DIY Healthcare

 


My GP surgery want a blood pressure reading taking and sending in via some link in a text they sent me.  Blood pressure reading with the prospect of new IT to deal with.  What could possibly go wrong?


The NHS also want me to do (another) bowel cancer test.  These seem to come around very frequently.  Having given thought to it, every two years.  It certainly feels more frequent.  Personally, if my body doesn’t want it I would rather not come into close contact with it though I expect medical professionals feel much the same way and then some with regard to other people’s.


However, in my post 60 retirement preparation mode I need to consider my health and therefore ……


I believe the phrase across the pond (where healthcare costs a fortune) is ‘suck it up buttercup’ so I best get on with it.


As regards blood pressure; my grump, in (small) part, is that there is supposed to be a 5 year check up from the age of 40.  I am 60 and so far I recall having 2.  Could they not call me for one and do my blood pressure then I ask myself?


…..and answer “no, probably not”.  They sent me a text message 2 weeks before my 60th birthday to tell me that between 40 and 60 I was eligible for some menopause service.  Little late is all I can say. 


I suspect, but do not know, that there are rather too many with my surname and initial on that surgery’s books and I get overlooked as a result. 


I do accept that I could call them but, to date, I have a 100% failure rate on this re proactive screenings.  It seems to be regarded as queue jumping.  


Anyway moan over.  The MiL, who is no stranger to the same surgery - same surname, same initial and same need to differentiate as at the Garden Centre for loyalty points - has a trip to the ballet planned.  




 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes life throws a curve ball

Am heading home after the work Christmas lunch.    We closed the office at 12 noon and headed to a Lebanese restaurant.    Circa 4.30pm we headed to a pub.    My train from King’s Cross was booked at 8:03pm.    First class.    I have learnt from experience that this works well on such occasions.    Main line station concourses are not the best places to be just before Christmas  after a few drinks when everyone else has had a few drinks also.   The first class lounge, safety and rehydration is where it’s at.     It’s also where I am writing this from.     Lunch was excellent, a good time seems to have been and was still being had by all still standing when I left.    Unfortunately on board the train to Kings Cross the message came through that S was at A&E with his mother having been sent there by the GP surgery.    On the plus side he had taken her to A&E in Peterboroug...
Read more

Senior Railcard, Twilight Bag Drop, Wetherspoons for Breakfast and Ben’s Buses

Image
The alarm went off at 5.20am.     I am not a morning person but London beckoned for the Friday ahead of the long awaited (it’s the best part of a year since we last got back) ski trip.     S dropped me at Peterborough Station and once onboard the train a (actually two) very nice stewards served me tea, a bacon roll and a satsuma on the 50min train journey to Kings Cross.     From there things were a little slower and the Lizzy line does not do refreshments to seats which is a shame but entirely understandable. The working day was book(train)ended with the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street to the Airport.    Not being peak hours this meant I could use my Senior Railcard for the first time.   I met S at the Radisson Blu, the car was safely ensconced in the multi storey and all our bags were piled on a trolley in our room.    I avoided the trolley and luggage negotiation nightmare in England but checked in to our French hotel...
Read more

When others pass stress along, the answer is the vegetable garden

  Well that was an exhausting week.     I complain regularly about 5am starts but seldom am I actually dealing with emails at 6.30am and 8pm on the same days and in succession. I’m not great on tech (despite what my parents seem to believe).    The basic nature of this blog may well be testament to that.    No doubt my more competent colleagues would rather I was better but for the sake of everyone’s sanity it is sometimes best that they assist.    This week, however, things were not really working for them either.    Upshot was I found myself logging in to a video platform for 2 days on my iPad whilst having various documents for reference on my desktop along side whilst providing (some might say playing at) tech support for another who was using my Mac to log onto the same video platform. By the end all appeared proficient but it was not a great start.    Note to self - my Mac does not have a touch screen! My voicemails ...
Read more