As per the email from my local GP just over the border among the accursed, plague-ridden infidels in England, I opted to break the house arrest, under which we in Wales now live, and cross over the river for my annual flu jab. The Mrs (pregnant), me (diabetic), and the pest ( a 4 year old) are all recommended to get jabs so we all got in the car…
We watched out for the North Wales police on border patrol but there were none as we sped into England. We pitched up at the local rugby club where the jabs are taking place and I cheerily said that we were obeying orders and had three customers. They took my temperature outside and allowed me in with no face nappy to meet nurse Shipman sitting at the front desk. I explained that I was obeying my orders from the email and was here for my flu jab. Not so fast, this is the NHS, the envy of the world.
Joshua should have been jabbed via his school I was told. But he is at nursery I said. Aha, all 2 and 3 year olds at nursey have been jabbed. But he is 4 I said. For Joshua, I must call back later next week to fix a special appointment as he seems to have slipped through the net of the envy of the world.
So what about me and the Mrs, I asked nurse Shipman. Sorry, I was told, we have run out of jabs for the under 65s, it is old folks only. It could have been worse – she could have assumed I was over 65 and waved me through. Natch the email from the Shipmans had said nothing about this but I kept my calm and asked when the Mrs and I might get a jab at the surgery. 16th November. I really don’t care but I did point out that the Mrs is giving birth on the 12th so her 16 November jab is both a bit pointless and also likely to be hard to complete at a logistical level.
I could see that Nurse Shipman was not budging, however pointless her suggestion was. This is the envy of the world. They send you an email telling you what to do, you waste your time doing it and then they re-arrange an appointment whether it has any purpose (me) or not (the Mrs).
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