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Chatterbox

For all refugees from the old Beeb Food Boards :-)
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Re: Chatterbox

Postby aero280 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:15 am

Sakkarin wrote:I have to change my GP as my current one is too far away. Should I change to a small practice (9000 patients/4 doctors) with 90% approval rating or a large practice (25,000 patients 12 doctors) with an 87% approval rating?


I'm going off the one with the on-site chemist. They don't seem to follow up comments on problems, or if they do, the message doesn't get through to reception.. I have been misdiagnosed on two occasions and currently they have delayed my repeat prescription because I ordered it a day too early!

One mis-diagnosis put my holiday insurance premium up, and they won't undo it until I have three "good" tests, even though I showed them what was wrong with the first one!! :evil:

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:43 am

Yes to all that's been said plus which, if you were unable to drive, would be the easiest to get to? (Mine would involve a bus trip where I had to change buses. I keep meaning to try and register somewhere nearer before I get much older!).

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby halfateabag » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:44 am

On the medical side...... Whilst in the village (and it is small) of Kalathos, Rhodes. He was suffering with a nasty looking rash on his forehead with pustules so we popped into the pharmacy there. We spoke at length to a youngish (30ish) pharmacist who it turns out did her medics in the Lebanon, her English was perfect. She suggested a cortisone cream - 6 euros. After 4 days the problem had gone. We returned to the pharmacy to voice our gratitude and saw the other pharmacist - her mother. She was very happy that we had gone back to thank them. It seems that pharmacists on the continent do a much bigger job than they seem to do over here, more like a 'mini' doctors.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:47 am

I thought that that was what they were here, we are always being encouraged to see a pharmacist instead of a doctor where possible.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby smitch » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:43 am

I agree with suffs, check out the facilities at the surgery. Mine has a good range of services and apart from the issues with my B12 injections, they’ve been great. I have to ring for an appointment but have never had any issues getting through or seeing an appropriate medical professional the same day. Even during Covid, it has been easy to get through and organise a phone consultation.

Edited to add I considered joining the smaller practice almost next door to the one I ended up registering with. At the time they only had one full time and one part time GP so I thought it might be more personal. Then I thought about the lack of services they offer and had second thoughts as I also wondered if it would be difficult to get an appointment. I'm glad I chose like I did. There was a small fire at the smaller surgery earlier in the year and the patients had to use another practice in a difficult to get to location for several months. It is also now part of a large chain that doesn't have the best reputation.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Uschi » Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:40 am

halfateabag wrote:On the medical side...... Whilst in the village (and it is small) of Kalathos, Rhodes. He was suffering with a nasty looking rash on his forehead with pustules so we popped into the pharmacy there. We spoke at length to a youngish (30ish) pharmacist who it turns out did her medics in the Lebanon, her English was perfect. She suggested a cortisone cream - 6 euros. After 4 days the problem had gone. We returned to the pharmacy to voice our gratitude and saw the other pharmacist - her mother. She was very happy that we had gone back to thank them. It seems that pharmacists on the continent do a much bigger job than they seem to do over here, more like a 'mini' doctors.


In Germany an "Apotheker" has to have a university degree to run a pharmacy. The "salespersons" have a pharmazeutical and technical three year training under their belt. While they aren't medical doctors they have a fairly good idea of how what they sell works and can mix salves and older remedies.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby aero280 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:54 am

I should say that the bigger practice I use have a range of good services, and no quibbles with things in general, but the admin side of things is very poor. They seem to have lost the plot there, and that bit is being run to make things easier for them than the “Customers”.

Apart from the mis-diagnosis issue, Which was due to bad advice from the receptionist, they stopped allowing you to book an appointment. If you want to see a doctor, you have to phone before 8.30am on the day. Not good for us “night people” who don’t wake up before then! So, if we are sick, we have to wake up early and phone, and listen to a computer voice telling you that you are number six in the queue. If you are still waiting in the queue at 8.30, the phone line will go dead and you have to wait until tomorrow. You can get a telephone call-back if the receptionist agrees that you are sick and not a time waster, but even then, the doctor won’t make an appointment, you still have to wait until tomorrow and do it by phone. I think a lot of their customers are going straight to A&E now.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Sakkarin » Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:26 pm

aero280 wrote:If you want to see a doctor, you have to phone before 8.30am on the day

Is that Manor View or Attenborough perchance? They're both on my shortlist. My GP is in Radlett, as my Bushey GP went private and transferred us all to a group practice which then closed its Bushey branch.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:37 pm

It's got harder and harder to make an appointment at my surgery and impossible online. It's 8.30am on the dot for an emergency (you'll be lucky!) but I have recently discovered that they release the following week's appointments at Friday lunchtime and that you have to try then and be early in the queue to have a hope. This is why I put off seeing a doctor when I shouldn't really, I absolutely dread it. I do find that if I phone after the morning rush that the receptionists try to be kind and helpful and sometimes you see a nurse who will then go and speak to a doctor if they feel it necessary (and sometimes you get an urgent appointment as a result). The surgery got very good marks in a recent public survey of surgeries in the town.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby aero280 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:46 pm

Manor View.

They also have a habit of arranging consultations at their other base at Callowland in N. Watford. This is not good if you are in Bushey. Parking is bad enough at Manor View, but it’s worse at the other place, and almost impossible to get to by bus.

They are almost the same as Attenborough. They pass appointments to each other. I suspect that they will merge into one soon.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:06 pm

I am quite happy with my two GPs + nurses practice, as I like both doctors, I see the female, the male is the son of the previous GP who I saw for about 15 years
The big advantage is it is so close I could crawl there on my hands and knees pretty much, I also have a couple of really good pharmacies very close (I have to say the nearest one is good, my dad trained the owners, but they are!)
I'm not to worried about being able to get for tests etc as there is a direct bus to the Homerton Hospital, I have been known to walk when not feeling ill, and a mini cab doesn't cost much
There are advantages to living in the in the big bad city where everything is crammed in

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Pampy » Thu Jul 23, 2020 4:25 pm

You can make appointments online, as well as by phone or in person at my practice. They also have appointments for 3 weeks in advance. It's harder to get an appointment with a nurse than a GP. I have to say that the receptionists don't seem to be the sharpest knives in the drawer but after 31 years of being with the practice, we've come to an uneasy truce. Unfortunately, I've never had a good experience when asking a pharmacist for advice - the usual answer is to make an appointment with my GP. I'm also quite mistrusting since I was issued with the wrong insulin and when I queried it, I was told it "might" be ok (it most certainly isn't).

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby dennispc » Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:21 pm

Tuesday morning rang surgery with a request to speak to our GP - there are twelve altogether. Number 6 in the queue, not too long a wait. About 90minutes later GP rang, decided to see me, could I come in on Thursday? Our surgery in not perfect but it works well for us.

Receptionists are good, helpful, understanding and they smile! Almost apologetic if they can’t make an appointment for you the same day.

Appointments for nurses are more difficult to make, but when we had District Nurses visiting (sharing the same accommodation) they told us how busy they are.

We use the town’s Superdrug pharmacy - the pharmacist has given us a lot of help over the last three years. She’s West Indian with hair! and an infectious smile that translates into a happy band of staff around her. Happy to chat to her customers.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Pepper Pig » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:15 pm

I had such a positive experience this morning that I am almost glowing.

We moved here in 1981 with a three week old baby. My new next door neighbour suggested we didn’t use the local clinic but tried a new practice starting up a mile away in North Harrow. Three young GPS finding their way and starting upon their own. The practice has moved twice since then and is now probably the largest in Middlesex - 17 GPS at the last count, the originals having either died or retired. We have always had quite exceptional service and honestly we’ve have never had so much as an inkling of a complaint. About 10 years ago they added an on-site pharmacy.

I went to get my husband’s new dosette box from the medicine cupboard first thing today and realized, in total horror, that there wasn’t one!!! I’d completely forgotten to reorder. He is on much medication and this could have been a disaster. The building opens at 8 and I raced round. The wonderful surgery had realized we hadn’t reordered and the wonderful pharmacy had made up the prescription.

Yes, we don’t know all the doctors these days but golly we get a blooming good service. AND IT’S FREE!!!!

And it’s a Walk In!

https://www.thepinn.co.uk/

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Pampy » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:24 pm

Sounds excellent, PP.

Sorry to bring up the C word but I've just had an email reminding me to order my turkey for 25th Dec! Need to get the sprouts on.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Pepper Pig » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:37 pm

I’m wondering how safe Covid sprouts will be.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby miss mouse » Fri Jul 24, 2020 8:09 pm

Pampy wrote:Sorry to bring up the C word but I've just had an email reminding me to order my turkey for 25th Dec! Need to get the sprouts on.


Whoo, the quotey thing works, thanks Saks.

Um Pampy, if this is sprouts for the forthcoming yule this is far too late but you know that and are just having a joke I think, getting ready for 2021 is a good idea.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby jeral » Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:39 pm

Pepper Pig wrote:I’m wondering how safe Covid sprouts will be.

I heard on the radio that they were testing waste water (waste unspecified) to see if Covid 19 remains. London water as presumably elsewhere is recycled many times. Sorry no link. It's probably not something they want people worrying about... so we won't of course. :?

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby aero280 » Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:11 pm

They are testing sewage. It seems that the virus can be detected there. If it can be done reliably, it could confirm if an area is clear. But in London there are very few sewage works, so the areas would be large, unless you started working back along the sewer and sampling from manholes.

Tracing pollutants back along a sewer is common when attempting to isolate an illegal trade waste, but would be more difficult to do for identifying a virus free area, because people move about a lot. It would need careful assessing and repeated testing.

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Re: Chatterbox

Postby Pampy » Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:16 am

I heard a report that said small traces of the coronavirus were found in sewage samples from March 2019.

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