Chemo delays and prioritizing patients

Nope, eating. It ties into the living alone comment Annette made.

I can't walk to the supermarket, and I refuse to get in a taxi just now. This leaves me with online delivery, which is pretty much non existent at the moment as everything is booked weeks and weeks ahead.

Managed to get in this morning to one who is opening and closing their service each day, so closing as soon as delivery slots are full. So it's just a veg box, but it has onions in it, and I've asked them to not send potatoes and to please give me more onions instead. So we'll see what arrives when.

Lass

Hi Lsss

I would have lost money on a bet on eating! I didn't mind writing the rest of the post, it just flowed off the top of my head, I've written and spoken about onions so many times at gardening clubs.

Don't give up on supermarkets. Whether Asda has more staff for driving or picking, imagine my amazement when last Monday, I tried Asda to see how far ahead the delivery times were and on my screen were delivery times for 2 days ahead, ie Wednesday! It's delivered and put away, we already have a slot this Sunday evening which we got about 10 days ago. 

Remember, if you are as lucky as I was and you can't think of what you need, all you need to do is put 1 item in your basket to book the slot and you can add to it up to 24 hrs before delivery. 

Even if you have to book a slot 2 weeks ahead you can do the same, put 1 item in the basket to book the slot and add to it closer to the delivery date. 

Good luck on the onion front!

Tvman

I've been using home delivery since Tesco first introduced it about 20 years ago ish. I'm well aware of how it works thanks.

I have one booked for the 6th of April that I booked 2 weeks ago as the first slot available. I'm in a big city and every time a slot is released, it's booked. Iceland, Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons, and so on are all fully booked. Ocado won't accept new customers at the moment because of the demand. All shops are hiring more staff to try and bring in more slots. Tesco just announced a cap on how many items you're allowed to buy per shop, 80 if memory serves.

But I've found lots of local shops that deliver too, some with better systems than others. I'd def suggest people look to buy local where they can at the moment as they need the support. 

Lass

I agree with Lass re trying to support local shops. I did find one local wholesale fruit and veg supplier who is doing deliveries of boxes to homes, trouble is on one day when I looked, the price was £19.95 including delivery, but the next day it was £30. Now that is profiteering plain and simple. I hope people will remember which companies and shops tried to maximise profits in a time of crisis.

I also notice that some farm shops will deliver. One lovely organic farm near me does deliveries by courier, with everything boxed up and insulated. Again the delivery is quite high, but it is nice to support good ethical businesses.

I last heard from my chemo team when I saw them on Feb 27. I was floored by first of 3 E/C so had to cancel the next 2 . I am in limbo as our Oncologist team are not able to travel to the Isle of Man, I didn't want to phone too soon as we all know they are busy. I had wondered if I should take QUALITY OR QUANTITY--- NOW MOST OF US HAVE NO CHOICE.     Can't even garden as my arthritis is kicking up.   Think I will ring next week just to let them know I am still here.   C J

Hi

Is there any chance you would be able to post a link to those NICE guidelines about grouping cancer patients please?

we’ve just had a message to say adjuvent therapy would be stopped (which I can kind of understand) and not offered again later in the future (which I don’t understand). would be useful to read the guidelines before I try speak to the oncologist or specialist nurse if possible.

its heartbreaking to see what a worrying time this is for so many people -really hope that things settle and there is some consistency and clear message and advice/support being put in place for those whose treatment is being impacted.

all the best to you all

Hi

Try this link. I think it’s what you’re looking for. The document is no longer available on the nhs England website and I think the guidance has been withdrawn as official guidance as it caused a right stink. Nevertheless it seems, based on anecdotal accounts reaching this community, to be what’s being enacted in practice. 

https://www.entuk.org/sites/default/files/files/Specialty%20guide_Cancer%20and%20coronavirus_17%20March.pdf

Thanks @daloni for posting that link again. I went to local hospital today to see District Nurse for port a cath flush and denosimab injection, for which I had a blood test at the same local hospital on Monday. Nurse asked if consultant had told me that denosimab suspended- which of course I didnt know or I wouldnt have gone for the blood test. She was irritated to hear thatI didn't know and regretted not having phoned me to check. In the scheme of things, it is not a massive deal, but communication would have helped me avoid a trip on Monday. However, I do have to say that the local NHS has arranged things so people have very little contact with each other and waiting rooms are empty ( as you are experiencing today).

However some people are bit irritating - as I went into the hospital, someone waiting for a blood test was standing right by the hand  sanitiser dispenser. I walked past her and reached for the sanitiser, and she immediately span around to face away from me, and did move a bit, but for heavens sake, dont stand by the very thing which people need to use.

I asked the nurse about supplies of ppe - the trust received some yesterday. I detest our lying politicians, they take us for fools.

Can't understand why it is ok to be close to a nurse with no mask to have a blood test, when I have seen no other person apart from boyfriend.fir two weeks. I felt really nervous but was told it was ok

Hi flowerlady

It's simply not ok for that nurse not to be wearing ppe, I'd guess that there aren't enough ppe for the staff. 

She shouldn't be getting exposed to patients in case she gets infected. Unfortunately there are going to be many health service staff infected which is in my view criminal. 

More worryingly Flowerlady-and please don't be upset with me for saying this- you don't know whether she is not infected and passing the covid 19 virus on to you. No wonder you were nervous, I'd have been nervous too. Why were they so sure that she is not infected? She doesn't have a sign over her head!

If faced with that scenario, I (and I think you also should if it happens again) would put my foot down and absolutely refuse even to go into the same room, never mind allowing her to come within 2 metres of you. For someone to encourage you to get blood taken by that nurse is completely reckless. 

I don't know if you have a shielding letter Flowerlady, I do and a fair amount of it tells me not to go within 2 metres of anyone. In fact, I'm told not to go to the medical centre because I will have someone come to my house, my medicines from the pharmacy will be delivered to me and that my fusions from the hospital will also be delivered to me. If the nurse has no ppe, she won't be coming in, I have my wife and son to care about also. The three of us are self isolating, because of me for which I am grateful. No one is going to put our lives in peril.

If it were me, Flowerlady, I would highlight what has happened as soon as possible, you may save a patient's life, you may save the nurse's life. 

I hope you aren't intimidated by this post, I mean no harm. I want you and your boyfriend to be safe.

Tvman xx