Early Risers.

[Barry O]

5 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Morning, dry once more on the rock, 9c feels like 8, despite a stiff breeze.  According to this body it feels more like 5, but that is just old-gitness I think.  Maybe we should have emigrated to New Zealand and not Fraggle Rock, we had the opportunity at the time!

 

Lots of errands to do today, I see an additional list has been left for my attention too, on top of orders of the day discussed at the management meeting last night.  AKA dinner.

Don't mention additional lists.. I have some things which I need to do her indoors is contemplating some additional tasks... for me.

 

Baz

Edited May 18, 2021 by Barry O

[leopardml2341]

Whereas I have only my own lists, which I'm prone to forget.

 

But at least there's not much in the way of repercussions

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by leopardml2341

[New Haven Neil]

Ex-NHS Manager's Rant.

 

I think our GP practice is taking lessons from Andrew's, having phoned to book a call for the GP to call back (usually takes a few days) they now said they can't do that, but if I call tomorrow he's taking urgent calls only.  I explained its not urgent but I do need to speak to him re medications that only he can authorise, and I want to discuss changing them.  They can't do that so I have to take up an emergency call slot tomorrow someone else may need with a more urgent issue, for something that can wait until later in the week.   But they can't book that in now for me.    Words fail me.  

 

/Ex-NHS Managers rant!

[Chris116]

4 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Ex-NHS Manager's Rant.

 

I think our GP practice is taking lessons from Andrew's, having phoned to book a call for the GP to call back (usually takes a few days) they now said they can't do that, but if I call tomorrow he's taking urgent calls only.  I explained its not urgent but I do need to speak to him re medications that only he can authorise, and I want to discuss changing them.  They can't do that so I have to take up an emergency call slot tomorrow someone else may need with a more urgent issue, for something that can wait until later in the week.   But they can't book that in now for me.    Words fail me.  

 

/Ex-NHS Managers rant!

I should consider my wife and I very lucky as our doctors surgery started the phone call consultations as soon as the first lock down started but when ever we call them we have had a call back on the same day. In fact, it has been easier to talk to a doctor than it was before Covid when we sometimes had to wait 48 hours before seeing the doctor. I feel for all those who suffer from a surgery that puts up barriers to seeing or talking to the doctor. 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Wall to wall sunshine at the moment but its not predicted to last. The bees on the California lilac are making the most of it while they can. Now off to run a bath, be back later. 

[petethemole]

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

Have Ocado discovered the secret of light speed travel? 

I don't know, but one Ebay trader has.  Sunday before last I ordered something.  The following Tuesday it was delivered quite early.  On the Wednesday I received an email that they were about to post it, for delivery in the Friday-Tuesday slot (the Tuesday being today).  Assuming they haven't sent a duplicate package, I reckon that's a pretty good performance.

 

Showers are threatened, again, including hail.  I might bring in the washing that's been out since Saturday and finish it off indoors. 

 

I started getting into folk music in '64, and discovered Cyril Tawney not long after, 'The Oggy Man' was a folk club favurite back then, and I've always liked 'Grey Funnel Line'.

 

A short sharp shower has happened so I'd bestter grab the washing before it gets worse,

 

Stay elfy

[PhilJ W]

Hello again from Estuary-Land. I thought I'd posted the above this morning but it was still in the editor. Now bathed, breakfasted and about to have another muggatee. The muntjacs were making a lot of noise last night, must be the mating season. Debating when it will be a good time to wash the bedsheets, there's no room indoors to dry them and the forecast is for rain. Thats enough of my ramblings, be back later.

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, jonny777 said:

Have Ocado discovered the secret of light speed travel? 

 

 

6 minutes ago, petethemole said:

I don't know, but one Ebay trader has.  Sunday before last I ordered something.  The following Tuesday it was delivered quite early.  On the Wednesday I received an email that they were about to post it, for delivery in the Friday-Tuesday slot (the Tuesday being today).  Assuming they haven't sent a duplicate package, I reckon that's a pretty good performance.

 

I 'won' an item last Wednesday on E-bay, duly paid for it and it arrived on Saturday. 

[AndrewC]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Ex-NHS Manager's Rant.

 

I think our GP practice is taking lessons from Andrew's, having phoned to book a call for the GP to call back (usually takes a few days) they now said they can't do that, but if I call tomorrow he's taking urgent calls only.  I explained its not urgent but I do need to speak to him re medications that only he can authorise, and I want to discuss changing them.  They can't do that so I have to take up an emergency call slot tomorrow someone else may need with a more urgent issue, for something that can wait until later in the week.   But they can't book that in now for me.    Words fail me.  

 

/Ex-NHS Managers rant!

I've been long suspicious that our GP practice is staffed by Vogons. There is a reason they have the lowest ranking (on the NHS site no less) of any practice in the borough for 5 years running. The quacks aren't bad but the admin staff are shocking. 

[tigerburnie]

Our doc's went to phone consultations and so did the hospitals, but just lately we both have had appointments come through neither of us were expecting, seems they are trying to get back to something like normal, well done Tayside NHS.

[New Haven Neil]

Like Andrews said above, the vets themselves are OK, and TBH the front line staff mostly are too, but the manner in which the practice is run is appalling. This means the poor front line staff take a lot of flack, but it should be the practice manager taking it - who I don't even know the name of, she posts on FB just using the practice name. 

 

The really annoying thing is it used to be OK, but post-CV they seem to have just collapsed, and things change every time you call them. As an ex-outpatients service manager I understand a lot of the difficulties they're operating under, but there is simply no need for the inefficiency currently displayed.  Being told I need to call tomorrow to book a slot when I am already on the phone to them just isn't acceptable. Bear in mind we haven't had anything like the CV issues here you have had in the UK either, and have been out of what was only a short lockdown for over a month.

[leopardml2341]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

 I feel for all those who suffer from a surgery that puts up barriers to seeing or talking to the doctor. 

One of the receptionists at the local surgery is downright objectionable.

[polybear]

 

3 hours ago, jonny777 said:

I had a call from the 10am to 11am Ocado delivery man saying that he was running a bit early and could he come in a few minutes (this was at ten to nine). I have no problem with that, but cannot understand how deliveries can be 80 minutes earlier than the earliest time? Have Ocado discovered the secret of light speed travel?

 

And 80 minutes early so early in the day?  Bear smells a rat.  Wonder what happens if you say no, not before ten?

 

In other news:

Bear's awkward kitchen cabinet corner FINALLY done .  All problems have stemmed from a 300mm wide pre-assembled (at the factory) base unit being slightly on the p1ss, such that one top corner was higher than the others.  Any attempt to sort the alignment by adjustment of legs, wall fixings etc. produces a "best" situation where you can get 3 level top corners, but not the fourth - and the cabinet is now leaning slightly too. Aarrgh.......

So how did Bear finally manage to get an upright cabinet with four level corners?  Bear came up with a dastardly clever plan involving....wait for it......plasticard.....

Various thicknesses were available, ranging from something like 0.25mm upwards.  So each corner was fitted with shims bonded with "Sticks Like Sh1t" to get everything level; the granite supplier was consulted and they were fine about it.  Happy Bunny.

[TheQ]

just had a huge cloudburst, heavy large hail and rain. So much it blew a cap off one of the drain pipes which are inside the building.. The cap is  10ft off the ground... quite a fountain... Luckily it was in an area currently being temporarily used to store insulation for the new ceiling, not over the electronics.

 There is a step in the air conditioning  online graphs on the monitor above me. the A/C is busy trying to recover...

 

I've finished this weeks major system, now I have a set of 20 current shunts to do, that will keep me occupied for the rest of today and tomorrow..

[Barry O]

The Marie Celeste are dreadful. Can't get through on the phone, they have stopped using the useless "Ask my GP" app, they respond occasionally to emails. I sent one last week asking about my Diabetic Review and how to check on Diabetic Retinal Screening. Phone call yesterday gave me a number to contact re Eye screening (where a very helpful lady sorted me out in no time flat and we had a bit of a laugh in the process). The other point raised.. well good job I ain't holding my breath.

 

The Practice Manager (that title is surely a joke?) seems to be great at doing ... nothing.. nowt.. doodli squat.  Not sure how much he gets paid but since he took over the Practice has got worse.. as for physically seeing a GP.. well best to go to the LGI A&E department..no chance of seeing any of our GPS at the Marie Celeste.. comes back to .. it's time backsides were kicked and spend sorted.

 

As for my Diabetic Eye Screening.. you now ait 2 years for an appointment.. even though my notes reckon I should have had one asap after 1st November 2020.. good job my eyes seem ok isn't it...

 

Rant over but boy some people are really stretching things..

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

It must be very frustrating for people in the UK. Over here our surgeries never closed they just imposed mandatiry mask wearing and you had to wait in the car park till you were called in. I rang yedterday forvan appointment and got to see our Romanian GP this ,orni g. She speaks excellent  English and we cannot speak too highly of her. As to receptionists,  I have to be careful whatbI say as Beth used to be a Consultants secretary. Our cutrent receptionist  couldn't be more helpful and we have a running joke that we have to speak French and she speaks English to us and we both correct the other. It works well.

 

Jamie

[simontaylor484]

The worst thing about our drs surgery is getting prescriptions sent to the chemist they got us to sign up for it saying it was better.  

Pah it seems to take days.

You try to ring about prescription lines only open 10 til 12 constantly engaged after listening to a recorded message 4 minutes long about covid. 

 

 

[Pacific231G]

Afternoon all

Done realtively little so far today apart from the washing, sorting out files and backups on the PC, a pedestrian visit to Tesco (I'd run out of a few things that are normally in my weekly shop) and another mile or so afterwards to make up my 4k+  daily brisk walk. During that walk I played a game of meteorological roulette wth some very dark approaching clouds deciding how far I dared get from home. In the end they didn't dump any water anyway which is sort of a shame because it's very satisfying to get inside seconds before the heavens open. For this game carrying an umbrella is cheating and the sort of squallas that generally accompany rain from Cumulo Nimbus clouds (CBs)  make an umbrella useless anyway.

 

There are currently prob 30 (30%) warnings of thunderstorms for Heathrow, Farnborough and Southampton aerodromes (amongst others) Curiously, though Northolt (the nearest to here) has the same prob. of thunder, there's no warning message attached to it. (Thunderstoms are one of nature's ways of reminding pilots who's boss!) 

 

Treated myself to Sushi and Sake for lunch - I cant eat salad every day- and it's pasta or pizza tonight. 

My surgery was using a telephone triage system well before Covid. You ring them up, GP rings you back and decides if you need to come in (or more likely over the past year have a video appointment) It seems to work quite well.

A friend who lives in Oxfordshire though, with a rather larger surgery, seems to have the sort of receptionists who think they are triage nurses - which they aren't.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Pacific231G

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, leopardml2341 said:

One of the receptionists at the local surgery is downright objectionable.

To look at or listen to?

[Andrew P]

Our Surgery is just brilliant, quick to answer the phone, always YES how can I help you? and always does.

 

If the Dr says he will ring, he / she always does and again, more than helpful.

 

Our previous practice in Derbyshire was the same.

 

OR, AM I JUST A NICE GUY?

[PupCam]

3 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

I think our GP practice is taking lessons from Andrew's, having phoned to book a call for the GP to call back (usually takes a few days) they now said they can't do that, but if I call tomorrow he's taking urgent calls only.  I explained its not urgent but I do need to speak to him re medications that only he can authorise, and I want to discuss changing them.  They can't do that so I have to take up an emergency call slot tomorrow someone else may need with a more urgent issue, for something that can wait until later in the week.   But they can't book that in now for me.    Words fail me.  

Welcome to my world!  

 

I too have been more than hacked off for some months by the  "You can have an appointment in 4 weeks OR an Emergency one tomorrow if you phone up at 8:00am" binary alternatives.     As my condition has rendered the first of those options null and void and it's "their game, their rules" I have had no option but to play their game.     Anyone would think that the majority of patients phone up the doctors to get an appointment just for the fun of it (although no doubt there are a few who do).

 

The difficulty in actually getting through successfully "for an emergency appointment" led to the development of "Puppers Patented 'ppointment  Procuring Process" which I mentioned a short while back.    Actually, it's not rocket science, you just have to increase your chance of your call(s) happening to connect at the precise moment that the surgery opens the phone lines and also when they terminate a preceding call.    I dare say my principle would be even more effective if I had 6 phones, 6 ears, 6 hands but for now I'll have to make do with two of each  ....

 

The last time I spoke to the doctor I asked him if I had to make an emergency appointment for him to tell me the results of some recent tests when he received them.   He hummed and hawed and said no, he would make the appointment and call me directly.    I'll be able to let you know how successful that plan was on Thursday afternoon ...

 

And another thing;  having failed miserably to get an emergency appointment a couple of months ago being told that "they had all gone for the day" at  8:10am (hence the development of PP'pPP) I was in a condition that warranted calling 111 immediately.   Having gone through the "Assessment" phase  I was told a clinician would phone me back shortly.  Approximately 20 minutes later the clinician called and discussions ensued.   Whilst speaking I could hear there was much tapping on a computer keyboard at her  end.  She then said "OK, I've booked you a telephone appointment with your GPs for 10:20 this morning".   I was, you will appreciate, quite astonished at this outcome because "all the appointments had gone for the day" and thanked her very much.

 

So, from my (ie the patient's) perspective then, if you phone the GP and speak to the receptionist the chances are you won't get an appointment unless you are really, really quick and really, really lucky but if you then phone up 111 and tie up the attention of two other NHS workers for probably 30-40 minutes (in total) in my case you will.  And, BTW, having had two nocturnal "all-night" visits to A&E  recently it's not because I enjoy wasting their time!

 

As has been suggested something is clearly not right!

 

And as for a face to face consultation, just forget they ever happened!

 

Disgruntled of Herts & Beds

[leopardml2341]

17 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

To look at or listen to?

I've never knowingly met her; but if her attitude is anything to go by, I'd rather not.

[Ian Abel]

Chewsday...

 

A fine day out yesterday, paddle boating on a local area lake before eating on the patio of a local restaurant "Tavern 23".

For those who may have an interest in ice hockey (I don't particularly, but Minnesota is ice hockey country), the "Tavern" is owned by Lou Nanne, who lives locally and was wandering the restaurant saying hi to guests while we were there.

 

Later repaired to our house to have dessert and chat. Weather all day was gorgeous, can't do better than that for a start to the week

 

Today I'll have to work...

Later will take Whitney for a walkies, and we'll be done with another day.

 

12 and sunny first thing, headed for 22.

 

Tally ho.

[TheQ]

At our surgery once you have a known condition, you go to the surgery see check point charleen, and you will get an appointment.. next week... if you are a" I need to see the doc" .. there's not much chance.

The six monthly review for continuing pills has gone online, and is easy.

 

While we were in full lockdown, it was go to a window and talk through a plastic screen, collecting pills still is. But now Charleen cowers behind a plastic screen inside at her normal desk, once allocated a spot, you are directed to a hard plastic chair. 

 

 

 

 

[chrisf]

3 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

One of the receptionists at the local surgery is downright objectionable.

Only one?

 

Chris