The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

MingVase

Great thanks Jamanda. We've used 40 units in a week and the husband is panicking like hell, he says it sounds a lot.

pollyanna_26

Mar I have a Baxi. It's not a combi and is probably a lot older than yours. HAs tend to replace boilers for more energy efficient models on an ongoing basis.

Gov winter fuel payments are now being put in accounts over the next few months. Warm home discount has already been applied to my energy account, I've just read the info properly and some suppliers allow the discount to be applied to either gas or electricity. You're with the same supplier as me so if you're worried about gas charges you could check if they'd apply the discount to the gas account.

Gas biolers are a lot cheaper to run nowadays they have to meet fuel efficiency regs. I think you'll find it's a lot cheaper than coal. No more bringing in the coal in snowy weather.

Happy new home.

pollyxx

pollyanna_26

burtha said:

Polly,  hopefully you have it sorted now .  we are trying our best to deal with constant out of stock meds , massive price varations of drugs each month , staff who are having to isolate ECT...   rotation of staff may be due to that,  it's not fun times ,then add in just doing the job as well lol 
x

burtha I do understand the difficulties pharmacies have been dealing with this year. I'm always calm and polite if something isn't right.

I struggle to understand why this year there have been very good pharmacists and a few who make mistakes, don't listen and as the guy did last month claim they have put a med in the bag  when they didn't and act in a very unprofessional manner. it wasn't a med dd couldn't manage without but it's been on repeat for a number of years and makes life more comfortable when dealing with the side effects of a lot of powerful meds.

Any problem really raises dds anxiety levels. She asked me if we could change to another pharmacy. We've been with them since the mid 70s long before she was born. They've had her on their system since the 80s and have looked after her well. With Flu and Pneumonia season underway both of which she's had a number of times during winter despite the jabs and Brexit looming I don't think it's a good plan to try another pharmacy.

I am wondering if the way the meds are being put together is what is causing the problem. All except the ones in the cupboard used to be in a big bag. Just the boxes . Now there are little brown bags all over the shelves . The month before last I had a young girl handing me one tiny bag then another when I pointed out there were 19 repeats. It was like watching paint dry as she insisted each time that was the full amount. I asked the nasty guy last month what that was about and he said that's how we get them now.

On Monday the lovely pharmacist had eveything bar the stuff from the cupboard in one strong bag. After I told her about the problems the previous month she took each item out checked and showed all was there luckily I was the only person there when she did that.

I'm hoping she's there next time.

I just wonder why people who seem to have wandered in and pretend to be a pharmacist are working there. It isn't right that people will burst into tears , give up and leave. It seems there is a lack of scrutiny now. There's cctv everywhere but people are being shouted at and my case with the guy pretty well being called a liar. The missing med is not one people abuse so I don't understand his attitude.

Anyway Line drawn and thank you burtha. You are doing a difficult job in the current situation. No doubt you keep a smile on your face .If you weren't so busy we should try and clone you and send burtha's all over the UK.

pollyx

MingVase

I'm not worried polly, husband is though. But  we were paying a total of £200 a month on coal, elect, and Calor gas, so I def think this house is going to be cheaper

pollyanna_26

I'm pretty sure you will pay a lot less now. You're with a decent HA and they will be using energy efficient boilers.

Your husband has had quite a year with major surgery etc. It does have an impact when you go from roaring along on big bikes to having to adjust to a different life. Hopefully your wee hoose will help. You've a lot to look forward to in spring with a lovely community, a real shop- with homemade cakes- I can picture you polishing the cake tins in advance for a begging mission. Village green and lovely places to explore . New start for you both , I wont have to worry about you fetching the coal in during snowy icy weather.

Now we can draw a line re the patio secrets. However if you as much as mention laying a patio again I'll be on your back.

pollyx 

burtha

Polly,  I can understand how they all end up in separate bags,  example .. customer orders prescription for 10 items on a Monday... . some items will be on an electric repeat , so say 4 are .. we get 1 script with that on probably on the Tuesday,  the other meds may need to be looked at for the surgery to process , so we get a script on the Wednesday for the next lot of drugs , some items may need to be signed f2f by the gp .. so we may get 1 or 2 scripts drop down over the thur / Friday... 
as every prescription comes down on separate days it hard for us,  with the volume we do to keep them all together.  then add in diffrent staff and it becomes impossible.. the pharmacy should have bar codes or something on each bag linked to there computer system to say how many bags are outstanding to you .  I don't know what system b have in place . 
the best thing to do is take a list with you of what you have ordered and check when collecting.  lots do and if it takes time  , thats ok ..we would rather be able to sort it then . 
if the staff arnt happy or polite to you , try somewhere else . 
you could always put a letter in to the superintendent pharmacist about your concerns,  just to get some help , it should make a difference.  systems fail and they could be blissfully unaware.  
good luck x

nursemaggie

It wont be anything like that mar. I pay £5.50 per week for heating and hot water. and £21 a month on electric. My flat is probably the size of your new house. I get the heating allowance every year and a warm home discount of £140 so it works out at practically nothing. Have a talk to any of your neighbours they will assure you it's nothing like what you've been paying.

The RV is a worrier.

pollyanna_26

Thanks burtha I'll read through that . Dd has 19 repeat meds. Each month I put the slips through the box outside the surgery and a week or two later the notification comes through from the pharmacy. It's one lot each month. Sometimes Superdoc will add an Oral Steroid or Antibiotic as he tries to control the flares. No injectible steroid at the moment as he's keeping her at home as apart from Covid she's been a magnet for Norovirus, Flu and Pneumonia heading to winter.

We've always been very careful. this time of year he would have sitting away from the waiting room. I discovered anti bacterial/ anti viral hand foam a number of years ago thanks to a fellow mser. I started using my elbow to open doors years ago so things now don't seem so strange. My one regret is we never thought of face masks. It seems so far flu isn't so widespread this winter and that may be due to the masks.

Try and rest when you can. It's been a long year for all on the frontline so look after yourself.

pollyx

MingVase

pollyanna_26 said:

Now we can draw a line re the patio secrets. However if you as much as mention laying a patio again I'll be on your back.

Ahhhhh... the P word. Funny you should mention that.. I've got a lovely garden here. Nice border with espaliered apple trees, blackcurrant bushes, gravel area for a shed, and a veg plot.

No P.

This garden is just crying out for a patio...

pollyanna_26

MingVase said:

pollyanna_26 said:

Now we can draw a line re the patio secrets. However if you as much as mention laying a patio again I'll be on your back.

Ahhhhh... the P word. Funny you should mention that.. I've got a lovely garden here. Nice border with espaliered apple trees, blackcurrant bushes, gravel area for a shed, and a veg plot.

No P.

This garden is just crying out for a patio...

Well that was a very short not mentioning the p word break. I appear to be cursed with the never ending issue. Miss Marple never had such a resistent suspect.

To divert you did you manage to rescue your David Austin roses? Are you finding the central heating and posh gas fire warm enough and is your four footed madam who rules the house happy with the change? She's used to her own room so no idea if she'll be affronted. Good thing with cats is radiators, nice warm fires etc are nice sleeping spots in colder weather.

So three questions no P word.

pollyx