Easing of restrictions - routine clinics?

[everydayupsanddowns]

I am very interested to see what information may be forthcoming about the restarting of routine outpatient clinics as they begin to discuss a phased lifting of restricted movement.

I‘ve certainly heard cancer specialists and charities expressing concern that the rate of diagnosis has plunged so dramatically (those cancer’s won’t have disappeared, of course). So it will be interesting to see what, when, and if routine appointments, monitoring and checks can be reinstated then the plans are announced next week.

 

[martindt1606]

All my Diabetic Appointments were cancelled until further notice, however still expecting to go to The Christie in Manchester in 2 weeks for Cancer Appointments. Have been warned it could be 2 visits as bloods need to be given the day before rather than on the day of the appointment.

Retinopathy due in mid June, would prefer this not to be delayed as last years showed a very small shadow....

 

[grovesy]

I am very interested to see what information may be forthcoming about the restarting of routine outpatient clinics as they begin to discuss a phased lifting of restricted movement.

I‘ve certainly heard cancer specialists and charities expressing concern that the rate of diagnosis has plunged so dramatically (those cancer’s won’t have disappeared, of course). So it will be interesting to see what, when, and if routine appointments, monitoring and checks can be reinstated then the plans are announced next week.

They were discussing at Select Committee this morning along with mental health. I think most are just at the discussion phase, and the NHS lead on Cancer said it is going to be more difficult getting it back up and running than closing it down.

 

[mikeyB]

I would like to get my Neuro appointment in Liverpool for a guesstimate of how long I've got on this planet. I would like my pancreas scan to make sure there's no cancer growing.Same for my colonoscopy.

My diabetes appointment is neither here nor there in my list of priorities, and doesn't bother me.

 

[trophywench]

Pete has a hospital appointment next week for what should be his last oncologist appointment re his prostate cancer, after which the oncology consultant said he would probably discharge him into his GP's care. Not much use to either the NHS or Pete, without having a PSA blood test first though. Normally makes an online appt with the local hosp. phlebotomy service for it, but …..

Phone call this morning from consultant's sec to a) remind him and b) tell him will be a phone appt - so Pete mentioned the blood test conundrum. She gave him first names and phone nos of two 'peripatetic' vampires and said he'd have to pay, though which he replied was fine by him. He then rang one of them and arranged same. She asked him to put £11 in an envelope, ready for her.

I wonder @martindt1606 whether there's anything like that afoot near you?

 

[mikeydt1]

lets hope this comes around my last telephone consultation ended in disaster, just how they can consult down a line is unknown.

like to see them examine my liver through a telephone line 🙄

 

[SB2015]

Last week I asked GP to refer me for a trigger finger release, acknowledging that this was not urgent in the current environment. I was amazed to get a letter yesterday and a video appointment with the ortho team for next Tuesday!! Things are very quiet around here regarding Covid and they are keen to use the time available. I shall see what happens next.

 

[Flower]

I’m hoping the high risk foot clinic I attend every 6 weeks is able to restart somehow in the next few weeks as my last appointment was February . I was told to contact my GP in an emergency but having been told to have a below knee amputation I really cannot have a foot emergency.

 

[AndBreathe]

I had a non-diabetes Endo review yesterday. Until the beginning of the week, it was all happening according to the original masterplan, then changed to telephone at the same time, then on Thursday afternoon a call to ask if I could to the "the afternoon", as the Endo was deployed on the wards yesterday morning.

For me, it was absolutely fine as no physical examination was required. They routinely do height, weight and BP, then we have a chat about White Coat syndrome, and off we go. As all those things are stable, if inconvenient, relating to the WCS, it was no hardship swerving that.

 

[martindt1606]

Pete has a hospital appointment next week for what should be his last oncologist appointment re his prostate cancer, after which the oncology consultant said he would probably discharge him into his GP's care. Not much use to either the NHS or Pete, without having a PSA blood test first though. Normally makes an online appt with the local hosp. phlebotomy service for it, but …..

Phone call this morning from consultant's sec to a) remind him and b) tell him will be a phone appt - so Pete mentioned the blood test conundrum. She gave him first names and phone nos of two 'peripatetic' vampires and said he'd have to pay, though which he replied was fine by him. He then rang one of them and arranged same. She asked him to put £11 in an envelope, ready for her.

I wonder @martindt1606 whether there's anything like that afoot near you?

never heard of that option. do they come to you or do you go to them?

 

[trophywench]

She (in this case) is coming here. We both knew that it's done Martin cos we both have knowledge of the very elderly/infirm being visited at home for this purpose in connection with their own health problems and mobility. Just neither here nor very recently either. Used to be done by district nurses yonks ago, when I was diagnosed T1 as a young adult, was told by one GP at our practice that some elderly folk on insulin needed a daily visit to administer their jab - presumably if they were that incapable the same overworked individual would have also gathered the necessary blood test samples.

More recently we know an ex District Nurse who knows quite a lot of medical personnel locally because of taking samples to path labs etc and the circles they all mix in at least professionally if not also socially.

 

[AndBreathe]

She (in this case) is coming here. We both knew that it's done Martin cos we both have knowledge of the very elderly/infirm being visited at home for this purpose in connection with their own health problems and mobility. Just neither here nor very recently either. Used to be done by district nurses yonks ago, when I was diagnosed T1 as a young adult, was told by one GP at our practice that some elderly folk on insulin needed a daily visit to administer their jab - presumably if they were that incapable the same overworked individual would have also gathered the necessary blood test samples.

More recently we know an ex District Nurse who knows quite a lot of medical personnel locally because of taking samples to path labs etc and the circles they all mix in at least professionally if not also socially.

Was your lady from this group? https://www.bookabloodtest.com/?fbclid=IwAR2fhIqKtS2zJ_U63qYvMSf4MaGH691XqtA382EO8_ZMOBco_PdK2O2lp2M

I heard about this business through a local podiatrist who runs a very holistic practise (podiatry, physio, non-surgical fat contouring, botox, counselling and so on), and they have a relationship with "BookABloodTest". Actually, looking at the Google maps link on the website, it looks like Medipod is their "high street" presence.

In my case, I was having private bloods done, by Medichecks, but needed a blood draw. As I needed an 8am draw, I paid a very small premium, but I wanted 8am, and the doorbell rang dead on. She was here minutes.

As you say, if the bloods are for the NHS, they take the sample and paperwork with them and drop it off.

I would definitely use them again, as required.

 

[trophywench]

Who knows who she is employed by? It's still only Saturday, we haven't got to Monday yet! LOL

 

[AndBreathe]

Who knows who she is employed by? It's still only Saturday, we haven't got to Monday yet! LOL

Assuming you are responding to me; Well, the lady who came to our house is a part-time NHS phlebotomist, but does "sessions" (whatever that means) for Book A Blood test - the website I posted the link to up there.

The physical address on their website is at Medipod, a local (really excellent) podiatrist, whom I know, so I'm content all the relevant protocols are covered.

The lady came with an expanding up and out tool box sort of thing, with all her gubbins in there. Medichecks, for whom the blood was being drawn, send out everything, including the vacuuvials, butterfly cannula, wipes, plaster and transit bags, so she didn't really need it, aside from her gloves.

I have no commercial relationship with either business, but if you every need bloods drawn and getting out and about is tricky, or you need private tests, from venous blood, I'd always suggest them, bearing in mind where I think you are.

These days loads of tests can be done from a finger prick test, but if I recall, I think it might have been thyroid antibodies that needed the venous blood.

 

[grovesy]

I have just remembered when a friend of mine came out of ITU she had a community based phlebotomist come out to take her bloods.

 

[trophywench]

No idea what she said when Pete rang her or if she told him she worked for X.

 

[mikeyB]

I’ve just received a diabetic appointment for May 26 at Clitheroe Hospital. It doesn’t specify any prior testing, but says “Due the nature of this clinic, tests and X-rays may be required and you may have a delay in your appointment”.

Indeed. So why bother to make the appointment? I can’t get a blood test at the surgery, for sure. And I doubt they will accept an estimated HbA1c from the Libre App.

It also says I may be contacted nearer the time if the consultant wants to talk to me over the phone/video instead, and keep checking for texts from them. Won’t hold my breath.

What a useless waste of money sending me this guff.

 

[AndBreathe]

I’ve just received a diabetic appointment for May 26 at Clitheroe Hospital. It doesn’t specify any prior testing, but says “Due the nature of this clinic, tests and X-rays may be required and you may have a delay in your appointment”.

Indeed. So why bother to make the appointment? I can’t get a blood test at the surgery, for sure. And I doubt they will accept an estimated HbA1c from the Libre App.

It also says I may be contacted nearer the time if the consultant wants to talk to me over the phone/video instead, and keep checking for texts from them. Won’t hold my breath.

What a useless waste of money sending me this guff.

Mikey, to be clear, I'm not in the extremely vulnerable group, and generally fit and well.

I have an Endo appointment on Friday, and needed bloods done beforehand - especially as I had been trialling T3, as part of dual therapy for a very wonky thyroid. My GP refused to do them. Endo retorted, and I paraphrase, "The people need to realise there's more going on in the world than COVID, and people still need to be seen and treated....".

In the end, I had my bloods done at the local cottage hospital, at 8am, first in the queue. The queue was me. Nobody else, me. The phlebotomist remarked that she was hardly seeing anyone, and nor were the F2F clinics. Most patients were cancelling themselves.

In the end my appointment was help over the phone, and from my own, personal perspective, I achieved my major goal of being supported in remaining on the eye wateringly expensive T3.

I think @trophywench commented her husband was to have bloods drawn by a peripatetic phlebotomist. Would that be something you would find acceptable, or would you feel that unacceptably endangered you from an isolation perspective?

(I make respect your judgement if you would rather no contact with outsiders.)

 

[trophywench]

She came, she withdrew required quarter of a teaspoon of blood, she went, consultant rang husband, had got test results and still suitably low - far as we know so far she didn't bring any bugs with her. OTOH I went in the shop over the rd yesterday as we needed milk, and not getting any till tomorrow. (I'm so bored I'm very tempted to buy ……. )

 

[trophywench]

She's entirely self employed, she said when I asked her. She can 'do' 4 such visits an hour, she says the needles and vials cost c £1 per patient on average and doesn't reckon that's a bad hourly rate for any job!