Supermarket/food Deliveries

[Lex Luthor 10]

1 minute ago, johnlittle said:

Being in my mid-70s, independent and unfortunately not having any direct family of my own I can share my own experience and feelings about food deliveries in these current times.  Not long ago I had a serious case of pneumonia and am pre-diabetic too but was not informed directly that I was vulnerable to the new virus (although I knew I was).

I normally look forward to shopping and am organised so usually do a monthly visit.

I was concerned about the possibility of contracting the virus so tried to book a home delivery. It was impossible so I resorted to visiting Tesco. Social distancing was in place but I still felt the risk I was taking for  one or two hours.

The sight of supermarket delivery vans are a common sight where I live in a relatively affluent village (both Tesco closely followed by Morrison's almost ran me over today which would have added insult to injury!) and I am surmising that many young families and others who might not have any vulnerability issues are using them. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I think something more efficient to help the elderly and vunerable could have been arranged in the past few weeks.

Other goodwill assistance has been offered informally in our community for which I'm entirely grateful but this can never be a replacement for official emergency provision in my opinion and is often patchy, limited, unaccountable and lacking proper resources.

I have just tried https://shoppingslot.co.uk and it appears very useful except there was no slot to be had at any supermarket so it's off to Tesco again next week! Quite an exciting prospect given my propensity to walk down aisles in the wrong direction!

 

 

Couldn't agree more.  

 

Makes you wonder what Matt Hancock was saying during all of those imaginary planning meetings he'd been having with the major supermarkets for months. 

[catmiss 12]

Boots have been terrible about repeat prescriptions. I normally collect but when I had shielding letter I rang Boots at Hillsborough and, despite letter stating chemists were being paid to deliver free, they insisted I would have to pay £5 per delivery. Signed up for on line free delivery, ok fist time but this time nothing arrived 2 weeks after prescription issued by doctor. Took 3 days to get though on phone and then passed between phone numbers. Got through today again after 2 more days and with only 2 days of medicine left only to be told prescription not even dispensed yet. Agreed to do it urgently but won’t arrive until early/mid next week. No apology and not even interested about leaving people without medication. I complained on 24 March re Hillsbourough branch and still no response. 

[tinfoilhat 11]

14 hours ago, johnlittle said:

Being in my mid-70s, independent and unfortunately not having any direct family of my own I can share my own experience and feelings about food deliveries in these current times.  Not long ago I had a serious case of pneumonia and am pre-diabetic too but was not informed directly that I was vulnerable to the new virus (although I knew I was).

I normally look forward to shopping and am organised so usually do a monthly visit.

I was concerned about the possibility of contracting the virus so tried to book a home delivery. It was impossible so I resorted to visiting Tesco. Social distancing was in place but I still felt the risk I was taking for  one or two hours.

Supermarket delivery vans are a common sight where I live in a relatively affluent village (both Tesco closely followed by Morrison's almost ran me over today which would have added insult to injury!) and I am surmising that many young families and others who might not have any vulnerability issues are using them. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I think something more efficient to help the elderly and vunerable could have been arranged in the past few weeks.

Other goodwill assistance has been offered informally in our community for which I'm entirely grateful but this can never be a replacement for official emergency provision in my opinion and is often patchy, limited, unaccountable and lacking proper resources.

I have just tried https://shoppingslot.co.uk and it appears very useful except there was no slot to be had at any supermarket so it's off to Tesco again next week! Quite an exciting prospect given my propensity to walk down aisles in the wrong direction!

 

 

Are you friendly at all with any of these neighbours? I’m sure if you asked one of them you know they’d get a few bits in on their delivery. 

27 minutes ago, catmiss said:

Boots have been terrible about repeat prescriptions. I normally collect but when I had shielding letter I rang Boots at Hillsborough and, despite letter stating chemists were being paid to deliver free, they insisted I would have to pay £5 per delivery. Signed up for on line free delivery, ok fist time but this time nothing arrived 2 weeks after prescription issued by doctor. Took 3 days to get though on phone and then passed between phone numbers. Got through today again after 2 more days and with only 2 days of medicine left only to be told prescription not even dispensed yet. Agreed to do it urgently but won’t arrive until early/mid next week. No apology and not even interested about leaving people without medication. I complained on 24 March re Hillsbourough branch and still no response. 

Use another pharmacy!

[max 13]

Boots at the NGH were great as were my cardiologist's secretary and the receptionist on the cardiac unit's front desk.

 

I rang to query whether I needed my 6 monthly check up and was told no, they could make out a prescription for another 6 months.

 

The secretary took the prescription down to the receptionist who then rang me to say it had arrived. She then offered to take it to the pharmacy in Huntsman at the other end of the hospital.

 

The staff at Boots rang me to see if I wanted to collect or have it delivered. 

 

2 days after my initial conversation my drugs duly arrived at the front door.

 

Brilliant service all round.

[catmiss 12]

4 hours ago, tinfoilhat said:

Are you friendly at all with any of these neighbours? I’m sure if you asked one of them you know they’d get a few bits in on their delivery. 

Use another pharmacy!

Difficult  to change now when this month’s prescription has been issued to Boots electronically by doctor and they won’t issue another this month. I will change once I get the medications.

Not sure what you mean about friends/neighbours getting a few bits in their deliveries??????

[tinfoilhat 11]

6 minutes ago, catmiss said:

Difficult  to change now when this month’s prescription has been issued to Boots electronically by doctor and they won’t issue another this month. I will change once I get the medications.

Not sure what you mean about friends/neighbours getting a few bits in their deliveries??????

The deliveries bit was meant for John little to be honest, but it works for anyone struggling with supermarket deliveries - ask a neighbour to get you stuff on their delivery if you can't get one online.

[johnlittle 10]

18 hours ago, catmiss said:

Sheffield Community Helpline-0114 2734567 or WRVS 08081963646 for volunteers who will do your shopping. WRVS on radio today saying they have lots of volunteers with nothing to do

Not actually living in Sheffield although having a Sheffield post code ......

4 hours ago, tinfoilhat said:

Are you friendly at all with any of these neighbours? I’m sure if you asked one of them you know they’d get a few bits in 

Two helpful families have offered to shop for items for me but I don't think they can be expected to shop for everything I need. They also couldn't be expected to spend time tracking down the urgent items  I needed which the supermarkets ran out of during the panic buying.

Fortunately, prescriptions are not a prob as I live close to a chemist.

On a happy note, I had delivered today, by two pleasant young local community carers, a packed anniversary VE day afternoon tea courtesy of the Parish Council and local Gala committee in lieu of the cancelled picnic activities.

Well done to them although this perhaps illustrates one of my original points that, in an emergency such as this, community help cannot (and should not) be expected to replace the need for carefully planned and directed government action (such as ensuring anyone who is vulnerable can obtain priority for food deliveries and that issues with that are dealt with thoroughly).

Edited May 8, 2020 by johnlittle
Correction and emphasis of meaning

[tinfoilhat 11]

If they do online shopping all they have got to key it in and find it on a list. Might take a bit of back and forth over the phone but its doable and isn't alot of effort for them, alot easier than walking round a supermarket looking for it.

 

No harm in asking!

[johnlittle 10]

Tinfoilhat , I do agree except that many single people like me find that they are not on the usual communication or grapevine lines (school run, church etc) to get to know many people.  Here lots of my neighbours are themselves elderly and alone or are renting the property for a short term. 

I suspect (but only that) that many of the local folk having food delivered are self-employed working families who see themselves as very busy normally but who may now not have any work but can afford to continue their deliveries. 

Having been born a few months after VE day, I can see the changes in social behaviour and expectations between then and now but that is a discussion for another topic!

 

[tinfoilhat 11]

4 minutes ago, johnlittle said:

Tinfoilhat , I do agree except that many single people like me find that they are not on the usual communication or grapevine lines (school run, church etc) to get to know many people.  Here lots of my neighbours are themselves elderly and alone or are renting the property for a short term. 

I suspect (but only that) that many of the local folk having food delivered are self-employed working families who see themselves as very busy normally but who may now not have any work but can afford to continue their deliveries. 

Having been born a few months after VE day, I can see the changes in social behaviour and expectations between then and now but that is a discussion for another topic!

 

I am in that self employed category and shopping for 4!

 

Next door but one in a similar spot and shoppi g for at least 3.

Edited May 8, 2020 by tinfoilhat

[johnlittle 10]

That's very good of you tinfoil hat. Reminds me of my childhood days on the estate where I lived. 

[catmiss 12]

I get priority access to supermarket delivery as am classified as extremely vulnerable due to chronic lung disease and have been advised to stay in my home (no outside exercise) for 12 weeks at least.  After registration, as per the Government letter, it was 4 weeks before access to supermarket delivery was confirmed and I received very basic food parcels in the intervening period. I am normally self sufficient and people might wonder why I’m getting deliveries- perhaps some of the people or family members observed have similar classified 

conditions. 

There are numerous local and national organisations who have CRB checked volunteers who will collect shopping lists, deliver goods and be able to accept cash or debit/credit card payment. The supermarkets are giving priority access as per government lists and to others often accessing slots in overnight. I don’t understand the correlation between being ‘out of work/self employed’ and still being able to ‘afford deliveries’