MEDICAL MATTERS

[Big Kev]

09:14 flu jab appointment, at BMC, jab administered at 09:14. All very efficient, in at the far end of the drs car park and out the back door

[PanBiker]

Got our flu jabs done at the surgery this afternoon, thanks for the heads up Kev. Cancelled our Well appointments.

Now time for Ethel Carnie Holdsworth at the Clarion House.

[Big Kev]

[Stanley]

Glad you are protected...... Katie in Oz had flu this winter and said it was the worst she had ever had. We can do without that!

[PanBiker]

I am uncommonly stiff this morning and I don't feel like I have slept last night. I don't normally react to the flu jab but I think this years mix is a bit more potent for the over 65's

[Tizer]

Ian, I was OK after both jabs but now, a week later, I'm feeling a bit weary and not able to walk as far as usual - although I can't walk far normally due to restricted breathing but I'm worse than usual. I hope it will wear off soon!
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We've known about the opioid crisis in the USA for a long time but the latest report is that now the biggest increase is showing up in the teenage population. That's bad but I raised this because of another concern - I'm seeing an increase in errors in internet reports and articles. An opioid report put on the web today for example says`...on Wednesday, the state of California seized 52lb (24kg) of fentanyl powder - enough to make a quarter million pills..'. By my calculations 24kg is 24 thousand grams which is 24 million milligrams (mg). Fentanyl pills are usually less than 1mg per dose so it's easy to see that the report's `quarter million' is out by 100-fold.

We're all aware of the misinformation and disinformation spread on the web but there is also a plague of errors. And these errors get repeated over and over again on other web pages where people copy and paste information and don't check its accuracy.

[Big Kev]

We had the under 65 jab yesterday, no impact as yet not even a sore arm

[Stanley]

I think this qualifies as a medical matter.....

[PanBiker]

I have been planning my trip next week for my scanner appointment at LGI. Last time (2 years ago) when I went to LGI I got off the bus at the wrong stop at the completely opposite side of the hospital. Consequently I had to walk all the way round which took me the best part of 20 minutes to get to the Clarendon Wing entrance which left me a bit short of time for my appointment time. I made it but don't want to repeat the exercise.

I have found an alternative bus route (No 5 Electric) that goes to the right side of the hospital. It involves a 3 minute walk as the bus stops at an urban garden which is adjacent to the hospital. It goes, as all buses do now from just off the City Square at Station B which is a 5 minute walk from Leeds Railway Station. Bus route sorted I went on to look at my rail ticket options.

I'm fairly sure that I paid around £8.50 last year for an open return ticket from Skipton. Searching my Trainline app on the phone, the same ticket (Anytime Return) is now £12.50, a bit of a hike! Not complaining really as that is the total journey costs as my bus pass sorts the other bits. I can get a cheaper off peak ticket which is around £8.50 return but it does limit the times you can travel and you have to select outward and return trains when you book. I go for the Anytime ticket as you have total flexibility on both outward and return trains. I never know how long I will be at the hospital or how busy the scanner will be so I cant bank on being back down at the train station for a specific time. Also having to wait for a return off peak train which are either side of the tea time rush makes it a long day. The Anytime allows me to get there a bit early and nip in the cafe for a bit of lunch before my appointment time, same after the event as well. I will get the E tickets on my phone.

I think I will do both ends on the bus as it costs nothing. No point driving to Skipton and then having to pay to park.

[Big Kev]

think I will do both ends on the bus as it costs nothing. No point driving to Skipton and then having to pay to park.

Is the Skipton to Leeds X84 bus an option?

[PanBiker]

Never considered it Kev. Depends how regular they are and how long it takes.

Just looked and it takes about 1hour 30 minutes. Train is 40 minutes

[Big Kev]

Never considered it Kev. Depends how regular they are and how long it takes.

Just looked and it takes about 1hour 30 minutes. Train is 40 minutes

Probably not practical from a time perspective, worth a look from a monetary view though. Would it be included with your bus pass?

[Whyperion]

All English Bus Services are included in the Pensioner's bus pass ( after 930am ? ). Some specific "touristy coach services" are excluded. Indeed though the length of time of the Skipton to Leeds bus is quite slow, but I think there is now a Skipton-Otley service and then Otley-Leeds, which although no faster does give more departures overall per hour.

[Stanley]

The Bus Pass is one piece of modern legislation that works well and is a godsend.....

[Cathy]

Here in Adelaide, if you are a senior (over 60yrs old), with a government issued seniors card, you can travel on buses, trains and trams for free 24/7.
Up until recently it was only for between peak times.

Yes it definitely helps.

[Stanley]

. I agree entirely Cathy.

[Tizer]

Me too! Just today I see plans for about 5 miles of new bus lanes in our town to stop them getting caught in traffic (but it's hard to see how they'd fit them into the current road widths). I'd have liked to see a commitment to shift to electric buses but no mention of that. I saw also that they are wanting to set up `DDRT'. I'd know idea what that was, it wasn't defined in the news report. But google tells me it's `Digital Demand Responsive Transport', those little buses that respond to demand and take the most efficient route (they hope) and it will be in the rural areas, not in town.

[Big Kev]

I'd have liked to see a commitment to shift to electric buses but no mention of that.

Me too, it's not like it's a new idea. Plenty of electric tram systems in place, can't see why they don't install an induction network around the bigger towns and cities with 'battery' buses.

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[PanBiker]

The electric ones in Leeds are very nice, USB ports for charging stuff and head up displays for the stops like the modern rolling stock on the railways. Very smooth ride as well.

[Stanley]

We called the ones on rubber tyres 'trolley buses'.

[Whyperion]

Me too! Just today I see plans for about 5 miles of new bus lanes in our town to stop them getting caught in traffic (but it's hard to see how they'd fit them into the current road widths). I'd have liked to see a commitment to shift to electric buses but no mention of that. I saw also that they are wanting to set up `DDRT'. I'd know idea what that was, it wasn't defined in the news report. But google tells me it's `Digital Demand Responsive Transport', those little buses that respond to demand and take the most efficient route (they hope) and it will be in the rural areas, not in town.

Further plans of Demand Responsive transport were tried in London in Sutton and Ealing, with the primary idea of moving journeys from car to bus (there is a report of what happened, many ideas were cut short by the start of Covid). Otherwise it has been long used (often for Older Persons "Dial-A-Ride" services , (there were some in Leeds that were useful under the Metro of West Yorkshire) the digital bit is little more than a consumer front end to the management software that can be used anyway. Earlier than that I recall the "Ring and Ride" Ford Transit based service in Harlow, Essex.

Trolleybuses of a modern style were last tried in the UK in Doncaster , using roads along the racecourse, the only public road bit was crossing the road to get back to the Bus Garage, some European cities have retired more recently trolleybuses, but some are still in use

[Big Kev]

With the number of covid cases declining the media are now terrorising the vulnerable by reporting on flu levels.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63341574
Current figures are 1 in 100,000.

[Wendyf]

This morning I tried to make an appointment at the doctor's surgery for something that is concerning me but probably not urgent. The first phone appointment available was 3 weeks from today on 14th November. The receptionist advised me to phone at 8 am each morning to try for an earlier appointment but she thought my chances were slim and suggested being at the surgery each morning at 8am instead. What a mess!

[PanBiker]

Was this at Earby Wendy? I know that from my experience, despite a lot of flack from others on social media. You can usually get a face to face at Barlick surgery after a telephone consultation. One tip that seems to work is to email the surgery and ask for an appointment which normally invokes a call from the doctor. Is that option available to you?

[Wendyf]

Yes it's Earby and/or Colne. As far as I know there is no option to email the practice but I'll check.