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Posted at 4:11 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Possibly, you're right. I can't blame the operators too much I suppose, the workload must be immense with all the ...
  • macbros
    Well, being rude is always wrong. But being on the customer service side of that call, I can probably assume ...
 

Apr 9
2011

Posted by richard

My local dentist (NHS Dentist btw) has either opted out of the NHS service, or lost their contract with the NHS. So their patients got a letter in the post, informing them, us, of this.

On there was a number to call the Primary Care Trust here to get reassigned to another NHS dentist. I called it, and asked about getting onto another dentist’s books.

The woman I spoke to said there was one in Louth, was I interested in that one. She said I could tell her to get my on the waiting list or I could call them to do the same.

I asked, innocently, which was the quickest/easiest, and rather lippily she replied, ‘Well that’s obvious, isn’t it?’. Silence. I said, ‘No, not really, that’s why I asked.’

This is the level of customer service that we get from the NHS these days? Surely a bit of good manners would do them some good in terms of public perception, especially in these troubled times when doctors are moving to take control of the NHS?

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Posted at 6:06 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

3 comments - Latest by:
  • mel
    You must be getting older, because apparently you've lived long enough to realize they're all full of shit.
  • lastactionseo | lastactionseo - der letzte SEO
    [...] ist aber, das seoFred ein Fan der Seite: http://www.richarddows.co.uk/2010/11/05/living-could-increase-risk-of-stroke/ [...]
 

Nov 5
2010

Posted by richard

Is anyone else utterly confused and disgusted by all these bulletins and news facts we get about what scientists have now discovered? If you drink too much you’ll get this cancer, but then we hear a drink a day is fine, then someone else says one drink a week is about right.

I remember hearing about smoking many moons ago, that although smoking is bad, yes, a cigarette a day wouldn’t hurt you and probably help clean the lungs out.

Now even Vitamin E is linked to ‘certain types of stroke‘. I really think that these researchers are just coming up with tenuous links to get the research cash. Perhaps now all Vitamins will disappear from shop shelves?

I mean seriously, water could be linked to cancer if you really wanted to look for it; and by this I mean when I was at University, in our first year we were given a lab book with dangerous chemicals and what they did, and pure water was listed as a carcinogen…

I would say that it might be a good idea to have a national website or database that lists dangerous foods/materials, but that would be ridiculous given that the government thinks alcohol is better than marijuana (see here, clearly not).

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Posted at 1:01 pm • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

4 comments - Latest by:
  • mel
    You'd be surprised at the crap you pick up in a newsroom. :)
  • richard
    Hehehe Mel, you have such a turn with words :) Must be working at the newspaper that does it.
 

Jun 15
2010

Posted by richard

We are 60% salt water, so why have we evolved to drink only fresh water? Weird isn’t it?

Anyway, this one has been bugging me for a while now, thought I’d just throw it out there in case anyone knew!

Posted at 12:20 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

3 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Ajinkya, jquery, all of them.
  • Ajinkya
    really awsome theme. :) Are all this dynamic sliding this jQuery ? or java-scripts ?
 

Mar 11
2010

Posted by richard

Here is a tale of woe. I’ve told it before. I’m sure others have told it too.

I called last week to get an appointment at the doctor’s. This was at maybe 11am. I was told there were no appointments left, but I could pre-book in advance. I inquired about that and they then said there were no pre-bookable appointments left until three weeks in the future.

She told me to call in the morning when they open to get an appointment. Given that they open at 8am, and the average phone call might be 1 minute, and they have something like 4 or 5 doctors operating at any given time, that’s conservatively 30 appointments per hour with a 10 minute appointment each. If we assume three people answering the phones that’s 3 appointments they can make a minute, so by the time I call at 8:13am that’s 39 appointments they can make.

I was told at 8:13am that there was ONE appointment left for the entire day.

James Street medical practice is terrible. I’ve heard people all over Louth talk about this, always complaining about them. I’m seriously thinking about moving to the Newmarket practice. But I seriously wonder if they’re going to be any better? Is this what Labour has done to the NHS? Is this just incompetent management?

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Posted at 4:26 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

4 comments - Latest by:
  • Allen @ industrial printers
    The general public seldom see the bigger picture, so to keep the ignorant masses content they have to make this ...
  • richard
    See what you meant about the comments Mac. I don't think we should ban alcohol, but what I do think is ...
 

Dec 23
2009

Posted by richard

The UK has now made GBL a Class C drug. This, after a student named Hester Stewart died after having taken it. It was legal, and because she died, or at least contributing to it, it is now illegal.

Questions arise though. GBL is a solvent – what about those products that use GBL in them? Inks in industrial printers, they use GBL in significant quantities, are they to be changed to another solvent because of this? Are we to throw away those products that we have that contain it?

Also, why doesn’t the government put alcohol and tobacco into the same categories? Many MANY more die because of them each year, but they’re still legal. Doesn’t make sense does it?

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Posted at 2:49 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

3 comments - Latest by:
  • Diane
    Rich- if they were to cure it there'd be a lot of money down the drain for the pharmaceutical companies. ...
  • macbros
    I think there is a point to it. Just as there is a point to your point about improving the ...
 

Dec 5
2009

Posted by richard

I see these all over the place, our “fight” against cancer. But I really wonder if we’re meant to fight or cure it? I mean there’s so many of us on the planet, perhaps cancer is nature’s way of culling us?

Despite decade after decade of trying to find cures, developing one nasty drug after another (and they really do a number on you, by most accounts), do we really believe we can test million upon million of chemical compounds for their effect on cancers?

Maybe we should focus on the quality of life, or the prevention instead of the cure? Encouraging healthy living, banning smoking, etc., these seem much more worthy goals than pouring money into an empty pit.

I had a friend with liver cancer, a 90-95% death sentence. He was told to go home and prepare. But he went online, found some natural remedy, and beat it off (along with the chemo), so I know it can be beaten. But the time effort and money that went into it was quite substantial, and he was lucky enough to have insurance.

It would be interesting to see where cancer foundations get their money, whether the citizen “let’s beat cancer” campaigns donate the most, or whether it’s from governments or private groups.

Posted at 8:47 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

5 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Mickey-finned, like someone putting a quadruple vodka in your coca-cola.
  • melody
    What the hell is "mickey-finned?" ??? Seriously. What does that mean? I'm glad you didn't die.
 

Sep 1
2009

Posted by richard

Apparently we have a drinking problem. All of us, collectively, here in the UK. And to be fair, if you went out on a weekend you’d see that for yourself. Youths, and yes I mean youths, not 20-somethings, out getting hammered for no other reason than getting hammered.

So why, I ask? Did I not do this when I was young? Sure I did, although I had perhaps a little bit of self-restraint that I controlled it, especially after I had been mickey-finned in a pub and nearly died. As you get older you realise the stupidity and futility of it, and realise just how much money you waste doing it.

How to solve it? Well the drinking campaign that the drinks industry is pushing isn’t going to do it. What will? Here are some suggestions:

  • a national ID card at 18 years old, everyone gets one, free; pubs should card, by default;
  • put up the drinking age to 21 years old, works in the US; when I moved to Atlanta, I was 21 and I got carded immediately, was a bit of a shock;
  • put up the price of booze – it’s ridiculously cheap here in the UK compared to the rest of Europe; this will take a strong government and lots of willpower, double the price and see our problem go away;
  • actually have police that are effective – cart drunk people in the streets off to the clink for the night – this may mean more local jail places, but if it solves drink driving and binge drinking, we should do it;
  • any violence caused under the influence, make it punishable by massive fines or prison time and make it visible, cleaning streets, chain gangs like the US etc;

Those may seem a bit harsh but this stupid drinks campaign that they’re pushing right now, with drink ASBOs isn’t going to do a damned thing.

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Posted at 2:00 pm • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

2 comments - Latest by:
  • richard
    Erm... well yes I suppose you have a good point there.
  • melody
    Sex. Not enough.
 

Jul 26
2009

Posted by richard

Today I got up at 5:15am.

Not by choice I assure you but I was just awake and lying there thinking that now was the time to get up. By the time I’d put my sweats and t-shirt on, I then looked at the clock and realised how early it was, it was too late.

So when I was watching the Grand Prix today, I had a cat nap just afterwards. But, what is up with my sleep? I just can’t sleep regularly these days, I’m always getting up early, regardless of when I go to bed.

This is getting very annoying.

Posted at 10:26 am • Trackback Trackback

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1 comment - Latest by:
  • macbros
    Just pay no attention to the hype. Get your shots, and see a doctor at the first signs if you ...
 

Jul 6
2009

Posted by richard

So Paddy was relaying to me last night that a friend (or relative, can’t remember, he’s related to everyone) of his had contracted swine flu.

That means Paddy will have it in no time since he gets everything whether he actually does or not, and then if he actually does he’ll pass it to all of us at work.

Sincerely hope not. Desperately hope it’s not bad as flu tends to affect me badly.

Here’s hoping.

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Posted at 4:37 am • Trackback Trackback

Posted in health

3 comments - Latest by:
  • melody
    I've had a couple of crowns and they never felt like bricks. They feel like smooth teeth. You ...
  • richard
    Ha! Yes, and a new theme I've been working hard on. A real cracker.
 

May 29
2009

Posted by richard

Just went to the dentist’s to get a crown fixed. It had fallen out a while back and finally got there to get it fixed and put back into place, actually a new one.

It feels like there’s a brick in my gob now, other teeth are grinding into it and I’m doing it myself clenching my jaw shut trying to grind it into place. I probably shouldn’t but the dentist said it would take a day or two find the right position.

In the meantime, beer, painkillers (it does actually smart a bit), and soup. Great combo.

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