DH - tried - to get a flu jab

It varies so much between surgeries. We have two local rural medical practices. One hired the car park of a sports stadium on the edge of its nearest town and got most of its patients to drive through by appointment on one particular day. My own is running a series of Saturday morning clinics when all 4 doctors and 3 nurses are giving vaccinations, again by appointment only. Only heard positive feedback for how these are being run and organised.

My GP advised me that they were taking bookings for flu jabs on sunday's, with the nurse. I booked in immedietly and had no problems.

Also, I got a call from our local hospital a few weeks ago to say that my GP had advised them that I needed a blood test. They wanted to know if it could be done in my home! Of course!

Saved me so much time and trouble, plus the young woman who did it left not a mark on me. I said she must have been doing it for ages and she replied that in fact, she had only been doing it for a few weeks!

She had been a ward clerk and there had been a circuler asking the staff if they wanted to retrain and she grabbed the chance. I am so grateful she did.

The flu jab scenario seems to be part of the overall plan to privatise this aspect of NHS provision.

If we can ensure we get a simple jab at a low cost done by Boots, Lloyds, Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's - then we can reduce NHS funding for these services at the next budget.

Classic Tory underfunding ploy to get us to increase our preference for private sector services (just like NHS Track & Trace), and complain about our GP Practice.

Of course, if Boots, Lloyds and others provided the same flu jab service at the same cost (free) as the GP surgery, then it would spread the load for GPs and get the job done quicker. But then, the NHS funding would then be shuffled off to subsidise pharmacies, just like they subsidise private train operators.

Yup - I do think it's a conspiracy - back door privatisation - first care homes, then dental services, the chiropody .....

I had my flu jab free at Boots last week. No problems whatsoever. Great service.

Depending on his age he may not have to pay.

Does your local Boots or chemist do flu jabs? Our doctors’ practice is the same - just the one date and take it or leave it. We were away at son’s that weekend so booked an appt at Boots and free to over 65s. She did mention a shortage at present due to “unprecedented” demand (as if it couldn’t have been predicted!)

My surgery was great. Text received to say time for us over 65s to book a flu jab appointment. Rang. appointment a few days later which was done in surgery car park. No queues. Two nurses giving jabs. Out in a matter of minutes. Job done. No complaints.

Our system was exemplary!
We got appointment letters inviting us to attend at a local conference centre (where there is plenty of free parking) for our flu jabs. It had a number to call if you couldn't make it but both our appontments were on Saturdays so well thought out for anyone working (unless of course they work on Saturdays!).
We arrived, wearing masks as requested, the letters were taken from us as by one person, our temperature was taken by another then we walked in where there must have been about 15 well spaced tables to go to for your jab. You were then directed out by the back door. It was a real flowline and very efficient and it left our GP's free to run their surgeries as normal.

icanhandthemback

Our surgery was utterly brilliantly organised with the Flu jab. It was well organised, no waiting, very efficient and showing just how well things can be done on the NHS.
However, this morning I have received a text from the surgery saying the hospital have ordered a blood test from my mother within a week of her discharge from hospital but they do not have an appointment for at least a couple of weeks!
The NHS is wonderful in a serious crisis but the day to day stuff often falls short. I think the Elderly are particularly badly served. My mother needs help with her medication to keep her alive and well. Each morning and evening the Community Nurse (CN) tries to discharge her. Her early dementia means that she can't take them regularly or takes more than one dose which has recently caused falls which put her in hospital. She has no understanding that this is a problem so the she tells the CN that she can cope with her medicine and they say they only listen to the patient. The huge bag of untaken blister packs back up my concerns as do the dustpan full of dropped medication but they only listen to what she says because it suits their purpose. It isn't as if she refuses to cooperate with them so she isn't suffering needlessly with their intervention. I've got to the stage where I think it would suit them if she didn't take the pills and insulin, suffered more organ failure and shuffled off her mortal coil.

There is nothing more they can do or allowed to do except only what the patient says.

I do not or have ever worked for NHS.

However, the same happened with me twice. Mother and DH step-mother. My mother would have died within a few days of not taking one of her 11 tablets. In the end, my brother and I booked her a two week stay in a residential home. I told her I was away on holiday so wouldn't be able to visit her, I felt terrible at doing this as I wasn't going on holiday. After the two weeks I visited and she didn't mention going home and continued to live there for three relatively happy years with me visiting every weekend.

Your only option is to get your mother to agree to you being Power of Attorney (medical). The doctors etc have to listen and follow your instructions by law. After my father died, my mother agreed to the POA. I could have enforced her stay in the home if she hadn't agreed or I could have enforced the doctors etc to do as I wanted.

My DH's step mother wouldn't agree to one. I'm convinced she was not taking all her medication. She'd had a number of blackouts resulting in bad falls. After 6 months of these she was found dead on the bathroom floor one morning by the carer. The care company had brought the blackouts to the attention of the doctors but there was nothing they could legally do. After one hospital stay as a result of a fall, I complained and they said the same. Very apologetic but the law says that only the patient's word has to be accepted. They even tried to get her to do the POW whilst I was there.

Went into Lloyds pharmacy and booked my jab over the counter....had it week later! Haven’t been near my docs for 8 months.... perhaps I’m not as ill as I thought I was in the past . Feel sorry for folk who can’t get their jabs , must be a worry.

Our appointments were arranged by the surgery in July for September. The day before we received a text to remind us and on the day we were sent a text to say we could earlier than the agreed time if convenient. I think there were around six nurses administering the injections and it was incredibly efficient. The following month I had an appointment for a shingles vaccine and it was also done professionally. Mine is a very busy surgery so it can be done if the managers are any good.

Had mine this morning. 9.20 appt, I walked and was early - only one person ahead of me in the queue, I was done and out again by ten past nine.

My surgery was wonderful! They gave appointments at two minute intervals on a Saturday with a one way route through. All worked very efficiently.

Our Drs all very well organised, three nurses. we queued outside and were admitted by two receptionists ticking us off on a good old fashioned hand written list, we were handed a piece of paper which we gave to a nurse and were jabbed, we then left by a different door. Naturally you still can't see a Dr but at least something sorted out.

I had my jab yesterday. My surgery were great, sent me a text , made an appointment. There was a one way system through the building, hand sanitizers and masks available at the entrance, no queue. As each person left another person arrived. I don’t know how they managed it, as it’s a very busy practice.

specki4eyes

Here in France we automatically get a prescription for our flu vaccine pack along with a start date for collecting it from any pharmacy, in the post. You then can ask the pharmacist to do it or take it to the local nurses' station for them to administer or, as I do, do it yourself. I swab my upper arm with TCP, press the hypodermic to eject air and pop it in. Simples! Why is everything so complicated in the UK?

There’s nothing complicated about booking an appointment, turning up and having it done. Any complications this year are purely due to the need to distance from others - surely this is an issue in French pharmacies and surgeries as well?

I’m intrigued by the handing out of vaccination packs to all and sundry and trusting everybody to look after them properly. Surely they’re supposed to be kept in a fridge till used, and properly disposed of afterwards?

Our surgery have been very efficient. We received letters giving appointment dates for vaccines to be administered at the surgery. I would be happy to receive/buy a flu kit and administer the jabs for DH and myself.

Our surgery was utterly brilliantly organised with the Flu jab. It was well organised, no waiting, very efficient and showing just how well things can be done on the NHS.
However, this morning I have received a text from the surgery saying the hospital have ordered a blood test from my mother within a week of her discharge from hospital but they do not have an appointment for at least a couple of weeks!
The NHS is wonderful in a serious crisis but the day to day stuff often falls short. I think the Elderly are particularly badly served. My mother needs help with her medication to keep her alive and well. Each morning and evening the Community Nurse (CN) tries to discharge her. Her early dementia means that she can't take them regularly or takes more than one dose which has recently caused falls which put her in hospital. She has no understanding that this is a problem so the she tells the CN that she can cope with her medicine and they say they only listen to the patient. The huge bag of untaken blister packs back up my concerns as do the dustpan full of dropped medication but they only listen to what she says because it suits their purpose. It isn't as if she refuses to cooperate with them so she isn't suffering needlessly with their intervention. I've got to the stage where I think it would suit them if she didn't take the pills and insulin, suffered more organ failure and shuffled off her mortal coil.

Our surgery system was far better than the usual one. Normally everybody with surnanes beginning with A&B for example, turn up to a crowded waiting room and are herded in and out. This time you rang up, booked a jab, turned up to a very efficient waiting room with all furniture taken out, very socially distanced, only one other person in the room, a one way system in 0lavr. Felt calmer and very safe.

Had our flu vaccinations this week at the Health centre. Very well organised. 10 other people there waiting, all social distancing and wearing masks. At appointed time we went in one by one, had our names taken and then directed along a corridor to a nurse who gave us the injection, then out of the building via another door. Arm a bit sore but no ill effects. Couldn’t fault the system. We live in Wales

MOnica,don't go near the slaughter-house.

Does your local Tesco/Asda have a pharmacy? we both had ours done there and was free.

Our Dr's surgery's were very well organised, the council let them have a car park for a drive through flu clinic everyone had a letter and we then had to phone for an appointment,mine was yesterday and my daughter took me down as I can't drive, it was very well organised someone at the entrance met us and pointed us to the next Marshall who asked which surgery I was with then told us which way to go someone else told us which pod to go to a nurse came out i handed over my letter she asked the usual questions gave me the injection through the car window and then we left

We had our flu jabs last week. Made appointments online. It was very well organised. In and out in five minutes. Having said that, I often go to our local Tesco pharmacy to have it done because it’s closer and is still free.

specki4eyes

Here in France we automatically get a prescription for our flu vaccine pack along with a start date for collecting it from any pharmacy, in the post. You then can ask the pharmacist to do it or take it to the local nurses' station for them to administer or, as I do, do it yourself. I swab my upper arm with TCP, press the hypodermic to eject air and pop it in. Simples! Why is everything so complicated in the UK?

Not complicated everywhere. Most surgeries have it well organised.

It does sound a good idea what happens in France but I can't see how this cuts down queues at pharmacists or nurses' stations in heavily populated areas.