'Flu Jabs and Wild, Windy Weather

It's that time of year when I have to go for my free 'flu jab. I knew it was coming up and eventually I discovered they would be holding the annual 'flu jab clinic at Ashfield Medical Centre. It would be held this Saturday and next between 8a.m. and 12 noon. I always want to be there as the doors open at 8 so as to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. Alfie was disappointed that I couldn't take him out for his walk around Eaglestone Park, but it wasn't light enough at 7.20 as well as a howling gale lashing the trees outside. I wasn't going to be able to get round the park and back in time to leave for the surgery at 7.45, so he was going to have to wait until I got back.

As I came out of the house and ready to drive off to Ashfield it was bright sunshine over the tops of the houses and a really amazing rainbow across the sky. It was a complete arc and quite unusual because you never seem to see a complete one, probably the end as it touches the ground, but this one seemed to arc over all of Milton Keynes. I rushed back into the house to find my digital camera and attempted to capture it, but it wasn't easy. I couldn't manage to fit the entire rainbow in but i think I got some of it in. Such a rare thing to see and it was gone very quickly so I'm glad I managed to get some of it before it disappeared.

I drove to Beanhill and got to the Ashfield Medical Centre carpark in good time and parked at the rear of the unit. (There is also a dental surgery as well as a Cox and Robinson pharmacy within the block of premises with Ashfield Medical Centre being the largest unit.) I prefer to park at the rear as generally there is more space and it's easier to park and get out than at the front.

As I got to the front of the surgery there were a few people gathering, one lady had an umbrella up because it began to rain. Thankfully the practise manager came to open the door up so we could go inside to wait. I really didn't fancy getting soaked so it was as well we didn't have to wait in the rain, although I don't think it lasted long.

They couldn't begin giving the jabs until 8 o'clock. Would it have mattered if they had? What reason was there to not begin? Some formality or other. I won't ask, being Ashfield Medical Centre. Anyway, they allowed us to register, or at least, report to the reception desk to sign in which would at least record that we were there. Then, to have to sit and wait until 8 before the flu jabs began. I wasn't bothered at all that some people went before me. Who cares? They had tea and coffee to drink before and after you'd been for your injection, but, to be honest, I wasn't bothered. Then the clock ticked over, 8 o'clock and bingo! People were called, or at least there name and which person was doing the injections and which room came up on the digital screen. You'd have thought it would have been in alphabetical order, but no, a sort of random name came up, although, now thinking about it, the names were probably just in the order of people being signed in. About ten minutes later my name came up on the digital display, to go to Room 4. One of the doctors. She asked my name and date of birth (which seems to be the standard way to identify you in the N.H.S.) and I sat on a chair and she administered the injection into my left arm, without me feeling a thing, which should be how it's done and I was out and driving on to Sainsbury's.

It wasn't 8.30 when I got to Sainsbury's store in Witan Gate and it was great to be able to move around the store easily without hoards of other shoppers. Having completed my shopping I returned home and because it had, by now, shown signs of being quite bright outside I decided to take Alfie for his delayed walk, much to his complete and utter happiness. It was quite windy and we came across quite  few bits of twig and benches which had been bought down by the wind. But by the time I came to leave the house to see Carol in hospital the skies opened and it rained, so there was absolutely no way I was going to walk, which was what I had intended. It is, after all, a mere ten-minute walk there along the Redway and it would at least mean I wouldn't have to pay parking (you have to pay, because the Macmillan Unit isn't open over the weekend so you can't get your parking ticket clipped which means you can't get free parking, which is a bit mean.) But by the time I'd got to the park park near Cardiology, which is where I generally park, and then walked in to Ward 9, it had stopped raining and the sun was out!

Technical Hitch with I.T. at Oncology

Another bright and sunny day. We had to be at oncology at gone 9 o'clock this morning. But as soon as we walked in to the unit, which was completely deserted, we were told by a member of staff that we could expect to be kept waiting as there was a problem with the new computer system which the nurses have to use to input data. It's the same old, same old. Whenever they decide to up-grade computer software, in whatever use it might have, there is invariably a problem. They'd changed passwords, which meant they couldn't get in to it and so there was the inevitable wait. But Carol was seen relatively quickly. A lot of patients coming into the unit to wait. Not a lot you can do when you are due for chemotherapy. With all this going on, it makes you wonder how much the N.H.S. pays out for this sort of thing, and to then have it fail miserably. And relying on a computerised system when it could just as easily be written on paper. Let's hope that the blood test shows enough blood cells for the chemotherapy to continue tomorrow, after the last two attempts didn't show sufficient cells for this to go ahead as planned.

I had put in a repeat prescription for Carol on Tuesday. I rang Lloyds at Sainsbury's. This would give the surgery ample time to sort things out and then allow Lloyds to make up the prescription. Then on Friday evening one of the ladies from Lloyds telephoned to say she'd picked up the prescription but that she could only have one item from the two I'd ordered. Ashfield told her they 'didn't have time' to do the second one. I don't know what to make of that, because Carol was about to run out of this particular tablet. It seems to me that the surgery is being run for the total sake of the staff, not the patients. Anyway, we drove to Beanhill after we'd done with oncology. On enquiring at the reception, Carol did eventually get the missing prescription, but she has to have a doctor's certificate as she's off sick. The receptionist said that 'all today's appointments are taken.' Also, when Carol said she needed the certificate by Wednesday, she was told that she couldn't book an appointment that far in advance. Would it not make patients' lives easier if they did let you book appointments in advance? But I don't get this, because we've managed to book appointments a good month in advance, when the doctor specifically asks you to do so when he needs to see you again for whatever reason. Seems a bit like 'the tail wagging the dog' syndrome. They love to make up rules just to be awkward.

We drove over to Westcroft to do some shopping in Morrison's and to take the prescription into Boots to have it made up.

On arriving home we put washing on, and since it was so warm and sunny it was all put out on the line in the garden. By around 5 o'clock I thought I heard thunder. It did cloud over somewhat and it was this that prompted me to rush out and collect up the by-now dry washing. There was further thunder but it didn't go on to rain. It has been warm and sultry all day, meaning we needed to cool the house so we've had windows open to attempt to cool the house. Not entirely successful, though.

We've got Alfie involved in what zoos call 'enrichment', that is, giving him some sort of activity which stretches him more than just giving him a treat. He has to work for his treats. So we put these treats in hiding places and he has to find them. He doesn't usually have a problem and he uses his nose usually to hunt these bits of food in various locations around the room (and in other parts of the house as he'd beginning to just go to the same places where we've hidden these treats.) 

Wet and Miserable

Just when we thought the weather was going to improve, we wake up to rain lashing the windows and generally cold and miserable. Well, we're days away from April and Easter's almost upon us. It always seems to creep up on us seemingly from nowhere. I suppose because it's always a different Sunday every year, unlike Christmas, which is a fixed festival. The shops get filled up with fluffy bunnies, cute cuddly lambs, bright yellow chicks, chocolate eggs and bunches of daffodils, hot cross buns and all manner of indulgent cakes and chocolate delights.

Carol was due to run out of her sleeping tablets. Her prescription has only been for no more than three week's worth.  Why can't they allow her to have a larger quantity? We needed to get a repeat prescription done in time to be ready before the Bank Holiday (the surgery will be closed on Monday.) It was no use ringing to make a request, because you have to ring after 11 a.m. Then it can take at least 25 minutes to get through to a human to speak to. So we decided to drive to Beanhill and request the repeat. It's stressful enough having to deal with cancer without the added problems of dealing with Ashfield Medical Centre. These tablets are not officially on repeat (which seems crazy.) The doctor would have to clear the repeat and then have the prescription printed and then collected by Lloyd's pharmacy at Sainsbury's. It wouldn't be until at least Tuesday before the prescription was made up. I just don't know why the doctor at the hospital can't sign off the prescription, which would mean cutting out Ashfield altogether, since he is the one looking after Carol through the oncology department. Just another level of bureaucracy which no doubt adds to the expense of the N.H.S. It seems that Ashfield have to make as many problems than they solve, for no particular reason. Just bloody-mindedness to be honest. 

Anyway, having put in the prescription request we then drove to Waitrose. Anything to get away from the stress caused by this unnecessary problem. It was raining quite hard as we drove into the carpark. As you come down the slope from Chaffron Way you have to be extra careful because they've put bollards at the bottom. It would be quite easy to run into them if your weren't careful. As we were about to walk into the store with a trolley, Carol said she recognised the lady coming in behind us. She goes to Shenley Christian Fellowship and lives in Eaglestone and has visited on a couple of occasions. We then queued up in the café and ordered two lattes and some rather nice cakes which we had with butter. Carol went to sit down on one of the sofas and I waited for the coffees to be made. We sat down to begin drinking the lattes and eat the cakes when the lady we saw coming into the store queue at the counter and then she turned to face us and then came over to sit with us. She had come in on her bicycle and was in wet-weather wear. We had a long conversation and when we finished we did some shopping around the store.

On the walk back to the car Carol got in whilst I packed the shopping in the back. As I pushed the trolley back to the trolley park, a large Range Rover came along the road between the rows of car. I heard a lady shouting. She was pushing her trolley back to her car and was very nearly run  into by the Range Rover. If she hadn't called out there could have been a really nasty accident. It was patently clear that the driver of the Range Rover wasn't paying attention. Some people are in too much of a hurry to look what they're doing. No doubt the car was big and high off the ground and he couldn't see the lady with the shopping trolley. There seems too much of this sort of thing. I don't recall the driver even apologising to the poor lady. When we were in town yesterday we were going back up the escalator in Debenhams, on our way back to the carpark when a couple came up behind us and virtually pushed us out of the way, not bothered that we were in their way, no sort of apology. Just plain rudeness. There is certainly a great deal of this at the moment, particularly from car drivers who don't like the fact that you might be in their way. They want the road to themselves. They're not too keen to be held up, even for a few seconds, particularly at a roundabout or road junction. I'm constantly being cut up at roundabouts by other motorists. I think I've mentioned this before, people's manners are appalling. I'm not saying everyone I encounter. Generally most people are generous and respect others. It's just the very small minority of people who don't respect others who cause problems on the roads.

Well, the day may have begun wet and miserable, but the sun did come out eventually, late afternoon and it was almost like spring. Well, as it should be. We have daffodils appearing all over the city and along Chaffron Way, as we drove down towards Waitrose, we saw an amazing display of primroses, so, yes, spring would appear to be with us. Trees have begun to bud and the birds are busy building nests, or at least I imagine they are.

Shopping Trips and Haircuts

I mentioned a few weeks ago how I had intended getting my haircut and went to the usual barber's in Monkton Park, only to discover, after waiting around 15 minutes and finding they weren't going to open up, that the business had closed down. The company is called Essential Barbers and they have another branch in North Furzton. So I decided to give things another go and drove there before they opened at 9.30 yesterday morning. So, hair now cut and won't need doing for at least a couple of months. 

From North Furzton I drove to Beanhill to go to Ashfield Medical Centre. I've mentioned on several blog posts the problems we're experiencing regarding Carol's repeat prescriptions. I still don't understand how it can take somewhere in the region of ten days to get a prescription ready so that it can be made up and ready for collection at a pharmacy. We give ample time for this. It should take no more than 48 hours. I attempt to make sure that Carol doesn't run out of any of the medications she has on repeat, particularly as we've managed to get the pain she's experiencing under control. On asking at the reception desk whether the prescription was ready, I was told that one item was ready and printed, but the rest of the items was not. I also had to ask for a fresh medical certificate for Carol as she needs one since she's off work sick. I was told that the doctor would ring to confirm this. So I returned home and no sooner had I got in the house and the telephone rang and it was the doctor for Carol. Then I heard from Lloyd's pharmacy at Sainsbury's with a phone call that they had some of the stoma material. But why had it been delivered to Lloyd's? The whole thing is going crazy. The stuff from Fittleworth should be sent direct to our address. Carol was determined to come with me to Sainsbury's as she wanted to get out of the house. So we drove there. It's perhaps the first time she's been to Sainsbury's for at least six months. One part of the repeat prescription was ready for collection, along with my own medications, which I had ordered earlier in the week. I seems odd to me that my repeat prescription was done within days, but Carol's has to take at least a week to be ready. The doctor had told me that the prescription which he had written and had printed out, would be ready on Monday  after 2 o'clock. So I drove there after 2 o'clock BUT THE PRESCRIPTION WASN'T READY! The receptionist at the surgery told me that the prescription was probably going to be in the doctor's surgery and couldn't be taken until the doctor was without a patient. This whole thing is now getting out of hand and as a result causing a certain amount of stress for both of us.

This morning (Tuesday) we had another attempt to get the prescription out of the surgery. One was ready for collection but the second one was still unready. We went to IKEA as we were looking for a new rug for the lounge, and, after a look in the rug and carpet section we couldn't find one which we liked, but we bought several other items of use and then went to get a hotdog, chips and a drink near the exit to the store. Plenty of it and extremely good value.

As I write this blog post, I'm watching Michael Portillo's television series 'Great Railway Journeys,' on BBC2, and as I write this he's at the Swiss Garden near Old Warden in Bedfordshire, somewhere we've visited and near where I used to live at Cardington. A really beautiful place to visit, part of the Shuttleworth Estate and directly next to the Shuttleworth Collection of aeroplanes and cars of various ages.

'Flu Jab Today

I fall into a group which is called 'vulnerable' when it comes to such things as 'flu, so I get an annual jab about this time every year, because I've had a heart attack as well as being over he age of 60. Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill, which is where I'm registered as a patient, runs two Saturday clinics for these 'flu jabs, one being today, 23rd September and the second on 14th October, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. No good if I'm going to be ill as I'll be no use to Carol if I'm incapacitated so I make the most of this. Thank goodness for the N.H.S. It may have it's faults, but if you had to pay for a 'flu jab it can cost from around £6 to £12. I went along to the surgery at 7.45 this morning and parked ready and waiting and then found a quite considerable queue of people waiting outside the surgery. As soon as the door was opened everyone flocked inside and we had to register with one of two receptionists and I was called through to Dr Cassidy and the jab was administered fast and efficiently and I was out and driving home by 8.15. How is it they can run these clinics so well yet you can be sitting around for a couple of hours as we did in the endoscopy department the other day? We think perhaps they were short staffed when we were there. The C.T. scan which Carol had on Thursday was done very quickly with the minimum amount of waiting. 

Obstructive Bureaucracy

Trying to get through to our doctors' surgery at Ashfield Medical Centre is at times more than frustrating and annoying, as I've mentioned on various posts on here. Carol needed a fresh prescription for Co-codimol as she's experiencing real pain at night and none of the pain relief she is on is helping. There's a triage system in place which means you have to ring up, generally around 8.30 a.m.- onwards, which means you don't always get through immediately and have to go through a menu, choose which selection you need and then wait for some considerable time before getting through, probably having to wait in a queue.

It didn't take too long to get through, even though I had to endure the endless rigmarole of the menu. Once I'd got through I had to hand the phone to Carol. She was greeted by a most officious receptionist who said she'd come through to the wrong line and that they would only let those who were house-bound or over a 'certain age' to be allowed to have a prescription done the same day. I can't see what the problem is about this. She doesn't have Co-codomol on repeat and she could have had a ring-back from one of the doctors in the surgery to find out why the prescription was so important. She was then told that she would need to visit the surgery and bring a letter explaining why she needed the prescription. She she wrote and signed a letter to that effect and I drove towards Beanhill, where the Ashfield Medical Centre is situated. On arriving at the Standing Way roundabout that you have to circle in order to get to Saxon Street and then into Wastel, where Ashfield Medical Centre is, I found it closed to all traffic. So I had to make a right turn on the roundabout and journey along Standing Way and then round past the stadium, only to find that Saxon Street was closed off the opposite end to Standing Way. Which meant I had to find an alternative place to park and then walk to Beanhill and the surgery. I eventually decided the only place I could think of was Netherfield and to park in a space near the shops and then walk along the Redway towards Beanhill. This I did, and it was a considerable distance, crossing under several roads on the way. I managed to hand over the letter that Carol had written, but was given no guarantee that the prescription would be ready later in the day. I walked back to the car and did a bit of shopping in the Co-op in Netherfield and then drove home, a little bit annoyed by the way the situation had been created by the over officious receptionist at the surgery. All adding to the stress of the situation, not helped by the fact we had to ring in the first place and secondly, by the road-closure into the road near Beanhill and lastly, by the obstructive nature of the receptionist at the surgery.

I'm still not sure why the road was closed in the first place. Was it to re-surface the road, or to have the road dug up for some reason such as putting in pipes for gas or something? No warning given as I drove towards the roundabout on Standing Way, or example. It just made life very annoying.

I think this bureaucracy is partly the reason why the N.H.S. is in crisis. It seems over-burdened by administration. I know they need a certain amount of paperwork to operate, but to put managers and administrators in the way is just a waste of resources and money. Endless targets and statistics doesn't lead to efficiency. Just find a better way to do something would surely make more sense. How much money do they waste on business consultants and similar people? I'd love to know. Putting someone such as a receptionist in the way so as to prevent a patient getting medication is a disgrace. It should be a doctor who decides what should happen as they have the training and experience. Give someone a position of so-called authority and it can sometimes go to their head. 

Roadworks Annoyances and Other Matters Relating

The grid roads within Milton Keynes are currently being re-surfaced. Considering the condition it's a good thing. There are many potholes. For a relatively new town it's not good to have roads in such a state of dis-repair. They are gradually getting the job done and as a result it can cause some inconvenience. We've had plenty of warning, with signs being placed at strategic points around this area. They have stated that the work will take 4 days. The workmen have taken off the surface of some of the road, which means that as you drive around you have to negotiate ramps as the old road surface is at a slightly different level, making it quite difficult, particularly if you were to drive to fast. The surface of the road around the roundabout at what is called 'Four Bridges' has been re-surfaced first. It's around two or three inches in height and if you don't drive carefully, most probably at speed, you're in real danger of damaging your car, most likely the suspension and exhaust system. As a lot of drivers are impatient they tend to drive really up close behind and if you don't get out of their way they attempt to get you to drive faster. There is absolutely no excuse to ignore the fact that there is a lot of roadworks in this area currently because there are large signs to warn you, particularly that there are 'raised ironworks,' most likely in regard to manhole covers and drains as well as the ramps which are between different road surfaces, old and new.

Carol is experiencing a lot of pain due to a trapped nerve. She's been to the doctor's several times. I have to make an appointment for her. It's not easy getting one, as I've mentioned on here before now. You have to ring, after 9.30. It's no good ringing before because the telephone lines aren't open. It's gone 9.38 before I eventually get through to a human. You get a long menu and then 'press 1' to book an appointment. When I eventually get to speak to someone, I have to describe the symptoms and get told 'a doctor will ring back' so as to decide whether the appointment is necessary. Well, it is, otherwise I wouldn't put myself through the ringer in order to get through. I know why they have this, relatively new- system. It's to weed out the time wasters. A doctor does eventually ring back, after 20-30 minutes. I explain what's the matter and that the appointment is not for me. I manage to get an appointment at 3 o'clock that afternoon. I then text Carol to give her the news.

I have to go out to buy salad to go with the cold meat we're having for tonight's meal. Due to the fact that there's roadworks continuing on most of the Grid Roads within the vicinity of Eaglestone, I'm not sure where to go. It would be fairly easy to drive to Waitrose or Asda. I drive out onto Saxon Street, the exit opposite the Academy. I turn left and make for Standing Way. Because of the roadworks, I end up going to Sainsbury's, along Marlborough Street and towards the city centre. Having bought what I wanted in the supermarket, I drive out of Sainsbury's underground carpark and drive a good deal further round Milton Keynes, back towards Standing Way and back onto Saxon Street because the road is closed off just beyond the entrance back into Eaglestone. As a result I have drive around four-five times the distance to avoid the roadworks. As I drive in there is a mini traffic jam, entering and exiting Eaglestone. It seems most drivers are using Eaglestone as a sort of rat-run, or short cut, rather than driving around the city as I've just done.

I go to collect Carol from the Academy at around 2.45. She is waiting just inside the gate. It takes a while for the automated thing to open. Really on it's last legs, if you can so describe an automated gate. Just a lick of paint might freshen things up. It is a rusty old thing. Not that old, come to think of it, as Milton Keynes Academy can't be much more than 6 years old.

We arrive in the carpark at Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill. Why do cars have to park in the road outside, when there is a perfectly adequate carpark? We manage to find a space in the carpark at the rear. Not a particularly well designed space to park your car, as it's a really tight space to turn and when you exit you have to make sure that no vehicles are coming in.

We don't have to wait long before Carol is seen. There are that many other people waiting. The appointment was booked for 3 and her name comes up on the digital display very quickly, more or less exactly on 3.00.  She is seen by a nurse, not a doctor.

Carol reappears after about ten minutes with a prescription. As she's diabetic she doesn't have to pay for prescriptions. We take it to Cox and Robinson's chemist, which is only a short walk from the doctor's. Unfortunately I didn't bring my wallet with me, which has the N.H.S. card which you have to show so you don't have to pay prescription charges. We leave the prescription to be made up and say we'll come back to collect it after 5 o'clock. I have to take Carol back to work. She's not over-enthusiastic as it's for some meeting or other which are generally very boring.

I drive out of Eaglestone, having remembered this time to take my wallet complete with the N.H.S. exemption card, with the intention of driving straight over Saxon Street, so as to collect Carol from the Academy . But as I come out onto Saxon Street it appears that the road is back open in both directions. I can't make a safe crossing into the Academy so turn left and decide that, instead of going to collect Carol I might just as well drive to the chemist and collect the prescription and then go back to The Academy. This done, I text Carol to inform her of what I've done. Mission completed, we return home.

Walking Alfie

Instead of using the car to take Carol to work at Milton Keynes Academy in the morning and because the weather is so much better at the moment, we have been walking over. It's only a ten-minute walk and in actual fact far quicker than taking the car, because it could take longer to de-ice the car and get it warm and then merely a two-minute drive. Then, driving back home, the traffic could be heavy after 7.30. You get those drivers who don't care that it's actually a 40 m.p.h. zone along Saxon Street. There used to be a 'slow down' sign fixed to the footbridge, one of those digital displays which shows your speed and then, when you're going the correct speed, a smiley face. I think a good deal more effective than speed cameras, which are used mostly to raise money and some people slow down when they approach them and then speed up once they are past. 

We have begun taking Alfie with us. He's always eager to go out for a walk, and makes a good deal of noise when he realises he's likely to go out. Carol has her lanyard with her pass on a hook in the kitchen, next to where Alfie's lead is kept, and as soon as Carol picked up her lanyard this morning (which is, incidentally, the same colour blue as Alfie's lead.) he started barking and getting excited. Carol put on Alfie's harness, as it's better than fixing his lead to his collar, which he wears all the time, but Alfie was getting more and more excited at the prospect of going out for a walk. Once on, we went outside and all the neighbourhood could hear his yaps and barks, echoing throughout the estate. 

You have to keep your wits about you as you walk Alfie along the Redway as some unpleasant individual has thought it necessary to smash some bottles as you approach the Academy gates, so I have to pick Alfie up as I don't want him getting any bits of glass in his feet.  The bit of glass are strewn all along the patch and the tiniest pieces are the one's that are likely to do the most harm and very difficult to see, although most of the bits glitter in the sunlight. He hurt a paw a few weeks ago and has been limping about, and we're still not sure what caused this. Perhaps he tweaked a muscle or caught a nail when out for a walk, but it doesn't seem to be troubling him too much. Yesterday , as I walked back home from the Academy, two children from the school wanted to talk to Alfie when I had picked him up. I think a lot of the children who go there know that Alfie is Carol and my dog. He seems to have built up something of a fan club.

All along the Redway, from where the footbridge over Saxon Street, up as far as the path which approaches the Academy, it's strewn with litter. I'm shocked that it's so dirty. It's crisp packets, plastic drinks bottles and all manner of litter. I'm shocked if it's thrown there by the school children who use the path as they walk to and from school. The worst part is where staff members of the Academy come out to smoke. As it's illegal to smoke cigarettes within the school grounds, those who do smoke have to go outside the school grounds, and we often see people standing outside on the Redway, smoking their cigarettes. But I object strongly to the fact that they throw their cigarette ends on the ground, adding to a larger and larger collection. It looks really nasty. The same can be said to happen at other places, most notably near our doctor's surgery, Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill. I don't expect it's just the surgery staff who drop their cigarette ends on the ground (at the side of the building, as you walk round from the carpark at the back of the building.) as there's also a dentist surgery and Cox and Robinson's chemist shop in the same cluster of businesses near the Ashfield Medical Centre. If people must smoke they should at least dispose of their cigarette ends in some sort of bin as it's surely not good for the environment as well as looking really untidy and unpleasant.

As for the litter near the Academy, I have seen Council workmen picking up the litter on a couple of occasions, but I imagine, what with budget cuts, there won't be so much of this sort of work going on. It just annoys me that people think it's fine to throw their litter on the ground and not just take it home with them to dispose of it sensibly. 

Hot, Hot Day

So, here it is. Summer. It's arrived. Make the most of it. Because if you blink, it'll be gone. How long will the heatwave last? Probably only a few days.

Anyway, however long it lasts, it's been an extremely hot day and to be honest, I'm not sure I like it. I do like it warm and sunny, but if it's too hot I frankly can't cope with it. Just sweaty and unpleasant. I don't want to be out in it too long and just want to be in the shade. Our dogs don't know how to cope and flop around the house. 

I had to get to the doctor's at Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill before 8 a.m. as I had a blood test booked. It was a fasting blood test, which meant I couldn't eat for 12 hours previous, which can be difficult. Carol came with me and there was already a queue outside when the doors eventually opened. I checked in (the computer system you use to self-check-in was working, surprisingly, as it wasn't working last time I came in. 

As you will know, if you follow this blog on a regular basis, you will no doubt know that I have a problem with blood tests. I hate needles. But this time there wasn't a problem and the nurse was able to find a vein in my left arm and it was over very quickly. Efficient and effective. Thank goodness. This blood test was for cholesterol, because when the doctor did my medication review a few weeks ago he said I should have to have a blood test to just keep an eye on my cholesterol levels.

Carol had booked a blood test for herself and had to check when it was on Wednesday. She also had to get a repeat prescription for cream from the doctor. The receptionist said that the doctor would ring during the course of the day to give her a sort of review and have a prescription made up and sent to Sainsbury's pharmacy to have it made up but we waited in all day and no telephone call came which was somewhat annoying. Maybe he will ring tomorrow.

Late Night Visit to Urgent Care Centre

I mentioned on an earlier post on here about how I attempted to get Carol a doctor's appointment and failed because after around two hours of trying to get through on the telephone because that is now the only method available to get seen by a doctor at our surgery. So she still hasn't got an appointment and her health has got worse over the weekend ( I shall not describe on here what it is that is causing her problems as it it somewhat personal and she wouldn't thank me for giving such information, if you will excuse me from doing so. This doesn't matter because I really want to write about the N.H.S.'s inability to make available access to their services by people who are in need of serious attention and the fact that Carol, as a teacher, is what you would describe as a 'Key Worker' along with such people as ambulance drivers, paramedics, doctors etc, who keep the country going and cannot make appointments during work hours, hanging on telephone lines attempting to make doctor's appointments by using such ludicrous systems as set up by out-of-touch bureaucrats who sit in offices and don't use such services themselves (or so it would appear.)

At around 3 0'clock on Sunday morning Carol was in real pain. She has been taking paracetamol without much success, so we decided it would be best to visit what is called the Urgent Care Centre at Milton Keynes Hospital, formerly known as the Walk-In Centre. It's for those who need medical attention but not serious enough to need to go to Accident and Emergency. I have used that service when I had my original heart attack and subsequent angina attacks which then lead to over-night stays in hospital. She rang the 111 phone number and gave details of her problem and was then told to go to the Urgent Care Centre where an appointment was booked for  3.50 a.m. We had to get dressed and I was half asleep, as you can imagine at such an early hour. The dogs must have wondered what on earth we were doing getting up in the middle of the night so they had to be put in the kitchen, much to their surprise as they usually spend the night with us in the bedroom. Spoilt doggies.

It was an easy drive to the hospital. We live directly behind Milton Keynes Hospital and we could have easily walked through to the Urgent Care Centre but we decided as it was so late and dark (and who knows who would be wandering around the streets at that time of night. Probably no safe unfortunately.) We got to the carpark and decided against payment. Sorry, we didn't have any cash and it seems unfair to expect you to pay when you visit any hospital department. Fortunately the reception had details of Carol's ailment on their computer but this didn't mean we were seen any faster. There was only one other person waiting so we couldn't see why we had to wait so long. Another hour or so before a nurse saw her and then another hour before a doctor saw her. Only two other people came in and sat in the waiting area. The two vending machines in the place were not working. Not very good considering you were likely to wait several hours to be seen and the place was really dirty with empty coffee cups, coke cans and crisp wrappers on the floor. Some people seem incapable of putting their rubbish in the bin provided. No magazines to read either or even a television on as you might expect. The plastic chairs you have to sit on are so designed to make the whole experience as uncomfortable and unpleasant as possible. Possibly an attempt to put off that element of the community who treat the N.H.S. and it's services with some sort of contempt and think they can get every single minor cut, broken finger nail, sniffle, sore ear, throat or big toe treated in such places and waste money and time doing so. I know I'm ranting a bit but such people don't need to clog up the system when they can deal with those minor ailments by going to a chemist and speaking to a pharmacist who will tell them to take aspirin or paracetamol or just go home and go to bed for a couple of days until they feel better or to just be more sensible and take evasive action so as not to cut their finger or stub their toe and thus allow more serious ailments of other people to be dealt with in a calm and sensible manner.

Anyway, we left after barely two hours and Carol was given a prescription for some medication as well as being told by the doctor who eventually saw her that he'd sent a letter or no doubt an email to our surgery to the effect that she needed an urgent appointment. So we drove home where I then made mugs of tea which we drank in bed and went back to sleep. So I imagine I'll be rung on Monday or probably Tuesday by the surgery in Beanhill to give Carol an appointment.

After our early-morning visit to Urgent Care, we didn't get up until quite late. It must have been at least 9.30. The sun was shining so it seemed in order to get out so we drove up the A5 past Weedon to visit the Heart of Shires shopping village, somewhere we've visited on quite a number of occasions. There are quite a few of these sort of places dotted along the A5 which we love to visit because the A5, Watling Street is a rather pleasant drive as an alternative to the M1 which is such a soulless drive and the service areas over-priced and very bland. This particular place has a wide range of really great shops, selling a range of products such as food and drink as well as antiques. We had a pleasant meal in Darlington's Tea Rooms where we both had ploughman's lunches which were better than the average you would get elsewhere with plenty on our plates and we also had coffee. Very efficient service and reasonably priced in very pleasant surroundings. It was a shame that the weather changed as we were in there and by the time we went back out to the car to return home it was getting very windy, the sky began to cloud over and it looked as if it was going to rain.

Whipsnade At The Weekend

The past few days have been miserable, weatherwise. Rainy, overcast and thoroughly unpleasant. So, for Carol, not an auspicious start to her week off for Half-Term. It was my 65th birthday on Thursday, not something I was over-keen to celebrate. I don't make too much of my birthdays generally. And I don't really want or need to make too much of this particular birthday. I'm intending buying myself a really decent digital camera but it may have to wait until the New Year. We've got two reasonably good Fuji cameras but we want to up-grade to more sophisticated models as the Fujis are good but somewhat basic and showing signs of their age. D.S.L.R's are in order which should mean that we can be a little more imaginative with our photography. I'm looking at a Canon and Carol has her eye on an Olympus. I owned a traditional film camera made by Olympus at one time so I can vouch for the quality of Olympus as a camera brand to be trusted. As for Canon, I have owned one of their printers and it was excellent and their cameras do have a quality that goes without saying.

On Friday we had our annual 'flu jabs. I get mine free on the N.H.S. as I have a heart condition and usually have this done at our surgery in Beanhill, Ashfield Medical centre, and they had clinics on the past two Saturdays, but we couldn't get to the first one due to not having the car repaired in time and Carol had booked her own 'flu jab at Sainsbury's pharmacy, but when we went in to book it we were told that hers could be done, free, as she has been recently diagnosed as diabetic so we arranged to have both done there, for free on the N.H.S. Carol had a teacher-training day on Friday and so, when she got home we drove in to Sainsbury's and did some shopping before having the 'flu jabs done. 

Saturday was generally miserable so there was no point in going out in the car. We want to look at digital cameras so decided to drive to Curry's what used to be the hockey stadium (now replaced by probably the most ugly building, the new head-quarters of Railtrack. Who ever came up with the design should be ashamed of themselves. It really is an eyesore. One side looks as if it's got huge towel-rails all over it and the building is constructed of huge Lego bricks. As it turned out, Currys (which also incorporated with P.C.World) is now merging with Carphone Warehouse so the store wasn't fully operational as they are re-fitting it. So it was a bit of a waste of a journey. We then drove over to Tesco at Kingston as we thought we could look at cameras there, but were disappointed by the very poor selection of cameras. Basic in the extreme. We did some shopping and then went home. I think we might end up buying the cameras in either Jessops or John Lewis.

The clocks changed over-night. At 2 a.m. For what reason? I can understand it being on a Sunday morning, but why 2 a.m. Why not at midnight? A right pain as it's difficult enough setting my digital watch. It's one of those watches which has it's time kept correct by a radio signal from an atomic clock in Rugby so you don't need to keep checking to keep the time correct, so, why can't it alter the time when the time moves either back or forward in autumn and spring?

Sunday morning was bright and sunny, so we made the effort to get out in the car and drive to Whipsnade zoo and make the most of our membership. We weren't disappointed because we saw more animals than we might have done if it had been a bright and hot summer's day and got some really excellent photographs. We drove in and went round in the car which is another benefit of membership. It was really busy so no doubt we weren't the only people making the most of the weather. We took our own food and ate it in the car so that saved us some money.

New Car

Carol had a doctor's appointment at 3.50 yesterday afternoon. We knew it wouldn't be a sensible idea for me to drive over to the Academy to collect her, as there are always a number of cars in the road leading up to the entrance gate, driven by parents of children being collected from the Academy. They are not supposed to park there, but that doesn't prevent them clogging up the entrance and making it somewhat dangerous. Some people will never take any notice of any rule or regulation, however it might impact others safety. So I drove out of our drive and parked along the road near the postbox and waited for her to text me when she was coming out, which wasn't long. We got to the surgery in Beanhill and it wasn't too long before she went into the doctor's surgery. The results were back from her recent blood test. It now looks as if she is diabetic, which wasn't unexpected. We had to take a prescription for yet more medication into the nearby Cox and Robinson pharmacy to get it made up. Having done that we decided to go to a  used car trader's showroom in Dunstable which we'd discovered on the internet. On arrival, having found the place which is well and truly hidden just off the main Dunstable road, we were surprised at the number and quality of secondhand vehicles they had on offer. We have gone for a Peugeot 1007, green in colour and only 7 years old. It has doors which slide open which makes it quite unique as far as I can see. Has all the specifications we want including having enough space in the back to carry groceries when we go shopping as well as being able to take the cage for when we take Alfie and Poppy out for their walks at the various places in and around Milton Keynes. We managed to get the car trader to take our old Hyundai Atoz, giving us £100 which was much more than we expected to get and it also means we don't have to worry about getting the poor old car scrapped. Frankly, it would been a waste of money if we'd decided to get it repaired as it hasn't got much more life it in. Having looked at the engine the mechanic told us that it looked as if the head gasket would need replacing and that it had perhaps no more than 100 left before it went. So, having paid a deposit on the new car and doing all the paperwork, we went home and went to the  Kentucky Fried Chicken take-away restaurant near the MK Stadium because we didn't fancy cooking when we got home. I have to now sort out the car's insurance, which shouldn't be too difficult as all I have to do is ring Swinton insurance who we had used for the Hyundai and transfer it to the new car. When we go back to fetch the new car on Saturday morning the car showroom will have MoT'd the new car for us for a further year and at the same time pay for the car tax once that is done as you can't tax a vehicle without both insurance and MoT. 

Parcel Arrives

The elusive parcel arrived from Very. At around 6.30. We were in the middle of watching 'Broadchurch' on catch-up. The parcel remained unopened for most of the running time of the programme, but then Carol couldn't resist for long and insisted on opening and taking out the contents. We then had to assemble the Vax steam cleaner, 'Home Master', and try it out which meant we didn't concentrate hard on the programme which is a pity. We had to try out the machine and cleaned some of the carpet in the lounge and experimented on cleaning the sofa. Seemed quite effective. Good as it uses steam and no chemicals. I have since been cleaning the floor in the kitchen and I'm shocked at how much dirt is coming off. We have been mopping the floor regularly and it would appear that most of the dirt is only going to be removed with the steam machine, so very impressed by it's efficiency.

Having taken Carol to work I later went to Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill and queued up  in order to get a doctor's appointment (although I was the second person in the queue, so I'm glad I went when I did. No rain, snow or generally unpleasant conditions to stand outside at 7.45 a.m. on a February morning.) I managed to get an appointment with Doctor Haye at 4.40 this afternoon. I have a longer appointment as I have several things to mention, one of them being my review of my medications as I had a note on my package of meds from Sainsbury's pharmacy when I collected it last week, informing me that I needed to see my doctor for a review before I could have my next repeat prescription, hence the appointment today.

Car Starts

We've had a busy day. Doing not much at all, really. Carol wanted a doctor's appointment and she got one booked at 3.50. We had heard nothing from Mark, the car mechanic so we sent a text message. He said he'd come as soon as he could, between 4 and 5. We booked a taxi to take us to the doctor's in Beanhill. We had texted Mark to say that we'd be gone to the doctor's and that we'd leave the car open and with the keys in so that he could have a look at the car. We also told our neighbours, Gary and Shelly, as we didn't want them thinking Mark was trying to steal the car if they saw him looking at the car. It could have resulted in all sorts of misunderstandings hence them being told. The taxi arrived in good time, by 3.20 so we got to the surgery with plenty of time to spare. Fortunately Carol was seen within 10 minutes of arriving, and came out of the surgery with a prescription which we too immediately to the pharmacy next door. Quite a few people in there waiting, but no sooner had we got the made-up prescription we went out and phoned for a taxi for home. Meanwhile Mark phoned to say that the car had no oil in it which was why it wouldn't start but he had managed to get it going. Then a taxi cab arrived but it turned out not to be for us but the correct one came and we got home. It's barely a five-minute journey if there is little traffic. On arriving home Mark told us we needed to put oil in the car and I was surprised it was so low. Not just low, but non-existent. I went with him to get oil from a near-by petrol station but on the way his van ran out of diesel. We had to leave the van on the side of the road, with traffic hurtling past as full speed as by now it was going-home time. A somewhat hairy experience walking along the grass verge and crossing the dual carriageway but we got the diesel and the oil at the nearby BP service station. We got back to the van and Mark put the diesel into the fuel tank and we drove home.  On the way back to Eaglestone we drove along Marlborough Street and saw a lot of flashing blue lights and two cars had a quid spectacular crash quite near the hospital turning and police and other emergency vehicles nearby. No sign of any injured people but from the state of the two cars more than likely some casualties. No doubt it will be in he local media tomorrow. Oil put into car and it seems to be running fine. Just now trust that this is the last problem with the car for a while and we can enjoy the remainder of Carol's summer holiday.

Air Pollution from Sahara

Over the past few days we've been experiencing some strange pollution due to the weather, something to do with pollution coming up from the Sahara Desert. Early today it was quite misty in Milton keynes and it seemed to block out a certain amount of light. It wasn't like fog. Quite difficult to explain. We went to Asda early as Carol needed something. It was quite mild as we drove away from the house. They had said on the television news that those who had breathing problems should stay indoors. 

When I went to collect my repeat prescription from Sainsbury's on Tuesday there was a note from the pharmacist that I would need to make an appointment with my G.P. to have my medication reviewed. I was somewhat surprised as I only had a review a few months ago (I must have mentioned it on here so I will need to have a search on earlier posts.) Also, I have had a recurring problem with my ears. I get a build-up of wax and have to have my ears syringed (not exactly something to make too much of on here, but, never the less, an issue which needs to be addressed.) I think I had it done around a year ago. I was told that I would need to see my G.P. as he had to refer me to the nurse who would do the ear-syringing. So I managed to get to the Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill at around 7.35 and waited in the car until the surgery doors opened at 8. I was fortunate that I could get an appointment immediately which meant I avoided having to wait for a long time.  Dr Hilmy reviewed my medication. It means that actually he just had to approve my medications and nothing more. I suppose it's because I'm on medication which is long-term and on repeated prescription and to ensure there is no waste. Certainly not as without I wouldn't be alive! He also took my blood pressure which was normal (not sure of the actual reading.) and I was on my way, before making a nurse's appointment for next Tuesday at 4.20 for the ear-syringing. At the moment my hearing is somewhat dulled and I get quite intense headaches. So it will be a relief once this is done. I have to use olive oil drops in my ears daily before the nurse's appointment.

Running Out of Medication

I don't know how I managed it, but I used up my last pravastatin tablet last night. I'm usually very up-to-date with my ordering of the repeat prescription. I usually give plenty of time to ring up Sainsbury's pharmacy to get them to contact the doctor' surgery in Beanhill so as to have the order made up. It takes around a week for the process to be completed. I set up this with them to cut down all the running around and thus make it simpler. It prevented me having to go to the surgery with either a form, filled out with the relevant medication (I have five items. Just as well I don't have to pay as I'm over 60. A single item now costs £7.85. So, in total I would have to pay something like £40 per month. And apparently this isn't for the cost of the actual medication, it's for administration costs. I shouldn't have to worry as I don't pay it. I remember when I first had my heart attack nearly eight years ago I was on sickness pay and I had to pay prescription charges. Seemed crazy when you think that the medication I am on actually keeps you alive. I left hospital and was given the bill for my prescription medication and had to go back to the hospital pharmacy to pay. I imagine that different hospitals run by different N.H.S. trusts or whatever don't all charge because when I was admitted to Milton Keynes Hospital for a short stay when I went in when I had  quite nasty attack of angina I didn't have to pay when I was discharged and they gave me a complete month's supply of medication.

I usually keep a check on my stocks of medication and then give Sainsbury's a telephone call and this, as I say, kick-starts the ordering process. I have, in the past, also ordered on-line which is just as easy and efficient. So it will now mean I will have to go direct to the surgery when it opens at 8 a.m. tomorrow and stand outside in the queue and get an appointment as soon as I can and get the doctor to give me a prescription there and then and go with the paperwork to the nearest pharmacy to get the medication. There is a pharmacy near the surgery in Beanhill and it will be easier to get it done there as it means not having to move the car. I had chosen Sainsbury's pharmacy to have the repeat prescription done because several months ago there was a problem with the isoborbide mononitrate when they couldn't obtain stocks due, I think, to a problem in the manufacturing process and it was difficult to get supplies and Sainsbury's was the one local pharmacy who seemed able to get supplies and so I set up my repeat prescription with them and they do seem the most efficient and there haven't been any problems up until now.

Weather Changes and Nearly an Accident

After a few days of bright and sunny weather, today is overcast and windy. Never mind. We are still in March. As I write this it is actually bright and sunny and the wind seems to have dropped. Can it never make it's mind up?

Carol had a doctor's appointment at 8 this morning. It was fortunately pre-booked, so we decided to go to Asda as she wanted to buy a special top as Friday (tomorrow) is Sports Relief Day.   At the Academy they are supposed to wear something sporty with red in it, (presumably as red is the signature colour of this charity.) For those who don't know what this is, it's a charity event to raise money for various UK and overseas charities and is part of Comic Relief, and these events are held alternate years. I presume they are raising money at the Academy for this event and staff have to dress up in sports-related clothing. I know no more than that. We had a good look through the clothing racks in the George clothing department (George being the clothing brand of Asda, if you don't already know.) as I would like a similar top as we'd looked at the Asda website earlier but couldn't then see the one I liked in the store. Perhaps it will be in next week as we'll go back and have a look then. Carol selected the top she wanted and then we picked up some other items we needed including milk and then went to pay.

We had parked the car in the football stadium carpark, which is immediately next to Asda. (The gym,  of which we are members, D.W., is further round within the stadium precincts.) It's actually easier to park in there and walk through rather than going into Asda's carpark. When we had finished our bit of shopping we walked back to the car. We drove out of the carpark round the stadium and out into the grid road and turned towards the Academy along Saxon Street. As we did so we suddenly had a B.M.W. coming towards us on the wrong side of the road, which was over-taking around half-a-dozen cars. If we had been driving any faster we would have hit this car face on and we might not now be here to tell the tale. It was somewhat scary, to say the least. I don't know what the actual speed of that car was, but it must have been 5-60 m.p.h. There would have been a very large pile-up and a lot of injuries if there had been an impact. It doesn't bear thinking about, but it shook us up quite considerably.

Having got to the doctor's surgery in Beanhill we had to queue up outside as it was around 7.50, but as Carol's appointment was pre-booked we could go straight in and sign in using the computerised system. This hasn't always been working but, fortunately, it was now operating perfectly. After her appointment we drove home towards the Academy.

Doctor's Appointment and Police, Camera, Action!

Following last week's appointment at the Audiology Department at the hospital and the completion of the course of antibiotics which ended last week to clear up my ear infection, I had to make a fresh doctor's appointment this morning. As I've said in earlier posts that it can be difficult enough to get an appointment by telephoning the surgery, I decided to go direct to the surgery in Beanhill before 8 a.m. after I'd taken Carol to work. It was around 7.40 when I got there and parked the car and had even taken a book to read with me so that I had something to keep me occupied if it chanced that I got an appointment and I had to wait for some time. There were around six people ahead of me waiting outside the surgery door, and, as it was quite warm weather-wise, it was actually pleasant standing outside. Considering the cold weather we have had recently, any sign of sun or the temperature rising is a good thing. Once inside the surgery I managed to get an immediate appointment and saw the doctor within around 15-20 minutes of the doors opening. I have been given a prescription for antibiotic drops for the ear infection and just need to get the prescription made up. The doctor did say that I should make an appointment for a week's time, but when I got to the reception desk to make this appointment I was then told I couldn't make an advance appointment and would have to come in ON THE DAY to do so. So why did the doctor say I could? More annoyance. I really don't see why you can't make advance appointments at Ashfield Medical Centre.

Then things got quite exciting. I left the surgery and walked back to the car which was in the carpark immediately outside the surgery. As I turned into the road a large police van drove past, followed by two police cars, all with sirens sounding and lights flashing and driven at considerable speed, considering they were coming out of a Milton Keynes housing estate this did seem quite surprising. The van then stopped abruptly in the middle of the road, and the police car behind stopped. I was fortunate (or not, as the case may be) to have at that precise moment drawn out of the carpark so was directly behind the police van when two policemen opened up the van (I think it was a riot van, as it had wire cages over the windows and looked the type of vehicle used to transport police around when there is the possibility of a riot.) Inside the back of the van, when the back door was opened, there was another inner cage door and two police got inside and there was a scuffle with a youth within the van. Had they been to raid a property in Beanhill, and this 'youth' arrested? I'm not actually sure whether it was male of female from where I was sitting, some 10-20 yards behind the van. I assume the person within the vehicle was causing quite a stir, banging around inside, making the van shake no doubt, to make it necessary for him/her to be calmed down. One assumes they were taking him/her to the police station for questioning over whatever charges had been made by the police. They drove off towards the centre of Milton Keynes with quite a large tail-back of traffic at the roundabout at Standing Way. But it was quite an exciting incident and made what had started out as a rather mundane day into quite an eventful one! Just imagine if the person (arrestee/prisoner, call them whatever you like.) had escaped and run off, what would have happened then? Would have had quite a high excitement quotient no doubt!

Blood Test

I had my blood test this morning. I had to be at the surgery at 10.50. The automated check-in system wasn't working. If you know what I'm talking about, you may have one in your doctor's surgery. It is a computer screen with a touch-screen and you have to input your age, sex, date of birth etc and it will then end by telling you the doctor's name you are booked in with. As it wasn't functioning it meant queuing to sign in with the receptionist. If you don't do any of this then you don't exist on the computer system and then you won't be seen and will be wasting your time. I also had to collect a repeat prescription. I now do this 'on-line' and this time I managed to do it using the Samsung Galaxy tablet. It does save having to fill in a form and then physically go to the surgery. Mind you, it isn't always fool-proof, because last time I put in my repeat prescription and I went to the surgery two days to collect the prescription, it was obvious that the system had failed and the doctor had to do the prescription the next day, but it wasn't too much trouble.

As for the taking-of-the blood. There was no problem and it went very well. I think it helps if I have had plenty to drink as I was told that being dehydrated doesn't help the taking of blood. The result should be ready on Friday. Also, the nurse did my blood pressure and that was found to be normal, thankfully.

I wanted to get Carol a present, as tomorrow is her birthday, and I had intended going to Sainsbury's so that I could get the prescription made up at the in-store pharmacy whilst I looked for a present. I got to the store and took the prescription form to the pharmacy and handed it over and was told by the pharmacist that they didn't have one of the meds on the list, isoborbide mononitrate. I was told that there was apparently a problem with supplies, due to the manufacture or something, and they rang to try and get this med from another supplier, but without success. I was then told that I would need to go back to the doctor's surgery and get them to substitute a similar medication on the prescription. So I drove back to Beanhill, where the surgery is, to then be told that the next-door pharmacy, Cox and Robinson, had a supply. Which is what I did and got the whole prescription made up. Problem solved. I THEN drove to Asda in Bletchley to get the present for Carol. Entire mission completed!

Review of Medication

I have done our repeat prescriptions for this month. I thought it might be a good idea to get them done earlier than usual as the Christmas holiday as well as New Year will get in the way. I now put the prescriptions in by using the internet. It's a good deal easier than physically going to the surgery and filling out the relevant forms. It's saved on-line, so all you have to do is check the meds in the list and 'click'. It then should take 48 hours before you can pick up the prescriptions and take to a pharmacy to get them made up.

We have Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanfield  as our doctor's surgery. We used to use a surgery in Netherfield, but the receptionists there were not exactly careful with our privacy, particularly when we were waiting at the reception desk, so we moved to the new surgery. I went to collect the prescriptions early this morning and then went to the Cox and Robinson pharmacy which is next door to have these made up. I had to wait around 10 minutes for this and then the pharmacist came out with the made-up medications and said he wanted to speak to me in the consultation area.

I am used to having my medications reviewed regularly. Usually this is done by my doctor, but I presume they are now farming out this to local pharmacists.  When you have repeat medications, and for long-term health conditions such as a heart condition, which I have it is very important that these drugs are reviewed regularly so as to ensure correct administration and that they are working effectively. Also, with the current economic climate, the N.H.S. will be making sure that there is no unnecessary waste. When I worked as a Support Worker for the Learning Disability Service of the Bedfordshire and Luton N.H.S. Trust I was a keyworker and linkworker for some of the clients in my care, and part of the job was to review their medication. We had to find out if medications they were on would interact and to keep a sharp eye out for any side-effects. We used a standard N.H.S. book called the B.N.F. (British National Formulary) which lists virtually every known prescription drug in use by the N.H.S. as well as alerting professionals such as doctors, carers etc as to the side-effects of these drugs. There is also an on-line version, which you have to register with before you can use, so of you want to find out accurate information about a particular drug, I can recommend it. I have done several drugs administration courses as part of my former job, and also know how to handle and administer medications, including recording of what has been given and when, which is extremely important.

The pharmacist at the chemist went through all my medications with me, asking me what time I took them, and did I know what they did. In all cases I know exactly what they are for, partly as a result of research on the B.N.F. website and partly from asking the professionals I have appointments with as I always ask whenever my medications are changed, including when the dosage is increased or decreased. All dealt with in an extremly professional manner and makes me confident that I'm being dealt with properly. Any information deemed important would be passed on to the surgery.