NHS - just wait 8 months...

[Primrose]

Stravaig I think these Covid boosters are specifically for the Over 75's and those who are designated as clinically vulnerable. I'm not aware of any plans to extend this vaccination further down the age scale. I suspect that's perhaps because the powers that be feel the rest of the population now have sufficient immunity not to be too unwell if they catch Covid again.
I'm sure Westi is right about your house. It may feel chaotic to you because you're not unpacked yet but I imagine it is nowhere near the state of some of the homes the various health visitors have to visit.

[Stravaig]

Yeah, I know the sort of house you mean. I knew someone where, if you were going to accept a cup of tea, you had to wash the mouse sh!t out of the cup first. Can anyone guess that woman's job? Score a point for getting it right.
Oh, go on! Have a go.

Usually we hire a cleaner when we're overseas but it's DIY back in Blighty. I'm not obsessive about it (I don't think so anyway) but I do like things to be clean and tidy. My husband OTOH would happily live in a pigsty. I'm always on at him for just dropping things wherever when he's finished using them. Then you have to do a complete house search to find the item again because it wasn't put back where it belongs. Grrr.

[Stravaig]

Primrose, I note you said "Catch Covid again".

I'm wondering if there's anyone who hasn't had it.

Husband and I have both had it but that was after our jabs so we didn't suffer much. I have some friends who've had it at least twice. Again, didn't suffer too much. In our circle of friends and aquaintances we're all jabbed up. It's voluntary, but I dont know of anyone who refused the jabs.

[Primrose]

I had Covid last March. Still suffering continually from coughing and with ongoing breathing difficulties. Seems that if you have a weak point in your system it knows exactly where to aim for. But now free testing has disappeared I doubt many people, apart from those in the Health System who are still obliged to test, are bothering any more.

[Colin2016]

No idea if I have had it or not, never done a test, had all the jabs so guess they work.

Mind you I don't go to crowded places which I am sure helps.

[robo]

I did a spell doing rehabs in Liverpool for wimpeys the houses where still occupied a few we had to get fumigated one house was done 3 times I still wouldn’t work in there ,in one house the family was sitting watching television in the mid afternoon their dog craped in the middle of the living room carpet it was still there 4 days later we had to get a guy from the council to insist they move it

[Stravaig]

Oh! I just can't imagine how people could live like that. I find an unmade bed distasteful. Now I'm starting to wonder if I'm a bit freaky.

[Colin2016]

Have you noticed an egg timer at the Dr?

Fellow plot holder was saying he saw one on a consultants desk and I saw one on the "The Dr will see you Now" prog last night.

Is this a ne way of keeping your visit to what ever the current time you are allowed?

[Stravaig]

Colin, I think EVERYTHING is timed these days.
When we first moved into this unfurnished flat in October we got a delivery of a fridge and freezer. Got chatting to one of the delivery guys and he told us they're allowed 12 minutes for such a delivery.

This wasn't realistic. Two large appliances. They had to use the entry phone to get into the building, then husband had to go down in the lift, let them in and escort them through the security "barriers" - I mean you need a certain code to get to some of the higher floors. There was no way they could've done all that in 12 minutes. And these guys probably get paid a pittance too.

[tigerburnie]

I've not had covid neither has my wife, she has received her appointment next week for the booster as she is vulnerable, I'm under 75 so don't qualify.
The NHS at hospital level have been fantastic for me and cannot fault the service, the GP's don't seem to want to work, but their nurses are first class, they deserve a pay rise if only for what they went through during 2020, when so many died from covid before we had a vaccine.

[Westi]

I find it interesting that so many of the trained nurses did the next level training to become prescribers & now are pretty much autonomous with their patient load; but did not get any increase in pay at the time & had to wait & apply when a higher post came up. Their workload intensified & they were making huge treatment decisions within their designated speciality but not rewarded for it. Yep the courses cost the hospitals for the training but they are ultimately the beneficiaries.

I did the course & it was intense but I never prescribed as my remit was really wide & you can only use certain drugs related to your specific speciality if the specialist consultants agree, but I had direct access to the main big hospital & could take a verbal agreement to give something while waiting for the ambulance to take someone there who had deteriorated. Never used the course really as changed career path when the community rehab hospital closed to inpatients & I went back to the big hospital. Still patient centred but from the protection side rather than hands on.

[Stravaig]

The ear doctor visited us as planned. 9 am Saturday. (He only does this Mons and Sats.) He showed up on time and well equipped with his kit.

He didn't use water, as I'd expected, but instead had a suction machine. He took the effort to explain it all to me. And he showed me some kind of thing where I could see the inside of my ears and the blockages. It was all going very well until he said something to my husband about "your mum", even though we'd made sure to use words like "husband" and "wife" in an attempt to prevent such a thing.

Geez, if looks could kill, that guy would be 12 feet under. Husband was furious. I took a different tack. I looked interested and asked, "Why do you think I'm his mother?" Of course the only sensible, but rude, response to that is "Because you look older". Oh my. The guy was very, very apologetic. But it doesn't undo the harm and the hurt.

I think he did a good job on my ears. Happy about that and I didn't have to waste half a day or more in a hospital waiting room. (And pay for parking.) £60 for me - well worth it.

I asked him to look in husband's ears. I think he's deaf. The doctor did that but said there was nothing wrong. (£20 for that.) It seems that husband has the usual male disease of selective deafness, ie not hearing what wife says.

[Colin2016]

" usual male disease of selective deafness"

It is common here as well.

[Stravaig]

Oh, I forgot to say that one of the otherwise helpful delivery guys asked me if husband was my son. Grrr.
WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO BE SO FECKIN THICK AND HURTFUL?

Give me an axe and I'll happily chop their heads off.

[Westi]

I kinda think they are forced to be helpful & chatty when delivering & quite frankly would prefer to say nothing but all these delivery companies are the first to send the 'how did we do' feedback forms. I suspect if you wrote that the delivery guy said nothing they would be giving them grief. I'm pretty sure no one means to be hurtful & just trying to break the ice but maybe they should get training on conversations & interactions with buyers on what subjects to avoid like age & relationships.

I had a funny situation around this when I was chatting to the staff at our local shop. A delivery driver came in for a can of drink after delivering something to the boy/girl in the flat behind. He apparently knew he was a guy but as dressed like a woman addressed this identity & called her 'Love'. She locked the door & started a deep conversation with the driver regarding demonstrating his love & it wasn't about a Valentine's card. We laughed like hell as Ryan is incredibly cheeky & funny. Maybe Stravaig you & your husband could have a rehearsed response for your situations - they will never do it again no doubt!