Present state of meself.

[The Duke]

Tippon that looks very useful, just told the wife and sent her the link. We are off the ozzy in 30 mins for anther zap session, so he is going to ask about it there. Then at her GP the next time we go.

I’ll take a bet now, they will look at her blank. This is the type of system that should be in place. And I think they wanted to, iirc patient ID, it fell through or died on the vine due to costs, probably down to too much outside interference .

[JayCeeDee]

At our GP I’ve recently found out that if you take your passport in, they will issue you a pin to log into the records the practise holds for your, order scripts etc. – this could well be the same or similar.

I’m off for a 24h blood pressure monitor to be fitted later today so I’ll take mine in and try it out!! Thanks for the reminder.?

[Richard]

Tippon wrote:

Unfortunately, it’s not the case that staff here *can’t* do the jobs, it’s often the case that they *won’t*, and I don’t blame them. Take your newly Australian GP. He’s given up on a good job here to do what the job should be, but in another country. If GPs were given better support and general admin throughout the NHS wasn’t as bloody awful as it is, I doubt that a lot of them would be looking elsewhere.

I am not sure if he was a GP or a consultant, but yes the back up is where the NHS falls down. The admin and clerical is a huge mess with some technical areas staffed by people who’s training was OK -ish a long time ago. I have two close relations who work with them and they can be bitchy, obstructive and plain poor at the job, yet for some reason they survive. Example 50 years ago cleaning machines were used by the company I worked for at the time to replace the cleaning methods still used by the NHS. It still employs an army of mixed ability staff, some of whom get in the way of real, effective work.

Currently we are averaging three to four hospital appointments per week so get to see the warts and all glory. This week the score is three for my wife, one for me and no time for our daughter whose ear problems continue.

On check in today my wife gave her name, DOB and then the lights dimmed for a fraction of a second, just like a fast shutter on a camera. With apparently no battery back up or UPS for the servers every terminal in the building crashed and the log ins took over 30 minutes to be remade. So more time was lost by numerous staff.

[Bob Williams]

I met the local Sodexo* boss some time ago at a Residents’ meeting. This company has so many fingers in its multinational pies, and has taken over facilities at an NHS hospital. Cannot recall which one, but he used it as an example. Tradesmen attached to the hospital who did nothing and knew nothing: unqualified builders and electricians, etc., who knew nothing about their trades and were protected by the Unions. In the end, Sodexo’s lawyers managed to use EU and UK law to remove them as dangerous and having to have their shoddy “work” redone by contractors. Cue howls of union protest.

In the last 3 days I have developed a painful lower spine problem, which is preventing me walking out. I don’t know how many more obstacles I can find in my path, would kick the buggas out of my path if my legs would work. ??

Topping that, today I attended surgery for the 3 injections posted by my consultant. I had one: the nurse practitioner (30+ years’ service) picked up that the 2 & 3 Dual injections are listed as only for children under 2 yo. She sent me home with the one, and worked behind the scenes to find out what was going on. Now I need FOUR injections at a time, over the next 6 to 12 weeks. “That should complete the job”.

Well that’s Plan B. Or C. I’ve lost count.

*Link:   http://tinyurl.com/hfrv7ao

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

[The Duke]

The wife mentioned the service Tippon mentioned earlier to her consultant and nurse, as predicted they looked at her blank, said they never heard of it, and advised to mention not to her GP.

 

[JayCeeDee]

I took the passport and got given a sheet with an option to create an account with one of three providers,

http://patient-access.co.uk

http://e-life.co.uk

http://www.dimec.me

predictably, this is just to facilitate repeat scripts and appointment booking.

If I want access to my actual records, there’s a form that needs completing, the case will be passed to the admin team, the “access management lead” and a GP.

There’s the usual ” The practise has the right to remove online access to services for anyone that doesn’t use them responsibly.”

I wonder whether that “responsible” use includes information gleaned off the records to criticise the practise.!!!

[Bob Williams]

Well now I have had severe lower back pain for the last 3 days. This is restricting my movement and hampering recovery from the Op, which has been going well, until my walks have now stopped. The very long incision is now so healed that I have no dressings any more and all I have is an itch at one end. GP has had a look, says it’s a spasm and has given me Codeine with Paracetamol Tablets to relax it. He carefully explained side effects to look for and says he will reduce the dose if necessary. I really like this Doc, he takes great care to let his patient know exactly what is happening and how to handle issues.

As a correction to an earlier description of damage, “…body looks like a roadmap…” It now looks like a roadmap of the Lincolnshire Wolds, with lots of new relief features. ??  I have lost almost 2 stones, but am eating well (smaller portions) and healthily. I have completely given up cake, biscuits, crisps and chocolate and no longer feel the appetite for them. Bonus.

In myself, I feel much better.

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

[Richard]

Glad you now have a GP geared up to guide through the mine fields, it can be a great help to feel someone has your back. I think that when bucket loads of nasty stuff is hitting the fan some attitude adjustments are sometimes considered to be needed, long may that continue and ease your way through difficult times.

After my wife’s second visit to the oncologist yesterday things have now really started to rumble. Tests and checks once scheduled for next week or the week after such as heart checks are now bumping up against new ones for tomorrow chemo centre and Tuesday chemo centre again. Bank holiday Monday was already booked for another MRI but now Tuesday is filling up, though on the bright side I think this appointment shuffling frees up a double booking day in ten days time, though that may also be usurped by the start of Chemo in a very few days time. Getting SWMBO to understand the need for us to coordinate and synchronise our diaries so that I can ferry people about the countryside is a slight struggle. I suspect there is a slight desire to push the nasty stuff back and perhaps out of mind a little bit, but if I don’t know the when and where for every appointment exactly I can see things going awry. A surprise item has already popped out of the hat for Tuesday morning.

Bob, I sense a slight lift in your mood as the days go by, long may that continue

[JayCeeDee]

That’s great to hear, Bob. Keep it up.

[Ed P]

Great news Bob.

On the appointments front it may be worth asking the Departmental Admin if they use text messaging contacts for appointments. While I agree with other comments that turning or evolving the NHS is like turning an aircraft carrier things sometimes evolve more rapidly at local levels.

Although it still takes my local hospital forever to get out written stuff, text messaging avoids all the bureaucracy especially if the local IT group have linked the appointments calendar with a message sending app. I have even seen one instance where the Department used an electronic mailing system and a consultants letter managed to avoid the central bottleneck.

[Bob Williams]

Just received a letter from Hull Royal Infirmary, asking me to fix an appointment up there for a Dietitian. By a happy coincidence, my GP called to give me my Blood results* shortly after I read the letter. I was able to ask him about that: “Get the letter to me today by 6 pm and I will find you a dietitian here, you don’t want to drive through the centre of that mad city!” (his words) Daughter is picking up the letter for me a little later. I discussed several more things with my GP: he is good to talk to and lays everything out in layman’s language, carefully because his English is improving, but still a bit unclear at times. One issue was his precription for Codeine-Phosphate with Paracetamol. I had checked the side effects and found that the GP should be aware of issues with enlarged prostate problems. He cleared it and said that ‘your prostate is steady-state’ with a smile in his voice.

Our surgery will not text, they prefer email or a call-back, and they do keep their promises, IME. Example: this morning, before the GP’s call, I had queried the side effects with dispensary. Later, they called to ask if the GP had cleared it. A double-check, which impressed me. It appears that, after the merger of two surgeries into one (rather, ours took over the smaller) it has all become more efficient, although now twice as busy. I suspect that the increase in staff numbers has given the surgery space and time. Appointments are initially by a call-back, then an appointment at surgery if necessary. Future appointments can be made on the website, it really is a working system. The only problem is parking, as builders are extending both surgery and parking, but half the original car park is closed off for the work.

*To my relief, all my bloods are “normal” with no problems. The GP even picked up my balanced, high protein diet and complimented me on it. I passed that to my OH. ??

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

[PlaneMan]

Glad it’s all getting sorted Bob.

My surgery uses My Health Online, it’s really quite useful. You can export appointment details direct to Google  Calendar.

They also send SMS reminders of appointments.

[Bob Williams]

Looks a good system Nolan. It is encouraging how some surgeries are taking their own paths and becoming slightly independent of the main NHS.

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

[Ed P]

I’ve used Patient Access for some while and what it does it does well, but I can see the logic in not allowing Patient Access to have your records as it is a commercial organization and the NHS already has some sort of underhand (possibly illegal) ‘Hunt’ deal with Google Deep Mind Health!

[Bob Williams]

Yesterday I had a good walk but had to turn back when SWMBO’s new hip stiffened up. Then I had my first drive in the Tucson since April 2nd and up to the carwash: first since January I think. Today, drove to a Garden Centre 8 miles away, had a Carvery*, then a long walk around the Centre, choosing Roses (me) and Geraniums (SWMBO) for when the garden is finally finished. Then a long, circular drive to Mablethorpe and back home. It feels so good to get behind the wheel again, even if we struggle until we get the new car on Weds. But it’s even better to walk again, even at 2 mph! Thought I would get away without some diesel, but had to put about £15 in. Must remember the new car is Petrol, must remember the new car is … well, you get the picture!

Now I know I’m getting better, slowly but surely.

*Woodthorpe Garden Centre, Near Alford. If you find yourself in the Mablethorpe/Alford/Louth area:

http://tinyurl.com/ybkcqyys

Best Carvery in the area, Sundays & Wednesdays. On other days, the meals are just as good. Large, airy restaurant, miles of indoor garden stuff and a big Garden Centre. What’s not to like? Oh: and very good ice cream!

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

[Richard]

Bob, good news, keep up progressing.

[Bob Williams]

Today I went to see my consultant, to receive good news and bad news.

Good news: all of the nasties on my pancreas were gone with the tail being removed. Bad news: it was cancer and it is now in one of my 11 abdominal Lymph Nodes. That is the reason for an Oncology appointment at Grimsby hospital and I will get Chemotherapy.

I feel so much better in physical health terms, though.

Another battle ahead.

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

[PlaneMan]

I’ve no doubt you’ll pull through it Bob, got that new motor to spank!!!

[Bob Williams]

Thanks, Nolan, I am determined to take what is coming and beat it.

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

[dwynnehugh]

Keep fighting Bob and the best of luck

The more you meet people the more you understand why Noah took animals instead of humans

[Author]

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