Reasons to be Cheerful! Good things that happened today

[lizwing]

Beehive...been there, done that

[windrush]

I think that I may have to borrow Vot's skid lid if our hairdresser doesn't resume work soon, I'm guessing it is a large size so will cover my rather copious thatch? It's been a long time since it was last cut, January infact.

Pete.

[Bam]

Pete. Be warned, it may turn out to be a complete Dalek suit.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Oi, who’s nicked me Dalek suit? Oh I see, it’s the WR character - the one with the dodgy Worzel hairdo. I know your sort.

Pffft, humans eh. Can’t eat them can’t live with them.

[lizwing]

I had a phone call from the surgery today ‘just checking to see if you’re both ok. Are you managing alright with shopping? Do you need any help?’ Also saying that even though the surgery is closed the staff are still working and to ring if we have any problems. We can ring through repeat prescriptions and they’ll pass them to the surgery who will deliver them. I was very impressed.

[piwacket]

I had a phone call from the surgery today ‘just checking to see if you’re both ok. Are you managing alright with shopping? ...

... well better late than not at all Liz - very good. 100% more than we’ve had... I think we’d be very grey, old and decrepit before we get a call like that
However, I’ve just had a text from one of the people, none of whom we’ve ever known, but apparently live not far away, asking the same... and that she’s been making masks so if we’d like some she’ll bring them round. Amazing kindness from a stranger.

As it happens we’ve decided we’re going to ‘brave’ Waitrose and do our own shopping next week. Although we do have 2 or 3 masks, hopefully her ones may be more comfortable!

[lizwing]

We’ve already had a call from the doctor Pi back at the beginning of the lockdown asking if we were coping ok and asking about shopping etc.

[windrush]

I can't imagine any of our GP's ever calling us, even though I'm on the Patients Group panel and the senior partner lives only 200 yards from away we haven't been contacted for years. I don't even know some of them. They keep signing our prescriptions though so presumably realise that we are both still drawing breath!

Pete.

[piwacket]

We’ve already had a call from the doctor Pi back at the beginning of the lockdown asking if we were coping ok and asking about shopping etc.

Ah the joys of being more in a ‘country practice’ maybe- our surgery has a quite vast total of patients spread over 2 surgeries, with something like a dozen or more doctors, all of whom apparently are expected to have 3000 names each!

Ditto Pete- the one enquiry made over the last 3 months - about having my ears syringed was met with a ‘No way’! So I’m still waiting.

[OLDMAN]

Surprised at some surgeries being closed, maybe they can get-away with it for other reasons as Pi says

Mines been open, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get my regular blood tests for Warfarin, (RBH isn’t doing them at the moment – not that I would go back now as timing at surgery is better now I know they do an ‘early-bird’ once a week) nor would I have got the stitches removed after my little accident / visit to A&E
I got asked in for my annual checks and went Monday evening – they are only allowing 2 patients in at a time (sit and wait in car until exact appointment time) and you have to wear a face covering / keep talk to a minimum
The clinician the other evening wore gloves as I went in / to do some tests, then changed them for the rest, and again with a hand wash as I walked out – I got given sanitising hand wipe clothes to use myself
All well controlled

[windrush]

Morning all, rather wet and windy here. Our surgery has been closed all through lockdown, although they will do certain tests. Some tests have been performed outside in the patients vehicle, and certain staff are there but the doors are locked so prescriptions have to be posted through the letterbox. The pharmacy will not accept prescriptions directly anyway at present so it's easier for us to send them straight to the surgery, it saves somebody from the pharmacy taking them up the road to the surgery and then collecting them again when they have been signed by a GP as at present they only have to collect them once daily instead of the normal twice.

Pete.

[lizwing]

Our surgery has only been closed in the sense that you can’t just walk in to make an appointment, my husband still goes for his warfarin and psa blood tests but has to wait in the car until he’s fetched in.

[OLDMAN]

Our surgery has only been closed in the sense that you can’t just walk in to make an appointment, my husband still goes for his warfarin and psa blood tests but has to wait in the car until he’s fetched in.

Ah, made me wonder as I remember you mentioned your OH having his test there
So surgeries aren’t ‘closed’ as such – just limiting access for how they practice

[Bam]

Our presription situation is the same as yours Pete and LLoyds now deliver within 2 days, whereas the collection service took up to 7 days.

However the surgery letterbox is another matter, it has metal flap outside and inside both with impossibly stiff springs and no lip to lift the outer, then there is a double row of stiff draft proof brushes inside. Must generate extra business for A&E. The one at the bank can be easily lifted with the back of a hand and has no other obstructions.

[piwacket]

So surgeries aren’t ‘closed’ as such – just limiting access for how they practice

To me that’s ‘closed’! It’s not just ‘howthey practice’ .... it’s limiting what they offer - to suit themselves, not the patient.

[Mayfield]

We had a boiler issue where our Valaint boiler displayed a communications failure even though all seemed to be working OK...Caversham Plumbing and Heating came promptly and phoned Valaint to check as they hadn't seen that error before. Valaint say it’s a PCB fault and they are coming to fix it - tomorrow, under guarentee .

I'm impressed

[Fed-up]

Our surgery has been open throughout but doing phone appointments and then only going into the surgery if absolutely necessary.

[Fed-up]

I should add that prescriptions were being sent direct to the local pharmacy if they needed to issue one. The response has been a lot quicker than normal. I phoned mid morning for one problem and got a call back at lunch, with a prescription dispensed by 2:30pm. Unheard of before COVID.

[lizwing]

Our friend, who’s in his 80s, has an in growing toenail which is very painful, he rang the surgery but they couldn’t offer him an appointment, he had to get his son to take a photograph of the affected toe and email it to them

[piwacket]

Our surgery has been open throughout but doing phone appointments and then only going into the surgery if absolutely necessary.

.... which is not much use to me, as I’m struggling to hear with blocked ears on the occasion of contacting the surgery, OH had to do it! So if you’re someone living alone ....?

[Bam]

Our friend, who’s in his 80s, has an in growing toenail which is very painful, he rang the surgery but they couldn’t offer him an appointment, he had to get his son to take a photograph of the affected toe and email it to them

I found GPs don't seem confident to deal with toe nail problems. Your friend needs a Podiatrist, fully qualified NHS (most private ones purchase their qualification with an annual fee, anyone can).

Normally a GP referral is required, then you are in the system for life. Diabetics here can by-pass the referral system and ours have an emergency podiatrist at their walk in diabetic clinic once a week.

I had an ingrown nail and thought I would end up like Capt.Mainwaring. however it all came right with no operation at all. The podiatrist tidied things up and taught me what to do at home and it came back to normal like magic after a month or two of tlc.

[lizwing]

I’ll pass that on to him Bam, thanks.

[Fed-up]

Our surgery has been open throughout but doing phone appointments and then only going into the surgery if absolutely necessary.

.... which is not much use to me, as I’m struggling to hear with blocked ears on the occasion of contacting the surgery, OH had to do it! So if you’re someone living alone ....?

Just looked on their website and they also have a form for asking a question of a doctor. Fill it in and they will get back to you.

[piwacket]

Just looked on their website and they also have a form for asking a question of a doctor. Fill it in and they will get back to you.

Thanks for that Fed-up. In my case it was made quite clear to my OH there was no way I’d get them done by the nurse. And yes, I know I could possibly pay some extortionate rate to get them done at the chemist, but whilst we’re in Lockdown, I can cope at the moment

I’ll pass that on to him Bam, thanks.

Liz if your friend is in Reading, our neighbour is an experienced Podiatrist.she also deals with Diabetics too.

[lizwing]

No, he lives just round the corner from us, strangely enough he was originally from the Reading area, Twyford I think, he was a farmer. My OH met him not long after we moved here on his daily trip to the little shop for the paper, they got chatting and they’ve become good friends.

[windrush]

Purely on the off chance I have just called our mobile hairdresser to see if she is (a) continuing with her business or (b) ready to start if she is continuing, (but we will understand if she wants to leave things for a while with having a young family) and the answer was "I'm starting tomorrow, see you both at 2.30 ish"! That should get my weight down by about half a stone!

Pete.

[Bam]

I rang my dentist today as they are supposed to be open again. In fact the door is kept locked and only unlocked for each patient. Anyway the reception girl was totally in a spin, so she fetched my dentist and I spoke to her direct but she was also pretty well in a state of confusion too but said I can re-book my two treatment appointments (urgent in March!) , next Friday. Both ladies sounded a bit stoned to be honest.

[KeithW]

I rang my dentist today as they are supposed to be open again. In fact the door is kept locked and only unlocked for each patient. Anyway the reception girl was totally in a spin, so she fetched my dentist and I spoke to her direct but she was also pretty well in a state of confusion too but said I can re-book my two treatment appointments (urgent in March!) , next Friday. Both ladies sounded a bit stoned to be honest.

Probably using up old stocks of Novocaine.

[maggieaitch]

I have just picked my first tomato from the garden, also 6 runner beans. Not exactly a feast but a hopeful sign of things to come.

[Voiceoftreason?]

I have just picked my first tomato from the garden, also 6 runner beans. Not exactly a feast but a hopeful sign of things to come.

Extra special then Liz. Finely sliced runners with a bit of vinagarette, yum.

[maggieaitch]

No, I'm Maggie.

[Mayfield]

Well done Maggie, my beans are setting, but I,ve a way to go yet.

I was happy to see a flower on one of the Cosmos I grew from seed and that after weeks of looking at a pot of earth my aquilegia 'limelight' have come up...even better both lots of seeds came free with magazines

[Voiceoftreason?]

No, I'm Maggie.

Sorry, the previous post disappears so I can’t see it - memory of a gnat me

[OLDMAN]

I have just picked my first tomato from the garden, also 6 runner beans. Not exactly a feast but a hopeful sign of things to come.

Found a packet of lettuce seeds in the conservatory clean-up the other day so panted some – it says to stagger sowing to get extend crop’s
I now have a good bunch of seedlings appearing so fingers crossed - and found another packet since

[Voiceoftreason?]

Got paid for the first time in four months today