by SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 30 Mar 2020, 13:49
Meggie got her letter, as above, several days ago. Despite trying multiple times per day, she cannot get on a delivery list, any list, never mind the "priority" one for " vulnerable". She completed 6 months chemotherapy 11 days ago, so her immunological status is well documented.
As her husband, although I am healthy, I cannot go out to shop as the risk of bringing C19 home ( even in semi-rural Northumberland) is real and - in her words - "will do for me".
Fortunately, No2 offspring is 10 mins walk away and he has done ration runs for us, but, and its a big but, he has had to work throughout as his chemical synthesis skills are "essential". So what if he gets it in transit or at work? What is our fall-back position for supplies? Neighbours are elderly, one is 77, yada, yada. We live in a small house, where distancing/shielding would be aspirational, not practical.
I am undermined and apprehensive because the so-called liason between UKGov/NHS and the supermarket chains simply is not happening.
In an age where digital comms are dominant, I am at a loss to understand why £6,000,000 can be spent for the sake of making sure BloJo(b)'s physical letter got posted, so presumably, that cash is not available to fund contacting the 1,400,000 folks who need concrete suppport, not rhetoric? Is THAT why we - and, presumably, lots of others - still cannot get to a position where they can SAFELY obtain vital "basic necessities" without risking their lives?
Come on! Use all that computing power and delegate out all that contacting to out-of-work call centre staff!! VOIP etc could see them easily use their skills and get the job done.
Sam
A pragmatist inside a perpetual optimist, heavily influenced by an experienced cynic, wrapped around by an aging relic.