GOVERNMENT LETTER RE VULNERABILITY (COVID19)

[Davein]

Have you checked on your local councils website around here they have launched a Welfare Service, they offering help with lots of things. They have been live over week. It is worth a look .

I will check now to see if there's any help available. I know there is a separate volunteer charity in Cornwall that may be able to help. Thanks grovesy.

 

[Davein]

Have you thought your surgery may not be getting specimens collected?

We contacted them in advance and they would not commit to any arrangement or appointment. It is as if we are asking them to perform major surgery the obstacles they're putting our way. They would not even say if they were carrying out blood tests. At least if it was a definite no, we would obviously travel to the county hospital but that would just be added pressure for that hospital besides the risk of us travelling to the site where there is confirmed coronavirus. It will be nerve-racking enough going for the chemo but we can access the centre from the rear of the hospital and everyone wears full PPE so risk is minimised.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

That’s really chilling @NotWorriedAtAll

And sorry for your loss @Benny G

 

[grovesy]

We contacted them in advance and they would not commit to any arrangement or appointment. It is as if we are asking them to perform major surgery the obstacles they're putting our way. They would not even say if they were carrying out blood tests. At least if it was a definite no, we would obviously travel to the county hospital but that would just be added pressure for that hospital besides the risk of us travelling to the site where there is confirmed coronavirus. It will be nerve-racking enough going for the chemo but we can access the centre from the rear of the hospital and everyone wears full PPE so risk is minimised.

I saw GP on This Morning, about 10 days ago, in her area they were not doing any routine bloods test at all.
Also maybe your surgery did not want to commit as things seem to be change frequently.

 

[Davein]

I saw GP on This Morning, about 10 days ago, in her area they were not doing any routine bloods test at all.
Also maybe your surgery did not want to commit as things seem to be change frequently.

This is not a routine test but in any case I wish they would commit to giving a yes or no, at least then we could try in advance to make alternative arrangements especially as the journey to the hospital is an eighty mile round trip.

 

[Davein]

It doesn’t confer any other privileges apart from getting priority slots for supermarket deliveries but you still need to compete for the slots with everyone else and I haven’t managed to find one free for the Asda for weeks!
It’s more about exercising individual good sense than relying on prompts from Govt texts and clearly your partner is at additional risk like me (I’m also having cancer treatment). Stay safe! Amigo

Incidentally, my GP has written on my Care Plan, ‘must be resuscitated in event of collapse’.

Regarding ASDA. I received an email from Asda stating they have introduced a Volunteer Card whereby a volunteer can shop for vulnerable persons using this card. You prepay an amount up to £150 so no need to entrust your Debit/Credit card to others (not that you should be but many do) Perhaps this would be a way of getting your groceries Amigo.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

It doesn’t confer any other privileges apart from getting priority slots for supermarket deliveries but you still need to compete for the slots with everyone else and I haven’t managed to find one free for the Asda for weeks!

Sorry to hear you are having such a tough time accessing delivery slots. After reading @mikeyB’s accounts I wince slightly whenever I hear of a healthy friend or family member opting for delivery and being pleased they’ve managed to get a slot, and make sure I comment about the needs of the most vulnerable at the moment.

 

[Davein]

We received the government 12 week letter on Thursday and an email from ASDA the next day giving priory delivery slot. Earliest one is for Friday 1st May so have booked that up with repeat deliveries every three weeks, so another worry hopefully resolved.

 

[Grannylorraine]

We received the government 12 week letter on Thursday and an email from ASDA the next day giving priory delivery slot. Earliest one is for Friday 1st May so have booked that up with repeat deliveries every three weeks, so another worry hopefully resolved.

I am pleased that you have managed to get a delivery slot now, although still a long wait. I think it is appaling that so many seemingly healthy (as none of us actually know for sure), people were booking delivery slots, and therefore stopping people who have to use them because they can't go out, either because of shielding or like my dad, he couldn't walk around a supermarket before and won't ever again, unless he lets me get him a wheelchair. But even for him, I said see if you can get a click and collect and I will drive there, pick it up and drop off at your door.

Luckily for my mum and dad, as we have key workers in the family, who go to the shops, they are able to get food to my parents, but not everyone is lucky enough to have family close by.

 

[mikeyB]

I’ve got a delivery slot for the coming Friday. That’s from Tesco. Slots are appearing because Tesco limit you to three of anything. And also limit you to 80 items in total. It’s surprising how quickly that limit is reached, so you can only do a ‘big’ shop if you actually go the store.

It’s fine by me, and it weeds out the hoarders. And Tesco can get more deliveries in a van.

 

[Grannylorraine]

I’ve got a delivery slot for the coming Friday. That’s from Tesco. Slots are appearing because Tesco limit you to three of anything. And also limit you to 80 items in total. It’s surprising how quickly that limit is reached, so you can only do a ‘big’ shop if you actually go the store.

It’s fine by me, and it weeds out the hoarders. And Tesco can get more deliveries in a van.

strange you mention hoarders, as my hubby works in a Tesco food distribution centre/warehouse he kept saying to me before we got to lockdown, I don't understand there isn't a shortage of anything, we are handling more stuff than we do for Christmas, he could not believe it when we then went into store and it was stripped bare.

I do agree about the 80 items per order, because as you say they can get more deliveries on their vans. Plus as I said on another thread, I would not usually defend Tesco as I know what the rate of pay is, and how hard the staff where Steve works have to work, and that they get disciplined if they don't meet the incredibly high pick rate they have to achieve everyday, but they have taken on loads of extra staff, these staff have not had the usual amount of training, all working overtime, days off and having any leave cancelled, so whilst I totally agree that are not getting everything right all of the time, they are trying. Another example of this is yesterday evening a message was put out on the staff what app group, asking if any of the team could work on there days off on the shop floor of the store near to the distribution centre, they need people to monitor the queue outside and stand in the store advising people to follow the arrows and maintain the appropriate distance, because the store has so many staff off either sick or self isolating because of family. If the guys from the warehouse don't help out doing these tasks, thereby allowing all the till trained staff to operate the tills instead of monitoring the shoppers, the store won't be able to open. So I know I have deviated a bit, but they really are doing everything they can, and need the public to play their part as well.

Anyway glad you are able to get your deliveries MikeB, and hope others who are reliant on home deliveries are starting to get the slots they need.

 

[grovesy]

I was talking to someone yesterday, and a relative of their's who are shielding and live in a different area. The relative have manged to have got been allocated slots for most of the supermarkets and offered to give them one of the slots, I said they she offer the slots for stores they don't want or need to others.