![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Good news first: the vet is very pleased with Little Madam (based on a photo of her rear end). Stitches are not in her future, just natural healing. Phew.
Update to good news: The test (see below) was negative.
However, In our latest instalment about the pingdemic, I ordered an at-home PCR test. Kit arrived late on Monday, so Tuesday I rang to book a collection (can't drive, can't walk to the nearest relevant post box which is half a mile away -- village life for the disabled!). Confirmation of booking received by email from Royal Mail.
Took the test at 0700 on Wednesday.
Collection time (on Wednesday) came and went. Courier did not.
Rang to remonstrate with NHS Test and Trace. Courier rebooked for Thursday.
No confirmation of booking received.
Thursday morning: rang NHS Test and Trace to check that courier was booked. Oh, yes -- it's booked but we cant see the details (Aside: what sort of system design is that? Don't answer...) You'll have to ring Royal Mail to check.
Rang Royal Mail and got the very helpful Wendy who was working from home and could not put her head over a screen to ask for help...
Wendy: We don't do Covid test collections.
Me: Yes you do. I have an email to prove it.
Wendy: Leave it with me -- I'll get to the bottom of this.
Break for breakfast for me and the cats. (Not in that order).
Wendy: My supervisor confirms we don't do this.
Me: There's a page of FAQS on your website about the service.
Her: So there is! let me go back to my supervisor.
Break for my second coffee of the morning.
Wendy: We do do it, even though none of us have had any information and training. And none of us has access to the 'collections database' because it belongs to the NHS and we haven't been granted access. (She was audibly almost in tears at this point.) You'll have to go back to the NHS -- I am so sorry. I can raise a complaint about a missed collection...
Me: No. (I don't want to get Mark -- the local postie -- in trouble because i suspect the problem is light years away from him, but he'd end up carrying the can.)
Wendy: At least me and my supervisor know about the service now -- thank you for that at least.
Back to the NHS who maintained: it's booked; we can't see details(!!!). If you have a problem, ring Royal Mail.
Thursday morning came and went. The courier did not.
Back to the NHS. "Oh, dear. We'll need to send you a new kit. When you get it, book a collection."
I am at this point wondering if I can risk a drive to the postbox 0.5 miles away (totally illegally without a driving licence). I have no symptoms (yet) but want to be sure before I allow my cleaners and D into the house... Plus I need to book a booster jab and can't do that if the test is positive or results are outstanding.
New kit is scheduled to be delivered today Friday between 11 and 2.
At 1015 a courier rings, asking for directions for my house to collect the supposedly-expired kit (and refused to come back for the fresh new kit later). He wasn't from the Royal Mail, as far as I can tell -- and not much up on Covid safety rules -- did not back away from the door and wasn't wearing a mask or gloves -- I shooed him away before I put the test kit on the doormat and left the rest to him -- I'd handled it in gloves and a mask all the way through and couldn't do much more).
So, I have sent off a possibly expired kit and have an untouched one for which I could book a new collection! And I am totally conflicted about what to do.
It shouldn't be this difficult.
Update to good news: The test (see below) was negative.
However, In our latest instalment about the pingdemic, I ordered an at-home PCR test. Kit arrived late on Monday, so Tuesday I rang to book a collection (can't drive, can't walk to the nearest relevant post box which is half a mile away -- village life for the disabled!). Confirmation of booking received by email from Royal Mail.
Took the test at 0700 on Wednesday.
Collection time (on Wednesday) came and went. Courier did not.
Rang to remonstrate with NHS Test and Trace. Courier rebooked for Thursday.
No confirmation of booking received.
Thursday morning: rang NHS Test and Trace to check that courier was booked. Oh, yes -- it's booked but we cant see the details (Aside: what sort of system design is that? Don't answer...) You'll have to ring Royal Mail to check.
Rang Royal Mail and got the very helpful Wendy who was working from home and could not put her head over a screen to ask for help...
Wendy: We don't do Covid test collections.
Me: Yes you do. I have an email to prove it.
Wendy: Leave it with me -- I'll get to the bottom of this.
Break for breakfast for me and the cats. (Not in that order).
Wendy: My supervisor confirms we don't do this.
Me: There's a page of FAQS on your website about the service.
Her: So there is! let me go back to my supervisor.
Break for my second coffee of the morning.
Wendy: We do do it, even though none of us have had any information and training. And none of us has access to the 'collections database' because it belongs to the NHS and we haven't been granted access. (She was audibly almost in tears at this point.) You'll have to go back to the NHS -- I am so sorry. I can raise a complaint about a missed collection...
Me: No. (I don't want to get Mark -- the local postie -- in trouble because i suspect the problem is light years away from him, but he'd end up carrying the can.)
Wendy: At least me and my supervisor know about the service now -- thank you for that at least.
Back to the NHS who maintained: it's booked; we can't see details(!!!). If you have a problem, ring Royal Mail.
Thursday morning came and went. The courier did not.
Back to the NHS. "Oh, dear. We'll need to send you a new kit. When you get it, book a collection."
I am at this point wondering if I can risk a drive to the postbox 0.5 miles away (totally illegally without a driving licence). I have no symptoms (yet) but want to be sure before I allow my cleaners and D into the house... Plus I need to book a booster jab and can't do that if the test is positive or results are outstanding.
New kit is scheduled to be delivered today Friday between 11 and 2.
At 1015 a courier rings, asking for directions for my house to collect the supposedly-expired kit (and refused to come back for the fresh new kit later). He wasn't from the Royal Mail, as far as I can tell -- and not much up on Covid safety rules -- did not back away from the door and wasn't wearing a mask or gloves -- I shooed him away before I put the test kit on the doormat and left the rest to him -- I'd handled it in gloves and a mask all the way through and couldn't do much more).
So, I have sent off a possibly expired kit and have an untouched one for which I could book a new collection! And I am totally conflicted about what to do.
It shouldn't be this difficult.
