Video/Phone consultations

Strange how these events, catastrophes, call them whatever, have consequences aside from the obvious tragic outcomes which affect families so horribly. We all know the way things are done have changed through necessity and some of those changes will be refined and built into daily life long after the virus headlines have calmed down. Working practices in particular have been forcibly turned around, mostly I think for the better and I can give two examples both very close to me and one of which is almost certainly going to lead to a sound (hopefully) hand spanking.

They both involve the health service, the first being me getting a phone call from a hospital consultant as I was walking along the main road as part of my daily exercice; it came only two days after I emailed my doctor's surgery about a concern I had. It was unexpected, he was extremely polite and used layman terms so that there was no misunderstanding. He also said he would call back if the traffic was affecting my proper hearing (it wasn't). Think back six months or a year or so, was emailing a surgery even allowed? and how long did it take to get an appointment with a consultant - which had to be in person, big waste of time for both parties - which then usually just had to organise tests for which another waiting period. This was all very fast, brilliant, put my mind at ease, a scan was recommended just as a precaution and that was done within three days.

The second concerns P and a shoulder problem he's had lingering on for far too long and which he's dragged his heels over and then lockdown came along and he virtually gave up on any prospect of getting a one-to-one with a physio. But he was wrong and it was my nagging insistence which changed his mind and his outcome, well it's still ongoing actually but starting to show some encouraging signs and he's pretty pleased so far. I told him to call or email the doctor, he chose to call, and explain his exact symptoms, he's quite precise and got his message across. Next day he got a call from a physio group just logging his particulars and confirming the info he'd already given, they said a therapist would call him next day, fixed a time and asked him if he'd prefer a standard call or video. P chose video. Long story short, it happened, was very straightforward, he was able to demonstrate exactly what and where the problem was and physically show her how debilitating it could be in certain positions. The session lasted thirty minutes, it couldn't have been better, and she said she would email him a set of exercises, with a video clip to each one, which would target and, she thought, improve his condition within a few weeks and she diaried to call him after three weeks to see how things were going but gave him a number he could call if he had any problems. He has used it once with an issue and she sorted it; he was over-exercising and has now adjusted.

He is starting to feel improvements, definite changes are afoot, tiny muscles which had forgotten what their job was, are coming back into play. Now this is his right shoulder and has been affecting his right arm in certain positions, not load bearing positions just weird slightly turned this way or that with his forearm or wrist could trigger pain. So as you can imagine, there have been times when his right arm has been deployed correcting his nearest and dearest, to ahem keep her on the straight and narrow, and it has ...how shall I put it...underperformed.

He's used his left arm and implements of course but I think his manly pride was hurt a bit by not being able to deliver a good solid sniffling-close-to-tears hand spanking when he's had a mind to do so. When I've deserved such immediate and summary treatment of course:)

So there we are, two definite changes to the health service IMO which in my opinion are massively to the better and which I hope they will continue to the benefit of all users.

Ronnie
xx