Covid - Beware Getting Treatment - An Update

[Investigator1]

So you will have all read about my ordeal regarding the acquisition of Anti Virals and my last post on Monday the 9th was that I had been contacted by a NHS Nurse who advised me that a Doctor would be calling me by 2.30pm that day. Well he did at 4.45pm went through the checks and advised me the local pharmacy would be the dispensing point for Paxlovid Anti Viral treament (if they had any) immediately my wife rang them to see but the hadn’t got any Paxlovid but had ordered 2 doses and 1 would be with me by about 2pm the following day. It didn’t arrive until 4pm, my wife went to pick it up, we were now approaching the 5-day deadline to take it. I was feeling ok, a little hoarse and a bit off but nothing worse.

On Wednesday after a day in my system didn’t feel much different apart from coughing up darker phlegm then at about 4am Thursday morning I woke with the cold from hell, no fever just sneezing and runny nose, felt crappy. Friday it dried up a bit, Saturday managed to do a 5 mile walk but after taking the night doses Friday and in particular Saturday felt really unwell, can’t describe it apart from feeling fatigued, nauseous, down right ill but fine in the mornings. Took my last dose of Paxlovid Sunday and Monday tested Negative for Covid and today the same. Feel pretty good still coughing up a bit of stuff. So that’s that episode over. However I wrote a 3-page summary and I have sent it off to my Consultant, my GP and NHS England, asking 4 main points.

1/ Why is the referral system used by my Consultant not over my geographic area

2/ Why did my GP report “that process has stopped” and then after the referral came back to her 3 days later change her mind.

3/ Why did Darlington Memorial Hospital keep me for 7 hours and then lie to me with no attempt to issue a prescription when they admitted I was eligible.

4/ Why do 111 keep sending me to Hospital when they don’t know anything about the treatment and it’s availability.

I haven’t had any responses yet, but 1 conclusion I have come to is that where I am the NHS is completely broken and cannot function properly any more. This could have been a far worse outcome. Thanks everybody for reading and supporting. Nick.

[May7]

Oh I have no words! This is certainly NOT a NATIONAL Health Service anymore. Best Wishes to you for a full recovery. May

[Investigator1 in reply to May7]

Hi May, it’s just a pity, so much wastage. Maybe it me being simplistic but why can’t GPs issue a prescription like they do normally if they know a Patients eligibility or can they? Look at the different people that were involved in that episode, taking up their time and resources I counted 15 that were directly involved when it could have been me, the GP and the Pharmacist job done.

[May7 in reply to Investigator1]

No, you are not simplistic Nick, the answers you describe are sensible but simple. I think the problems all stem back to the idea of separate budgets for all departments. For instance, I've found that hospital consultants sometimes have to get GPs to prescribe certain medications, instead of prescribing themselves on the spot, and so on. We are pushed from pillar to post, and there's no way out of the maze.

[Grizzly-bear]

it’s a broken service but also too much down to the individuals. Hope I don’t have to test the theory but I’m almost certain my renal consultant would get me paxlovid straight away. It shouldn’t be down to luck of who your care team are.

Glad it sounds like you’re over the worst of it

[piglette]

You did a five mile walk?!!

[Investigator1 in reply to piglette]

Hi piglette hope you are well, yes did a 5 mile power walk on Saturday from Home to Catterick Garrison and back which took me about 70min, did another one today (a bit slower) and mowed back garden. It’s just what I am like always been the same. Helps me get on with things.

[piglette in reply to Investigator1]

How did you manage that with Covid? I would have been flat on my back!

[Investigator1 in reply to piglette]

Well the symptoms I had didn’t affect my breathing, my nose was running and I was full of Phlegm but able to get out and get some fresh air. I felt crappy but the prize of some bacon and eggs when I got back was too much of a temptation. I guess I was just lucky piglette having the Covid Jab a week earlier and my Rituximab 5 months previous. Mind I couldn’t have done it the first few days, I was frightened to death in case symptoms developed. When I was younger (a long time ago) I played sport to a high level and it’s kind of in your mindset to get on with things whatever. Nick.

[piglette in reply to Investigator1]

I must admit I tend to push through as if everything is OK. I had An antibody test for Covid and it seems I have got loads of Covid antibodies. I just hope they are the right Covid ones!

[Investigator1 in reply to piglette]

Hey piglette I would take that, I am sure any Covid antibodies are a good thing, any help you get must be a positive. I heard a piece on the Radio today where a Senior Consultant from the North East was chirping with glee that in 2023 less people have died with Covid than Flu, that just sums up the brush it under the carpet attitude failing to mention Covid is 5 times more transmissible and chances of dying are much higher so it really means nothing because very few people report flu. Just shows you.

[piglette in reply to Investigator1]

I have discovered that doctors are hopeless at arithmetic! My doctor said that my inflammation marker had gone down, I pointed out to her it had actually gone up! She then said it was just a small amount, so I pointed out to her it was 60%. I am not sure that meant anything to her! A ten year old child could tell if an amount was greater or less than another amount.

[Investigator1 in reply to piglette]

I’m afraid that’s how it is now, my wife who is 54, then my daughter who is 30 odd are the last great bastions on how we were taught, they laugh at us saying we are old fashioned the way we do things but that’s what happens when you do everything on your phone. A little story: Me and my wife both worked on the Railway for many years, my wife started in a Ticket Office when she became a Manager she sometimes got asked to help out in the Train Enquiry Office. It was a regular occurrence the computer system went down, my wife used to get out the big thick 400 page public timetable, the younger ones didn’t have a clue. Nick.

[Mooka]

So pleased you are feeling better. Pleased also you have fired off your story to those concerned. Perhaps your local MP needs a copy if you don’t get any sati responses.

[Investigator1 in reply to Mooka]

Hi Mooka. Thanks for kind words. Good idea to contact MP, unfortunately it’s the current PM!

[Mooka in reply to Investigator1]

Don’t waste your time then 🤣.

[Investigator1 in reply to Mooka]

The thing is Mooka during the pandemic when the Store my wife worked at were telling her to work against medical advice because of me, writing to her telling her she was a burden. My wife had a breakdown and ended up leaving. I wrote to him, telling him this was happening less than 400 yards from his office, in his own constituency, even after a second person contacted his office he didn’t even acknowledge the letters. He did nothing.

[Mooka in reply to Investigator1]

Sadly this doesn’t surprise me Nick. That said I stayed in a pub in his constituency last year before he was pm. He apparently frequented this pub and the staff said he was always very nice and had even ‘sent’ a member of staff a card when she was ill. it turned out the pub was owned by the chairman of the local Conservative Party! I did email my MP about the Evusheld saga. I did get a reply, a very patronising one but it was a reply. It was followed up by one almost gloating when it was decided that evusheld was no longer effective.

[Investigator1 in reply to Mooka]

Hi Mooka the Constituency of Richmond has a majority of 50% so you could put Roland Rat up for election and he’d win it so there is very little possibility of ever getting beat however many shops, pubs and cafes have closed in Richmond and Northallerton and locals aren’t happy, you really feel for them. William Hague was a different kettle of fish, always cared and did his best.

[Riff1954]

Hi Nick. It’s really worrying how many hoops you had to jump through to get the anti-virals, particularly considering that you are working against the clock. I guess you will have seen this nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/... but when you go to the northeast’s ICB website northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk I cannot find any information about anti-viral provision. Previously I believe that the CMDU for Teesside was located at James Cook but presumably that is no longer the case. It will be interesting to know if you get any responses to your enquiries. All the best, David

[Investigator1 in reply to Riff1954]

Hi David, yes you’re right about James Cook, they had a dedicated ward (ward 3) for Anti viral and monoclonal antibody treatment but they closed it in March this year to save costs. I think because we are in rural North Yorkshire we get missed from the map. Nick.

[MerielPB]

To be honest, I think the whole NHS is broken and covid has just exacerbated the problem.

[2534]

Perhaps the quickest thing might be to do straight to the Panoramic trial

panoramictrial.org/

I believe they are using Paxlovid

[Investigator1 in reply to 2534]

Good point! My GP isn’t listed on there but it’s worth a go.