My breathing has not been right for a while and before a race I find myself having to do an increasingly faster and longer warm up in order to get a decent getaway from the start line. Once I get going my breathing is fine.
I have also developed a cough and lost nearly a stone in weight in the last 3 months. I don't think cutting out a few biscuits and cake with a brew should account for it.

Just in case something some thing sinister might be going on I decided to phone my GP surgery at 8am this morning.

After a 5 minute wait in the queue I spoke to a receptionist and to my surprise was offered an appointment at 9.15.

The GP, a chap in his 30's, who looked a bit of a sportsman himself, was very understanding of my concerns and complimentary of my fitness. After checking my BP he listened to my breathing and did that tapping thing on my back and chest with his fingers. He said everything seemed fine but suggested further investigation. After telling me the proposed plan of action he the sent the referral details to my phone for me to make the relevant appointments.

I now have blood tests back at the surgery this afternoon, a chest X-ray in the local cottage hospital tomorrow and an appointment in the "Lung Service" department in Royal Chesterfield Hospital on Monday.

I am extremely impressed with the level of service. Did I, by chance, just drop on a very good GP? Who knows.

It has crossed my mind that the speediness in getting these appointments is because the GP suspects that I have something going on that needs looking at sharpish but that is tempered by the fact that it was me that actually made the appointments.

The NHS seems to be working in my neck of the woods.