The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

moneyistooshorttomention

NurseMaggie

That's awful - a whole day (longer in fact - as a workday is 7 - 7.5 hours) spent just to have a couple of little medical appointments:eek:

Surely a local doctors surgery could take your blood and read your blood pressure? Or are they sending you that far afield for something too "specialist" for a doctors surgery to do - and thinking "Whilst she's here - then we might as well do the tests her doctors surgery could/should do anyway"?

I'm wondering whether you can stick in an official complaint at being put to all that palaver....

They're absolutely assuming that you have nothing else to do with your Life other than "Being Ill". Blow social life/hobbies/interests.....you're just supposed to blow hours of your time on "Being Ill" according to them:eek:

I know you can't even think of resolving this time-wasting by "throwing money at it" - darn it! But it's not right they are just expecting you to meekly put up with all this - and hence I'm wondering whether you can fight back against all this malarkey.

nursemaggie

Of course I can't complain. Everyone who goes by hospital transport has to spend hours travelling. I go a lot further than the Christie. The farthest hospital I go to I am stuck at a bus stop for an hour. in the middle of the journey. All these hospital closures and having specialist hospitals for everything mean you travel to the specialist hospitals up to 40 miles away.

You are OK if you can afford to run a car. It takes half an hour. If you have never tried going 30 to 40 miles on public transport, everyone should try it. I can get to my DD's in Malta quicker than I can get there and back to some of these far flung hospitals. This furthest hospital keeps sending me appointments for 9am.

There are lots of different websites to plan a Journey on but they all take you round the houses to get there. It is the nature of public transport. It stops about 4 times every mile takes detours round housing estates all the way only to find yourself just a few hundred yards down the same road when you emerge. You don't do that once in 30 miles but 10.

There are people a lot sicker than me doing these journeys not every week but every day.

Got to go It is snowing like mad and has covered about and inch in ten minutes.

greenbee

I know it's not much consolation nursemaggie, but when I drive to the hospital I have to arrive at least an hour early in the hope of getting a parking space - not quite the same but still frustrating. For the appointments where I have anaesthetic and can't drive I have to rely on family and friends to get me there and back. I just assume that unless I'm in a late clinic I need to allow the whole day as you never know how long things will take - sometimes the delay (as with GPs) is down to an emergency elsewhere, and I remind myself I have to be grateful it's not me and remember the times when my emergency may have been the cause of someone else's delay.

I know what you mean about feeling sick on the bus. I get motion sickness pretty much anywhere, so I do a lot of staring out of the window when using public transport. It would be nice if at least you could console yourself with the fact that it's more productive than driving, but sadly not!

moneyistooshorttomention

I've had a small taste of getting stuck on public transport to get to a hospital appointment a few times since moving here - and I was pretty much tearing my (and everyone else's) hair out for being put through that. Even knowing that it was one-off incidents that caused this (ie wouldnt be a regular feature in my life) and I "screamed" and put my foot down on a couple of occasions and demanded things be done that bit more "conveniently" for me (as I'd realised they weren't being done the most convenient way possible from my personal pov). I'm used to a short walk to anything I need in that respect - so they definitely weren't going to have me "sitting back and taking it" about any unnecessary (from my pov) extra inconvenience.

Hence wondering if there's any leeway for you to do the same.

Here's hoping a way does emerge not to be put through all that again for you - as I do know exactly what you mean by being "sent all round the shops" to get to somewhere just because you have to use public transport to get there (as I don't have a car myself). I wonder whether it's having another try at using a volunteer car driver? Maybe that one incident of them being much too early was a one-off?

silvasava

The trouble with public transport is that they have to cater for everyone in the area. I used to work about 7 miles from home - took an hour and a half on the bus and 15 mins by car. Is it any wonder so many people have cars now? NM - I really feel for you with the horrendous journeys you have to make on top of dealing with your health problems.

OK ladies - a chuckle for you. Downstairs in the kitchen this morning I heard an almighty thump - DH thought it was me or the cat, I thought it was him or the cat! Neither - we have a double hook in the bathroom held on suction pads and it drops off reasonably regularly - twigged what it was so went to open the bathroom door and the bl**dy thing had stuck to the tiled floor. Cue me lying full length on the landing with a nail file poking under the door to release the sucker - every time I got one unstuck the other would stick. Took me about 15 mins to open the door. Hooks are now in the bin and I'm having a cuppa!

Softstuff

Silvasava, you gave us both a chuckle here with that one. Are you sure that you don't want to give the hooks another go?

pollyanna_26

NM You may already be setting off on your journey but I want to tell you myself and I'm sure all here on the fence will have you in our thoughts and hearts today .
I have heard the tales of hospital transport . I suppose having to pick up from so many areas and cover so much ground , wait for everyone to be seen over the day and then do the homeward dropping of is the only way it can be . It's such a lot of stress and exhaustion added to what's already going on .
I have been remembering GERS who posts on the Daily thread - the thread I can no longer keep up with - she is a voluntary driver up in Scotland and takes people to various appointments . I imagine but can't be sure the fuel cost may be charged . I wonder if there could be similar arrangements in your neck of the woods .
Some organisations and churches and various charities offer it . It could be worth looking into .
As to not being able to concentrate on reading a book how about starting an " I'll beat the B*gger blanket " just a small square at a time ? Garter stitch or different stitches . I know you knit but if you also crochet a hook and a ball of ball are easier to have in your bag.
If Knitting the shortest needles you have will be fine . At least it will keep you warm following the news of the HA and the 30 year life they reckon the unfit for purpose heaters still have :eek:
See you later
polly x

pollyanna_26

Money Those of us who are involved in these things understand very well the reasons things are as they are . Services are overstretched beyond a level seen since the creation of the NHS .
The Christie is a world renowned Cancer hospital and that will be adding to the already difficult load it carries .
I say in all honesty the problems I have encountered throughout dealings with the NHS system have been few .
Everything thing is not a " fight " anyone going through worrying and difficult times saves what little energy they may have to get through these times and offer their support to fellow travellers .
To put it plainly we learn to pick our battles , a big one at the moment is actually to save the NHS and I wear my badge with hope .
NM That should have said a ball of wool :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
polly

Gers

Thanks Pollyana - yes, I support our local charity which is the volunteer transport group.

It's not just for medical appointments, we'll take the target group to social events, shopping etc.

We have fixed charges which are set to reflect the mileage the 'patient' (used loosely) travels which they pay to us. We in turn give this to the treasurer each month along with a log and then we get paid £0.45 per mile which we have travelled. Sometimes it's more than the 'patient' has paid, i.e. the trips to Glasgow, and sometimes it's less.

Hospital patients claim back their transport fee from NHS via a form, some get all their fee back and some have to forfeit £10.00 depending on their status / benefits.

The group has a fund-raiser who goes out filling in grant aid forms. It's all very community led and works well. As a registered charity there are rules about accounts and all drivers are subject to the Scottish PVG check (the equivalent of DBS in England).

It's not demanding and is very pleasant as we can chat to the 'patients' and get to know them too. A remote / rural community is often closer than city folk are used to.

I regard it as my contribution to the local community who need some support. Not one for coffee mornings, WI, charity shops etc so this fits in perfectly.

pollyanna_26

Thank you so much Gers for coming over here and explaining how the system works for you . It may be of benefit to others here and maybe NM will be able to track down a similar scheme nearby .
Let me know how you get on with the dusters . I love them
polly x