[Fleecewife]

My meds run out at the weekend, chemist has halted their home delivery service . so as I'm going to go out I may as well do shopping as well ,get fuel etc , pointless isolating if there is no support infrastructure.
I did my bit, there are vast stores of emergency food and basics but no one "up stairs" thought on how to distribute the stuff , rather they have thought about it but have haven't looked at the logistics, my rant , a lot of folk will suffer due to the failure of planners to plan   

I so agree with this.  We have had at least 10 years of reducing everything, from the numbers of NHS beds and staff, to cutting back the Military to a point where both can barely function.  In Britain, the past few years have been totally taken up with thinking about Brexit and ignoring every really important aspect of life.  There should always be contingency plans which are workable to deal with war, pandemics and major and natural disasters, but we seem to have been totally complacent.  Those at the front line are all too aware of the problems.  Those in politics who should be aware and who should care are only interested in their ability to stay in power, and the success of their own careers.  That is a generalisation of course and there are some who really do want to do things the right way, and they probably all do now, given their political survival and their success at sorting out the problem are now one and the same, but overall, the end result is the farce we have now, where the Gov strategy is to call on 'the wartime spirit'.


For me, a friend is going to see what's available in the shops tomorrow so there will be enough for us to survive on.  We have plenty of meat so can share that around.


Please don't worry about us, but I do hope that all the info you are sharing will help others who don't like to ask.  I am always amazed how much love all of us have in our hearts and how people always help eachother.  I don't like that the Government relies on that to get through a crisis, but it's wonderful that true human feeling is alive and well out there 


[member=200784]nicodearg[/member] thank you so much for that offer.  We'll be fine though if our friends stay well.  Once this is all over, you must come and visit - yes, it's just half an hour away.


I have decided just to sit back and wait until the supermarkets have worked out a way to distribute food to all.  At the moment all attention is on the old and vulnerable, but I feel too for those with large families who, when they fill their trolleys high, are just doing a normal shop, but might be on the receiving end of disapproval.


Please stay safe and well, all of you 

[SallyintNorth]

This may turn into a bit of a rant...     Or several rants... 

So, my Aged P's are now "locked down", and the plan had been that sis, who lives less than 30 mins away, would also lock down, and therefore be able to go and help the Aged Ps with anything.  They are 89 and 90, so change is a challenge.

So she and her hubs organised that they could pay the Aged P's paper bill online, and tried to get the Aged P's set up with online shopping, which sis could operate for them if need be.  Well you all know how that bit turned out, you still can't register new accounts :/

So sis planned to make sure she and the Aged P's had enough in stock for a couple of weeks, to let everything get settled and hopefully be able to organise online shopping thereafter.  Meanwhile I have gone into lockdown where I am so that, if need be, after 14 days I can safely go up and be whatever type of support they all need.  Can live in my caravan on their drive and go to the shops if online ordering is still not working, or can take over from sis and be able to go into the Aged P's house if that's what's needed at the time.

Well you all know how that turned out... empty shelves, so sis had no choice but to keep on going to the supermarket :/  So she isn't as safe a contact for them as we had planned 

Meanwhile, here in our community we are trying to limit the number of trips out by anyone, so anyone going out gets orders from everyone else, but that's not working very well because the shops are limiting the number of any one item to quantity 1.  So anyone shopping for vulnerable folk or others isolating is having to forego their own choices, or go to the shops twice or more.... 

I could go on but won't.  Suffice to say, freakin' shambles, the government had weeks of knowing this was coming, how is it that everything is being done reactively?!?  The supply lines for vulnerable folk should have been organised weeks before they were all asked to self-isolate, so that there was no need for stocking up and no fear about being able to replenish the cupboards.

However, the way the local communities are all rallying to help each other is indeed heartwarming 

[in the hills]

For anyone that it might help ..... also try contacting your local MP or AM too if in Wales and of course whatever the equivalents are in Scotland and Ireland.


Ours has a list of community groups that are being set up locally to help people out. They include local Young Farmers, Church groups etc.

[Rupert the bear]

I have decided just to sit back and wait until the supermarkets have worked out a way to distribute food to all.  At the moment all attention is on the old and vulnerable, but I feel too for those with large families who, when they fill their trolleys high, are just doing a normal shop, but might be on the receiving end of disapproval.

Have no fear HBMG will distribute your essential emergency supplies using Amazon .
( of course , this may or may not be true , just hope it's not Hermes doing the final mile  ) 

[PipKelpy]

My meds run out at the weekend, chemist has halted their home delivery service .   

That's a scary thought!

Last year, with No Deal Brexit on the cards when at the vets i asked for big prescription for the dog (epiphen & bromide (she's epileptic) and several courses of levi's, also some antibiotics thrown in for good measure!! And rectal diazepam). Nowt like stocking up!!! Well, he told me not necessary as drugs won't run out and he couldn't anyway due to epiphen being a restricted class! Well, I'm a worrier! SO, he told me 3 months and and seeing how I am there every month, 3 months then etc! So, stocked up, and brexit worry over and done with so dog started using the stock pills!

But, I also read and listen! Let's just say that I've forked out quite a bit of money recently for drugs! Might get another prescription in 3 months time to keep us several months worth in stock . . . . .

Point though is that mum is in the same boat as you. Guidelines for people have changed and where before she could get 3 months worth of pills at one go, now she can only get a month's worth. She's on 2 strengths of morphine + other glorious little rattlers and can't tolerate certain generic pills and has to have set types that for various reasons the chemist says can't get, (different chemist will get but she has to register with them - bit awkward when you phone and order pills on one prescription!)

This virus i find incredibly worrying as being 46, I wonder how many more are we going to see. We're isolating due to mum's health and I'm a loner anyway so it's really no different for me. I said to mum yesterday that as long as we don't go anywhere and no one comes here then technically we should be ok.

Originally i was concerned about the dog if she has a major do and needs help (mind you virus or not I always worry about this!!!) and getting the hay done (having to rely on others). Weather wise, was worrying about that before!! Now though, worrying about needing a vet if Juniper needs help or for confirming if the other 2 are in calf.....

You know, the day i worry about my own health and well-being will be a special day, will have to be, as all i seem to be doing is wherriting about the blasted animals!! Bet they dont worry about me!!

[doganjo]

I have just heard that we can register via Gov.uk as vulnerable, rather than having to try to ring on non-existant lines, which seems to have been organised this evening, so we'll see what comes of that.  We do have friends who have offered to help which is really kind, but really only brings in crisis needs.  It is also embarassing having to ask, and they tend not to want us to pay - we have money to pay, fortunately.  I don't feel our needs justify using help designed for those really vulnerable people who have no-one at all. We still have stores of some foods, but when we did get the one order we have had delivered last week, various things were missing - in particular loo roll.  Still, we have lots of moss round here 


I think I was just crying out for the supermarkets to sort something out quickly (and they are doing their very best and I for one am very thankful ).  I know this is a huge problem for very many people.  Apparently a quarter of the World population is in lockdown now      There is a local community group here, but as I say, there are plenty of others in far more dire need than we are.  We could be perfectly independent if only we could get a delivery slot organised 


It's wonderful how you are pulling together in your communities to help others, but please don't put yourselves at risk.  On the other hand, when you do drop off supplies, try to stop for a couple of minutes' chat - people will have had no-one to speak to for days, just remember to stay a good 2 metres away, and preferably more.

any link for the vulnerable registration ? Round here earliest delivery slot now first week in May !! All our neighbours are in isolation ( and are fed up with my goats milk and eggs ! )
I dont think the isolation plan will last too long here , food and medicines needed, we may have to draw lots on who is to be " sacrificed "   

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/25/supermarkets-use-database-to-prioritise-deliveries-to-elderly

[doganjo]

The guidance/instructions are clear

You can go out of your house once a day for exercise
You can go out for groceries
You can go out for medication
You must keep 2 metres away from everyone else
Wash your hands befroe and after touching anything someone else has touched or use 65% minimum alcohol based sanitiser

Most supermarkets and shops are now employing measures to keep the social distancing - lines on the ground and at checkouts

So go out for a walk; go to the local shops for food; go to your local chemist for medication (order it on EMIS)
and look for your local support group on Facebook - there's one in almost every area
And lastly, listen to Johnson's daily reports but also check out Nicola Sturgeon's ones too as they are mreo accurate for keeping SCOTLAND safe

Keep well and stay safe xx

[doganjo]

Morrisons are doing a kind of pot luck box containing essentials, supposedly next day delivery

https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/?utm_source=tradedoubler_Skint%20Dad&utm_medium=affiliate&dclid=CjgKEAjwpfHzBRD4hpPoypyjvygSJAB1KxMbVTex7HP6TrMSK5ibGfG8CEsPzRe_6OqHkvGTYTCvuvD_BwE
Temporarily on hold for deliveries though

[Fleecewife]

I have decided just to sit back and wait until the supermarkets have worked out a way to distribute food to all.  At the moment all attention is on the old and vulnerable, but I feel too for those with large families who, when they fill their trolleys high, are just doing a normal shop, but might be on the receiving end of disapproval.

Have no fear HBMG will distribute your essential emergency supplies using Amazon .
( of course , this may or may not be true , just hope it's not Hermes doing the final mile  )

Round here hermes is brilliant 

[Fleecewife]

At last our favourite small independent grocery shop in the town has worked out how to manage a sort of collect-from-the-shop-door box system, so we can get bread flour and veg, milk and dairy products, plus a surprising list of other stuff from them, for as long as they can get supplies     Our friends will collect as they shop there too 

[doganjo]

I am so lucky.  I was able to start online shopping at Morrisons getting it delivered way back for about a month before lockdown.  However, as everyone started doing the same I've found it more difficult to get delivery slots, so my last one was on the 10th and my next one is 25th.  I looked online just now and there's a slot free on 8th May so I've taken it meantime.
 I have also bought a lot of things that I would normally buy day to day, so my last shop was almost £200.  However, I think I can now hole up here for about 3 or 4 months other than bread and milk so I think I'll give up that slot in case someone needs it more than I do. Because I'm on the shielding list,  if I run out of bread and milk the volunteers will very kindly get those and my medication for me.
In addition, I was in the middle of renovations when I moved, and my main contractor and his wife have taken me under their wing and when they go shopping they have been picking up seeds and plants for me and I can pay them direct through the bank as for the renovations.
My future orchard/paddock is great for the dogs and all they need extra is our daily wander down past the local farms on lead for an hour.
In a few months I should have home grown fresh vegetables and fruit, albeit perhaps sparse.
I wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy few months till we get to the other side of this dratted bug

[Fleecewife]

That's really good it's worked out well for you 


We now do click and collect from Sainsburys, and so far I've managed to get a slot every 10 days (one tomorrow).  I freeze milk and I make my own bread anyway, plus we have plenty of fresh veg, salad and the last of the stored potatoes, and meat in the freezer.  Apart from not seeing anyone to chat to, life seems fairly normal.  It's 3 weeks since I last went out, as I was unwell for our last food collection, so I'm looking forward to a tour about, even if we can't go for a walk.