We will get this debt down & the savings up

Makingabobor2

Well, we are back from our few days away, got back Friday tea time. Pleased to say that the plants are all thriving as it looks like we had rain and sun while we were gone. Luckily we had no rain where we were, so that was good. 

 We came back refreshed and ready to start on more MSE plans, only to find we have a bit of a problem with my dad, and my sister is trying to get him a GP appointment, which is easier said than done in their area. They can't just ring up like we can, and she has to fill in an online form for him, then someone will ring back but this can take days, and then they will decide if he needs an appointment, and if so, who with...may not be a GP or nurse. They even use paramedics and pharmacists at their surgery as there is such a lack of Drs in the area.  So hoping he can get to see an actual Dr, as TBH, it looks like it could be something serious. But at almost 93 years old, they may not do much anyway.  
So we arrived back and there were about 7 tomatoes waiting to be picked and a few raspberries. Courgettes seem to have stopped, although it did look like another one appearing this morning. I also dug up a few rainbow carrots at last.  I need to get some natural weedkiller made up and put down, but need to make sure it doesn't rain afterwards. So hopefully one day this week

On the MSE front, today is pension day and the first day of our 4 week budget period. So I went shopping to L*d! this morning, and nipped to Mr M as DH wanted some beer that I couldn't find anywhere else. He has sent me the money from his personal pot, as I'm not paying for beer with housekeeping money.   Need to finalise my meal plan now for the next week. Tonight is left over chicken from yesterday, with some veggies in protein wraps. 

Money has been moved around to different pots, and some more paid into holiday. I sold another item on V*nt*d yesterday, only £1.50, but it all helps. Got a few more bits to list in a bit, and then if it doesn't sell, it can go in the CS bag, which is already full of puzzles and books, as the decluttering is continuing..  

Got some ironing to do now, so will get on with that. 

Just an extra PS note....my sister tells me she has had a reply from my dad's Dr, having triaged the E-consult form, they will ring him in 2 weeks time for a phone consultation and then decide if he can get an appointment!  This makes me so cross. I know what the form said, and I can assure you it said that this was an urgent need for him to see a Dr. Honestly, you can see why the Urgent Care and A&E depts get so full, if no one down there can see a Dr.   It makes me realise how lucky we are in our area, but also how worrying it is for the elderly down in that area. 

badmemory

That is frankly beyond dire.  Then they will be complaining that people are going to the surgery & shouting.  No wonder that A&E are heaving.  So sorry you (& especially he) are gong through this.

Sun_Addict

Welcome back, glad you had a lovely time and all is well with the garden. 

What a faff with getting your dad a GP appointment, just not good enough! Could your sister ring 111 for advice?

Makingabobor2

badmemory said:

That is frankly beyond dire.  Then they will be complaining that people are going to the surgery & shouting.  No wonder that A&E are heaving.  So sorry you (& especially he) are gong through this.

Thanks. Yes, it is really bad. Has been like that for a few years in their area, but is getting worse now. It is an area of high population of elderly, so think maybe GPs don't want to work there. That is the one reason I would never go back to the south coast. Much as I would love to live by the sea again when DH retires, I think we are better off staying here and having lots of holidays. 

Blackcats

Glad you had a good break.
sorry about your dad.  We are not as far South as your dad and we are so lucky with my dad's GP practice.  On one occasion I filled in the online form and an hour later the GP phoned me and said they would visit him as soon as morning surgery finished.  Prescription sent to pharmacy and the chemist delivered it to him on their way home after the shop had shut.

i really like the shiny fresh start of a new budget 4 week period.  

ladyholly

Sorry you are having trouble getting a gp appointment for your dad. If I can poke my nose in try writing a formal letter to his practice manager explaining that a two week wait for a phone consultation is inappropriate and dangerous to his ongoing health or something similar. I have found, in the past , this sometimes concentrates their minds as they dont want complaints going further up the chain or having a patient seriously ill due to the time they have had to wait.

Personally I would decline talking to a pharmacist as both my dh and my dd have had wrong treatments given by them. Though I would accept some may be very good.

foxgloves

I would also be inclined to go with @ladyholly's suggestion. Honestly, no wonder A& E departments are clogged up with people who should have been seen elsewhere....& earlier.
F

in_need_of_direction

I think it may help if you use the word risk in any communication e.g. I understand that your professional experience enables a better assessment of risk to health but the family’s current view is that two weeks’ wait for a phone call is not an appropriate mitigation.

Makingabobor2

Thanks for all your comments on my dad's situation. I totally agree, however, it is my sister who is dealing with all this, as she lives near him and is registered at the same GPs.  I have said to her that I think she should ring up/pop in/email etc, but she just says that is the way their surgery runs and it won't make any difference. She says she will keep an eye on him, and he will let her know if he feels worse. Personally, if it was me, I would have rung straight back the minute I'd had the text saying the phone call wouldn't be for 2 weeks.  Although I suspect the outcome of all this is going to be that they run some tests, tell him the prognosis, and do nothing apart from palliative care, due to his age.  We think we know what his symptoms are suggesting, although we haven't told him what we think. 

Makingabobor2

Just a quick end of week update. Feel like everything is progressing slowly these days. Sort of one step forward and one step back. Hopefully it will smooth itself out soon. 
Had to ring the dentist and got an appointment for Monday afternoon.  I have a crown that has started to feel a bit wobbly, so hoping its just a case of it being recemented. Much as I hate going to dentist, I thought it best to get it sorted before it turns into a bigger problem. so just being careful not to bite on it at the moment and make it worse. Although that is hard as I have quite a few gaps at the back these days and at my last check he did say we might have to think about doing something about that!!

On the MSE front, we are almost half way through the 4 week budget period and all is going well so far. Grocery budget looks ok, and think as long as I am careful, we should come in ok...maybe even slightly under budget if I work it out a bit better. Last weekend I got a chicken and managed 4 meals from it, plus some in the freezer, ready cooked for this Sunday.  Apart from groceries, the only other thing I bought this week was some plants for garden £20.50 and there was more than enough in the house and garden pot for those. We are currently saving for new fence panels in that pot, so hoping to maybe do half the garden at a time.  I have asked DH to price it up, exactly, but that was a week a go, and so far, no response....other than him telling me he "goes to work", which is also his excuse for not doing any exercise other than his early morning swim on a Friday.  He also uses the same excuse for why he can't make his own appointments for dentist, Drs etc.....why can't men multi task?!  Then yesterday he said he thought we needed to get some outdoor paint for round the fascias at the front....ok....you get it then, was my reply.  Lets see how long that takes....lol.  

sold another item on V*nt*d this week. Still got to cash out my earnings, I was leaving them in there in case I needed anything, but decided that is just more likely to make me look and get something I don't need. The only thing I really need at the moment is a new waterproof jacket, as my L*ghth**use one is definitely not waterproof any more, got wet shoulders a couple of times lately.  That's the trouble with buying 2nd hand for waterproof coats, they are not alwys still waterproof.   
Cashed out £9.79 from TCB, so that has gone to the holiday spends. 
Also I asked for an £80 refund from the tentacled ones, which still leave us £300 in credit at the moment. So that £80 also gone to holiday pot. 

P/fc ended on £79 last month, so was very pleased with that. that has boosted my personal spends and also replaced some of the Birthday pot, as it was the eldest GKs (twins) birthday last weekend, so it took a bit of a hit.  
Decided this month that all studies/survey money will go to the debt pot. Really want that down quicker. 

Courgettes still looking ok at last, and a few raspberries. Also some rainbow carrots,  Hoping next year the raspberries will be better as they will be a year older. 

That's about it for now.  Dinner tonight is DH's favourite on a Friday, and the only time I do anything processed for dinner....he has pie and chips. If I got more organised and bought a new rolling pin, I could make my own. Not made a pie for years, my baking is always crumbles and sponges.