor injuries and state where you got your scratch in case it's leptospirosis.

I know someone who had it. 

Lots of flu going round which may be a differential diagnosis, especially if the wound looks healthy, no pus or spreading swelling, redness, pain around it. Not a&e from your description, Urgent Treatment Centre or similar ideal.

Tis but a scratch. 

IANAD

I had a bite ? about a month ago , MIU prescribed antibiotics 

A scratch you say?

Yet considering a visit to A&E ... have you not been reading the news regarding hospitals at the moment?

If the scratched area is swollen and you have tracking up the limb: AE now.
Anything else, it's probably just the flu: pharmacy.

IANAD but been there done that.
Don't know what I did but everyone asked the same question, "Did you put your hand in sheep shit?"

Depends - is the scratched area inflamed/red etc and getting larger ?

Trouble is if you go to a pharmacy they will send you to a doc  , if you ring 111 they will send you to A&E or nothing

Minor injuries will probably be nurse led and say you are fine or go to a&e

So the outcome is your either getting a cold , or death is a real possibility 

So look at your arm properly and ask does it look different? If it does A&E if not keep looking at it and eat an orange

Minor injuries.

Some nurses are able to prescribe I believe and there is normally a duty doctor somewhere and it'll be easier to find one during 'office' hours as they support other departments too.

If it was a blackthorn scratch the symptoms you described are pretty normal for someone with less tolerance to them, not sure there is anything to be done for them apart from time. 

A scratch you say?

 

Yet considering a visit to A&E ... have you not been reading the news regarding hospitals at the moment?

The cost of someone going through A&E/MIU Vs the monumental cost of treating sepsis or other complications once established is inconsequential. 

It's not the scratch here it's the possible secondary symptoms that may indicate complications.  Fever and high heart rate being the ones here..

went to minor injuries, tetanus and antibiotics, and told if any complications I have to go to the A&E for anything more.

Something to keep in mind, this was a cat scratch, have you ever seen what cats do with their claws. It is because I reacted abnormally that I asked the question.

If I get scratched by a cat it swells up significantly (like an allergic reaction).... Little shits!

Glad you got sorted (and don't go to A&E!)

Glad you got sorted (and don't go to A&E!)

Unless it gets worse…

Sepsis is a real and deadly thing . Oral antibiotics don’t cut the mustard sometimes

Mate of mine had a ‘scratch’ , ignored it for a few days

Started feeling nauseous and hot. Went to A&E . Whilst he’s waiting he starts sweating, shits himself and pees himself uncontrollably.

Next thing he wakes up in a bed a few days later , half his arm muscle missing , part of his leg missing. He was lucky he didn’t die, and lucky he didn’t loose limbs, but it’s taken him years to recover 

Shoild have taken anti histamine too if you think you were reacting to the cat scratch

picked up a scratch a few days ago, now feeling a little rough. not coldy or similar, just aches feverish, high heart rate, etc,

given the prevalence of flu at the moment then that's easy to pick up a self test for and either rule that in or out

minor scratches with symptoms that follow aren't to be taken too lightly but if you don't have raging symptoms its not an A&E thing. Book a gp appointment maybe on an 'if symptoms persist' basis and you can cancel it nearer the time if things resolve

My brother-in-law has spent most of this year in hospitalised, neck brace, on IV antibiotics and is now awaiting surgery to get vertebrae in his neck removed - that started off as 'just a scratch'

If the cat had been in contact with a baby Robin, could have been a whole different story!

this was a cat scratch,

you didn't mention that small, but important, fact before.

Trouble is if you go to a pharmacy they will send you to a doc

Not necessarily- the better pharmacies will triage and prescribe antibiotics if needed.  The advantage being theres normally next to no wait time at a pharmacy whereas MIU normally has a fair wait. 

Had AB's from pharmacy this Summer with an infected tick bite.  It got worse and revisited at which point he referred to doctor but, because pharmacy was referring was able to skip the queue to get seen urgently.