I've just had a phone call from someone called 'Abbie'.
She said she was working in partnership with my GP surgery.
Did anyone in the household have a repeat prescription?
Rather reluctantly, I said yes.
They were 'offering a free NHS service' to deliver prescriptions to our house, rather than us getting them from the chemist.
No thanks, I said.
She re-iterated that the service was free and it would save me going to the chemist.
No thanks, I said.
She then said we could take advantage of it during the winter months, and revert to collecting our own prescriptions at a later date if we wanted to.
No thanks, I said, goodbye.
I'm really quite cross.
I don't know who this organisation is, but I wish the practice hadn't given them my details (if indeed they did, the organisation could have just looked in the phone book).
Is it the NHS inappropriately wanting to mollycoddle all the over 65's, regardless of whether or not they are perfectly fir and well?
Or is it <conspiracy theory alert> some multinational chemist chain wanting to siphon off business from the small independent chemist that we use?
Who, incidentally, widely advertises the fact that she is happy to deliver to people's houses if they so wish?
I've done 1471 and called the number back it was a Sunderland number - an answering machine said they are 'the Pharmacy Initiative Scheme'.
Does anyone know anything about it?
I'm just about to email this post to the practice mnanager at our GP practice.
that the NHS is having to devolve resources to dealing with aggressive marketing companies.
Fashion for short, overweight woman
To think that London, or anywhere else for that matter, does not belong to any one demographic
Being quizzed by chemist's assistant in Boots.
