Calling 1177: Expressions
Swedish healthcare on the phone — söka vård, göra en bedömning, hemskickad med en Alvedon, vara ur gängorna.
One call to 1177, start to finish: the phone queue (tryck ett för svenska), the nurse's triage script (var gör det ont? på en skala från ett till tio?), the three possible verdicts — akuten, vårdcentralen imorgon, or egenvård — the red-flag rule (bröstsmärta: alltid 112), and the emotional layer: feeling taken seriously versus hemskickad med en Alvedon. Ends as most calls do: tack, det var lugnande.
- 1
söka vård
to seek medical care
Tip: lit. 'seek care' — the standard phrase in every health context.
- 2
är du osäker – ring
if in doubt, call
Tip: lit. 'if you're uncertain – call'.
- 3
hellre ringa en gång för mycket
better to call once too often
Tip: lit. 'rather call one time too much'.
- 4
tryck ett för svenska
press one for Swedish
Tip: lit. the same — the menu before the queue.
- 5
beräknad väntetid tjugo minuter
your estimated wait is twenty minutes
Tip: lit. the same.
- 6
sitta i telefonkö
to be on hold
Tip: lit. 'sit in telephone queue'.
- 7
bli uppringd
to be called back
Tip: lit. 'be rung up' — you keep your place in the queue.
- 8
bli kopplad till en sjuksköterska
to be put through to a nurse
Tip: lit. 'be connected to a nurse'.
- 9
beskriva sina symtom
to describe your symptoms
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
hur länge har du haft det?
how long have you had it?
Tip: lit. the same — the first question, always.
- 11
var gör det ont?
where does it hurt?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 12
på en skala från ett till tio
on a scale of one to ten
Tip: lit. the same.
- 13
blir det värre?
is it getting worse?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 14
några andra symtom?
any other symptoms?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
tar du några mediciner?
do you take any medication?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 16
är du allergisk mot något?
are you allergic to anything?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
göra en bedömning
to make an assessment
Tip: lit. the same — what the nurse does over the phone.
- 18
ett varningstecken
a red-flag symptom
Tip: lit. 'a warning sign'.
- 19
bröstsmärta – ring alltid 112
chest pain, always call 112
Tip: lit. the same — the one rule to remember.
- 20
det är akut
that's an emergency
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
vi skickar en ambulans
we'll send an ambulance
Tip: lit. the same.
- 22
kan någon skjutsa dig?
can someone drive you?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
bli hänvisad till vårdcentralen
to be referred to the health centre
Tip: lit. 'be referred to the care centre'.
- 24
gå till vårdcentralen på morgonen
go to the health centre in the morning
Tip: lit. the same.
- 25
åka till akuten
to go to A&E
Tip: lit. 'go to the acute' — the emergency department.
- 26
det kan vänta till imorgon
it can wait until tomorrow
Tip: lit. the same — what you usually hear.
- 27
egenvård
to self-treat at home
Tip: lit. 'own-care' — the official word for what you do yourself.
- 28
drick mycket vätska
drink plenty of fluids
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
vila och se hur det utvecklar sig
rest and see how it goes
Tip: lit. 'rest and see how it develops'.
- 30
hålla koll på det
to keep an eye on it
Tip: lit. 'keep check on it'.
- 31
höra av sig om det blir sämre
to call back if it gets worse
Tip: lit. 'get in touch if it becomes worse'.
- 32
ring igen i kväll om något ändras
call again tonight if anything changes
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
för säkerhets skull
just to be on the safe side
Tip: lit. 'for safety's sake'.
- 34
ha feber
to be running a temperature
Tip: lit. 'have fever' — 38 °C is the Swedish threshold.
- 35
ha tappat aptiten
to have lost your appetite
Tip: lit. 'have dropped the appetite'.
- 36
vara ur gängorna
to be out of sorts
Tip: lit. 'be out of the hinges'.
- 37
vara vid vägs ände
to be at the end of your tether
Tip: lit. 'be at the road's end'.
- 38
ha en dålig känsla
to have a bad feeling about it
Tip: lit. the same — worth saying out loud to the nurse.
- 39
sova på saken
to sleep on it
Tip: lit. 'sleep on the matter'.
- 40
det blir värre innan det blir bättre
it gets worse before it gets better
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
härda ut
to tough it out
Tip: lit. 'harden out'.
- 42
ta en dag i taget
to take it one day at a time
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
känna sig tagen på allvar
to feel taken seriously
Tip: lit. 'feel oneself taken on seriousness'.
- 44
bli avfärdad
to be brushed off
Tip: lit. 'be dismissed'.
- 45
bli hemskickad med en Alvedon
to be sent home with a paracetamol
Tip: lit. the same — the great Swedish healthcare joke.
- 46
en andra bedömning
a second opinion
Tip: lit. 'a second assessment'.
- 47
tack, det var lugnande
thank you, that was reassuring
Tip: lit. the same.