[PlaneMan]

I’m still feeling rough after the jab. Even more fatigue than usual and my muscles are killing me.

The jab site is red and swollen.

I’m seeing the GP om Monday (stomach issues are back with a vengeance and all tests to date are spot on, including internal investigation, bloods and poo samples) so if it’s not better by then I may well ask her to look at it.

The problem is it could also be a flare up of my fibromyalgia at exactly the same time.

[JayCeeDee]

Ed P wrote:

It could be that they need to monitor your medication, and have a monthly review date on your record. Of course it could just be that they haven’t seen you for so long that they need to give themselves a reminder to check you over at some time!

When I collect my prescription there is a sheet attached which lists all my medication and has a ( yearly ) review date on it. Due to Covid mine has had a 6 month extension without review – a la MoT!!

[Dave Rice]

I am on yearly review, but I’m almost certain that the Govt mandated monthly repeats a while ago due to concerns over shortages due to covid / Brexit. It may be that that has been rescinded and it would be typical for my GP to be out of touch. When they reply to my message I’ll be asking.

However when I did a little Google on this there seemed to be all sorts of confusing new rules on how you could / couldn’t order repeats that did / didn’t apply depending on what you currently did. Implementation dates seemed different for each part of the country that I could find and said that you had to produce the tear off in person at your practice and your pharmacist couldn’t order for you any more. That seemed nuts before covid never mind now.

[JayCeeDee]

Dave Rice wrote:

However when I did a little Google on this there seemed to be all sorts of confusing new rules on how you could / couldn’t order repeats that did / didn’t apply depending on what you currently did. Implementation dates seemed different for each part of the country that I could find and said that you had to produce the tear off in person at your practice and your pharmacist couldn’t order for you any more. That seemed nuts before covid never mind now.

I did a run through myself just now and THIS seems to be the definitive layout for guidance rules from NHS England. It’s very ‘nuts and bolts’ in approach, but could give you a few things to quote back to them if they aren’t coming up to scratch. It’s from 2015, but gives you a starting point to ask for any latest amendments or rules changes. Good luck.😉👍

[JayCeeDee]

Just read an article from our GP Surgery in the Community Magazine and followed a few links from that.

The NHS website repeat prescription ordering service
If you are regularly prescribed the same medicine, you can save time by ordering each issue of your prescription online without having to contact your GP surgery.

This link took me to THIS page on the NHS website, so you can use that to order repeat prescriptions without having to go through the GP it seems. That might be an improvement on your current setup.👍👍

[Ed P]

+1

My practice uses a system called PatientAccess which seems to be a third party version of the NHS site and offers a few more additional options such as on-line appointments, messaging, links to self referral services, and on-line physio.  I’ve not had call to use it but you can call up test results and also check your medical record

It also links in with the pharmacies so you can book an appointment there as well.

If you can get your GP to sign up to it, it  is a useful service.

[JayCeeDee]

Ed P wrote:

My practice uses a system called PatientAccess

That’s what my Medical Centre uses as well. I’m signed up for it and it works quite well. They’re in the middle of a big re-vamp after being taken over by Invicta. Showing promising signs, but only time will tell. They’re upgrading/updating their phone system and website in order to utilise them more and taking on new GP’s and nursing posts. Their old system only had limited lines into the surgery and so they were always engaged or you were on hold for up to an hour. That’s improved in the short term, but we’ll see how they function in more normal times.

[Boris]

JayCeeDee wrote:

Ed P wrote:

My practice uses a system called PatientAccess

We have also used this service (for about 15 months) with no problems.

Never trust an atom - they make up everything !

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

The only thing with Patient Access seems to be getting signed up and staying signed up. I have had no trouble with the basic log in but I have had to reregister for the prescription ordering service twice.

Had my covid jab 3 days ago and haven’t noticed ANY side effects 😃

[Ed P]

My practice has also introduced a ‘sort-of’ on-line video/image/messaging system.

I’m not certain if it is a national thing or if it was a beta. I had a slightly worrying misshapen itching mole. (as I’ve spent a lot of time in high UV countries I’m perhaps over cautious on skin cancers). However, in these Covid times it meant the GP could review an image without getting exposed to me, and I did not have to wait outside for an appointment. The GP was able to check it out at his leisure and then later reassure me that it was just a skin tag/hives problem and told me how to monitor it.

I can see this being a growing trend even in non-Covid days, albeit they need to sort out its current very cumbersome and over-zealous security system and adopt something closer to a verified payments system.

[Dave Rice]

I had a call from the practice clinical (as opposed to dispensing) Pharmacist this morning. She was very good and went through everything one by one. With the changes asked for by the specialist clinics she decided that the best thing was to cancel everything existing and start again from today. Hopefully this will now mean it all turns up in one big lump rather than multiple visits to Boots. My confidence in Boots systems isn’t however so optimistic.

On the covid jab situation she confirmed that I am in tier 6 but (of course) come into a grey area. No one of my groups of medications would be enough to consider me to be at risk enough for shielding but would be enough for “underlying conditions”. There is however no guidance on what to do with my mix of multiple underlying conditions. The good news is they are almost through tier 4 and expect to get around to me before I start the anti-TNF at the end of March, so the problem shouldn’t arise.

The anti-TNF may affect the immune system, but this would be a side effect. She expects Rheumatology to be managing this and from what I have heard from the Consultant I will be in the hands of a nurse lead team much like the Heart Failure Clinic. This gives me great hope that it will indeed be managed properly.

I doubt I’d have got on as well talking to the Doctors and their instructions would most likely have confused the Pharmacists as has happened before. So a result.

A letter from the Eye Hospital (who started all this) has just dropped through the letterbox with an appointment for a follow upon the Uveitis. All I need is Orthopaedics to send me the appointment for my long overdue annual ankle x-ray and it’ll be a Full House. Lockdown? What Lockdown? 🤣

 

[Bob Williams]

Both of us had the Covid jab last week. The only side effect we have noticed is itchiness in a few small raised skin areas.

Snow is bad here, we are directly in the path of The Beast From The East.

I have nurses calling twice daily. In the evenings they fit a new intravenous feedpack and in the morning they remove it. This morning we received several texts from the nurse, who was trying to get over the Wolds in the teeth of a blizzard and had to change her route twice to get here. Eventually she got through and asked if I could let her connect another pack immediately, setting it to start at the usual time and finish in the morning. She was worried about repeating the journey, with more to come, in the dark.

Of course I agreed. These nurses are the real heroes, thy all go the extra mile and I would be very upset to learn that she would have an accident or become stranded, trying to get here. From BBC Lincolnshire:

” Lincolnshire County Council’s network resilience manager Darrell Redford said gritting teams had been out several times.
He said it was also likely the county’s farmers would be asked to help pull stranded vehicles off blocked roads.
“We might have to get some tractors out to give them a pull and get them moving. Once they get stopped and stuck it’s difficult to get them moving again.”
Roads closed include the A158 (Horncastle to Partney) and the A153 (Louth to Horncastle).
As well as the 30 collisions, Lincolnshire Police’s force control room tweeted reports of 18 hazards on the county’s roads since 07:00 GMT.
It urged drivers to take care and allow extra time for essential journeys.
The force has also asked drivers not to remove road closed signs as it had received reports of them being moved on the A153. ”

That last points out the stupidity of some road users. Some years ago came to a similar blocked highway and turned around to find another route. Then I watched as a Granada driver removed the barriers and drove through, to come to a halt. He had to wad back through water up to his chest. And no, I didn’t wait for him.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Dave, glad you’re getting somewhere.

When I started on the arthritis medication (and again when switched to injections) it was done by a specialist nurse team. They also did my bloods for monthly for 6 months IIRC before handing it over to the GP surgery when all was stable. I’m on 3 monthly bloods at the moment but sometimes have to go to monthly when there is a glitch. Methotrexate can totally nadger your liver function.

Bob, good to see you back again and with few side effects from the jab. The GP checked my jab site today and it’s still a bit red and sore but much better. Still absolutely exhausted though.

[JayCeeDee]

Wheels-Of-Fire wrote:

The only thing with Patient Access seems to be getting signed up and staying signed up. I have had no trouble with the basic log in but I have had to reregister for the prescription ordering service twice.

Not had problems like that, but recently they’ve upped their security level and asked for 2FA or similar, with letters from a known word or phrase chosen at random after getting access to the site with username and password.

Dave, good to hear progress is being made in the right direction.👍

Bob, great to hear you’ve both been vaccinated. Stay well!!

The Missus is feeling better today after feeling like crap since getting the jab on Thursday. She says her body always reacts badly when something foreign is introduced in to it – I just smiled and stayed schtummm!! When she asked why I was grinning I just told her ” Sums up my sex life for the last decade!!”

She wasn’t amused!!

[Bob Williams]

“She wasn’t amused!!”

I certainly was!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[RSB]

lol 🙂

Americans: Over Sexed, Over Payed and Over here, Wat Wat!

[PlaneMan]

I’ve now had 4 tests, 3 results, 4th is due any day. All negative.

Nice to have the peace of mind.

Another 11 roughly monthly tests to go.

[Dave Rice]

I’ve had a text from the doc to say my letter is on the way. I can go to the regional Ashton Gate Vaccination Centre or “pharmacy” (but it doesn’t expand on that). Or just wait and they’ll mop me up later.

If I can go to the local Boots that’ll be great or it’s an hour each way on the Metro bus. Not waiting for the doc.

[JayCeeDee]

Dave Rice wrote:

I’ve had a text from the doc to say my letter is on the way. I can go to the regional Ashton Gate Vaccination Centre or “pharmacy” (but it doesn’t expand on that). Or just wait and they’ll mop me up later. If I can go to the local Boots that’ll be great or it’s an hour each way on the Metro bus. Not waiting for the doc.

 

👍👍

[Ed P]

Pharmacy almost certainly means Oxford AstroZeneca  with its ‘maybe’ 10% effectiveness against the newer variants floating around in Bristol. The vaccine centre, if linked with the local hospital, gives you a fighting chance that it could be the Pfizer vaccine with a good 60% effectiveness. I know where I would choose!

If you say you have allergies then its almost certainly the Oxford jab you get.

[Author]

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