Covid and flu Oct 2023

[LadyG]

OK, well just spent well over two hours trying to book a Covid and flu vaccination (OAP).

I am no longer GP registered as my GP kicked me out " as he can't make home visits" !¡!!!!!!!!!! Lol, when did he last do home visits!!!!

At the third or fourth 119 phone call I asked for a supervisor, instead I got a call handler who was supervised by his manager who listened in, so I had to wait for the advice second hand.

At least this resulted in a place to book an appointment for covid, which i had to phone.

 

Two other places whose address I had been given by 119 did not offer vaccinations of any kind, never mind the walk in I asked for!!!!!!

So, my advice is to book covid, phone them up, don't believe anything the first call handler tells you.

And get flu from a pharnacy.

 

 

[mrsmelly]

Our surgery has an extensive website with all manner of stuff on it, however nothing whatsoever about covid after for years being all about covid . We did flu at boots but they couldnt do covid. Eventualy found out that our surgery had details on some farcebook page, how ridiculous when they have a very good website for adults. Anyway as a regular visiter to hospitals etc I politely mentioned this and appears others also have. Going forward such info will now be on the surgery website therefore grown ups dont have to ask a grandchild to look on Farcebook for them. Bonkers.

[LadyG]

I forgot to mention that I failed the online interrogation as I dont know my GPs practice name, or my NHS number, and when they ask for postcode, is that my current location, my previous GP, the last GP i attended, or where I now intend to get a jab?

Edited October 24, 2023 by LadyG

[Mikexx]

6 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I forgot to mention that I failed the online interrogation as I dont know my GPs practice name, or my NHS number, and when they ask for postcode, is that my current location, my previous GP, the last GP i attended, or where I now intend to get a jab?

 

If you need a postcode for your present mooring, try using:

  https://www.streetmap.co.uk

 

Position the arrow to where you are, click on 'here' to convert coordinates it will convert the position under the arrow into coordinates, including a postcode. The postcode database seems is up to date as the building I'm in had its postcode changed a year or two back.

 

I wouldn't count on any postie delivering, but you never know! Perhaps put canal towpath in the address?

[LadyG]

I know my postcode, currently it is Lockkeepers Cottage as far as the NHS form is concerned ( there is only one house). I'm not wanting to receive mail, I am attempting to fill in forms.

[GUMPY]

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy-nhs-flu-vaccine-service

 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/covid-19-services/covid-19-vaccination-services/find-a-walk-in-covid-19-vaccination-site/

 

Is how I got mine.

[David Schweizer]

42 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy-nhs-flu-vaccine-service

 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/covid-19-services/covid-19-vaccination-services/find-a-walk-in-covid-19-vaccination-site/

 

Is how I got mine.

 

Easy and straight forward isn't it? Of course you may have to travel a few miles to find the locations, but some people just want to make everything difficult. Living on a boat, out in the sticks requires compromises.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by David Schweizer

[blackrose]

I just booked mine online a few weeks ago and went to the vaccination centre a couple of days later. It was very simple. While I was in the queue they asked me if I wanted a flu jab at the same time. It's very well organised, I'm not sure how Lady G somehow manages to find complexity in the simplest of things.

[LadyG]

If you want to key in Doncaster and request a walk in covid service it comes up with Sandringham. If you phone Sandringham they will tell you not to come as they do not do covid vaccines.

That is the point I am making. The 119 service also gave me another location which did not offer covid walk in.

The information on the NHS site is not reliable. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by LadyG

[Slim]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I forgot to mention that I failed the online interrogation as I dont know my GPs practice name, or my NHS number, and when they ask for postcode, is that my current location, my previous GP, the last GP i attended, or where I now intend to get a jab?

Let's face it , if there's a problem to be found you'll find it. Not beyond the wit of man to track down a previous GP. Start with the geographical area it was in and work from there. A persons NHS number is on every hospital notification letter. 

[LadyG]

D

7 minutes ago, Slim said:

Let's face it , if there's a problem to be found you'll find it. Not beyond the wit of man to track down a previous GP. Start with the geographical area it was in and work from there. A persons NHS number is on every hospital notification letter. 

Sorry, not seen a GP for about twenty years, last hospital was a paracetamol and a pair of crutches job.

Those without a registered GP practice can walk in to any surgery and ask for an appointment, but that is temporary registration for about three months then it lapses. 

There is no need for me to remember my NH number as one is recognised by name and date of birth. I expect I will have a hard copy somewhere, just not handy 

Edited October 24, 2023 by LadyG

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I forgot to mention that I failed the online interrogation as I dont know my GPs practice name, or my NHS number, and when they ask for postcode, is that my current location, my previous GP, the last GP i attended, or where I now intend to get a jab?

 But you have a house, so you could use that address to register with a gp

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

 But you have a house, so you could use that address to register with a gp

 

I am just explaining to those who don't have a GP registration how they can get GP services.

Also trying to explain to other people who assume that the NHS booking service is accurate that they should phone up as the info on the NHS site and 119 is not guaranteed.

Edited October 24, 2023 by LadyG

[blackrose]

17 minutes ago, LadyG said:

If you want to key in Doncaster and request a walk in covid service it comes up with Sandringham. If you phone Sandringham they will tell you not to come as they do not do covid vaccines.

That is the point I am making. The 119 service also gave me another location which did not offer covid walk in.

The information on the NHS site is not reliable. 

 

I guess it depends on the area (and perhaps who's doing it!) It was certainly reliable when I did it. It gave me a choice of locations based on the postcode I entered along with details of services offered. I didn't need to pick up the phone. In fact I'm pretty sure it requested users not to call unless absolutely necessary. 

4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

 they should phone up as the info on the NHS site and 119 is not guaranteed.

 

No, they shouldn't do that. The covid vaccine booking website works perfectly for most people. 

[LadyG]

35 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I guess it depends on the area (and perhaps who's doing it!) It was certainly reliable when I did it. It gave me a choice of locations based on the postcode I entered along with details of services offered. I didn't need to pick up the phone. In fact I'm pretty sure it requested users not to call unless absolutely necessary. 

 

No, they shouldn't do that. The covid vaccine booking website works perfectly for most people. 

If you read my thread you will see that I was referring to the supposed walk in services, as wrongly advised by 119 and NHS.

 I would have been mighty annoyed to make a two hour round trip to these places to find they don't do walk in Covid.

I have booked Covid at a standard medical practice.

There are only a few medical practices in this area.

They don't seem to do Covid and flu at the moment in this area.

I could have used the online booking service, but in this instance I did not.

 

I don't know why it is that no matter what subject I raise there are the same old people who feel obliged to argue a point.  I dont believe they ever have anything constructive to say, so they go on my ignore list. 

[Sea Dog]

We just used the NHS app and then went to a chemist local to where our boat was. Dead easy, and they did our flu jabs at the same time. If we still have a GP (who knows?) things might have been different if we'd been desperate enough to go through them, but we gave up being disappointed by their unavailability some time ago.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Maybe one should search out a GP in North Korea. 
They seem to be handling the situation. 
only ever had 74 deaths and currently no one has the infection,

👍

 

[churchward]

Looking at the posts above I think must be fortunate.  I had my flu jab today and I have had my Covid job booked for 11th November.  All was/will be done by our local GP practice.  Given our age now we have also been offered a Pneumonia jab in a couple of weeks. I did not have to ask for any of these appointments they contacted me.  I could have had a Covid booster earlier this month but could not attend as we have been away on the boat for a few weeks.

[system 4-50]

I had my Covid booster shot & flu jab ~4 weeks ago.   I got Covid about 2 weeks later….

[GUMPY]

I've had three jabs this year.

Covid, Flu and Shingles

Covid done at a Pharmacy in the next town.

Flu and Shingles at local GP.

C has had her Covid at the same pharmacy as me, Flu at our local pharmacy yesterday, Shingles and Pneumonia booked at GP in the next week or so.

We did have to travel 10 miles for the Covid ones as there was nothing available locally at that time.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

now I didn’t know you could get jib jabbed for shingles, 

shingles is awful,

(so I’ve been told)

 

[roland elsdon]

Covid - pharmacy through app

flu through boots website

shingles local  day hospital

Gp not involved in any still sending demands to get them done but not providing appointments.

[ditchcrawler]

41 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

now I didn’t know you could get jib jabbed for shingles, 

shingles is awful,

(so I’ve been told)

 

I have had it twice so now I have had the jab so hopefully no third time. I didn't bother with the jab when first offered as I though, I've had it, I'll be fine, wrong, so when I got the chance to have the jab second time round I took it.

 

[sueb]

I've given up using our doctor as it's almost impossible to make an appointment to the surgery . Phone at 8:30 only, hang on for 30 mins or more and then told that no appointments left try tomorrow!

[David Mack]

Got invited by our GP practice for covid and flu jabs about a month ago. They organised a special Saturday clinic with half a dozen consulting rooms in use, admin staff to take people through, check identities, get sleeves rolled up etc. then nurses flipping between the rooms to give the actual jabs. In and out in a few minutes. I was told they were aiming to achieve an average of one minute per patient.