UK - Resources for help getting food during quarantine and other supermarket related problems

I'd only reserve one a week, so not hogging! Asda was offering priority customers to reserve the same slot each week upfront on a long term basis. But Asda are my least favourite supermarket.

 

I love Dove's Farm organic flour. I just checked their website and they are offering a box of different flour types to buy direct from their website. However, it says they are only available for a limited time each weekday, so I guess it will be luck if you can get one:

https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/products/organic-flour-box

It says they are also offering a gluten free food box for those with intolerances.

 

In desperation OH called our GP following the RCGP's head honcho being on BBC Breakfast this morning and saying it was up to a GP's discretion as to whether somebody went on the government's vulnerable list. OH got a call back from a random GP, not one either of us has ever met.

He explained that 2 of our neighbours are being treated for Leukaemia currently so can't help us, and others old like us so supposed to be shielding. Told her that we're both over 70 and that I have high rate for both elements of PIP and am more or less housebound. Our Son in Law has been coming over once a week, but it's a 30 mile round trip, plus his Mum has CV so he has other worries too. (Not to mention his Grandmother in a Care Home.)

Response was if you're not in one of the government guided list of things the only thing she can do is contact the local volunteer group for us.

I don't want anything to do with the local volunteer group, and the last thing I heard about the local volunteer groups in general (not our specific local one) is that they're all sitting around and twiddling their thumbs since government can't organise something about them. I don't know what the problem is - police clearance?

It's pretty obvious GP hadn't seen RCGP bloke's latest this morning on Breakfast. I guess it's the usual thing of the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. I will deffo be avoiding her in future - I never met her anyway. My own GP might have been more helpful, but you have to take who you get if you phone.

My next cunning plan is to write a rant to my MP. Possibly copied to Victoria Derbyshire. Or perhaps write to Victoria Derbyshire with a copy to my MP would be better.

Oh, to update you on Tesco. OH took a look, and he's got access to vulnerable slots, but there's nothing available for the next 3 weeks and nothing open past then.

Personally I think this GP was a bit of a jobsworth, and not prepared to even think that if we can't get out to shop and can't get online shopping and our neighbours can't help and the local volunteers aren't working yet we're going to bloody well starve. Bitch.

 

The 'community volunteers' are only identity checked, not criminal background checked.

See:

https://www.goodsamapp.org/assets/pdf/Guide_for_Referrers.pdf

https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHSreferral

As you can see if you check the 'referrer' box, vulnerable people can be referred to the NHS volunteer scheme by GPs, but also by charities and MPs. However, I find it very worrying that volunteers doing vulnerable people's shopping will not be background checked. As I said in another post, when I did the census I had to have 2 phone based character references from people who had passport ID and were contacted at their place of employment to verify their authenticity, plus an enhanced criminal background check. We were also supplied with photo ID, and of course the government had our bank details as we were employed by them. Although doing the census meant you were allowed into vulnerable people's homes (to help them complete the form), you still weren't handling their money or cards!

Edit: I've also volunteered with my local council as a mentor for extremely vulnerable children - the same background checks were done for this role (as well as an 8 week training course).

 

Thank you for that information @Simbindi. I'll pass it on to OH when he gets back from watering the allotment (allowable as exercise).

Your point about not being background checked is prob something I picked up a while ago without realising exactly - you know, you kind of make a mental note without remembering why. Which is why I don't want these people near me (or OH).

Meanwhile we'll keep on trying with Tesco (OH) and Waitrose (me)... I don't think I've the energy today now, but maybe I'll try Asda tomorrow. The point of getting on The Gov List was to get added to Morrisons, who do seem to be a bit more pro-active if you're on the Gov List.

I'll keep buying random stuff off Amazon too - at least we'll have some nice spicey stuff to make our home grown spuds more interesting in several months time!

Just scared the lottie will get shut down before we can harvest our onions, shallots and garlic. Which were planted last Nov/Dec and not due for harvest until prob July. Not to mention the spuds just planted. Though we have planted some of the spuds in garden at home just in case.

We're doing the best we can to be as self sufficient as we can, but we don't have capability of growing a lot of veg we try to eat. Hence needing to use the blasted supermarkets.

Having said that, our fab butcher delivers (we're not vegetarian) so at least we can get meat! But a diet of meat and canned food alone isn't that healthy. Sorry, I'm rambling here! (so what's new! )

Thanks again @Simbindi

 

I note that the referral guide now has the following added to it (which has only been done in the last few days):

They say that a 'small cohort of patients' may require a DBS checked volunteer, but I would say that the majority, if not all, would require this!

 

Also, there are 3 levels of DSB checks, basic, standard and enhanced. They haven't specified which they are p
planning to do for their 'community plus' volunteers.

https://dbscheckonline.org.uk/

It's such a simple thing to do, there is no reason this can't be done for all community volunteers.

Edit: The link I've given is for a company that offer to do the DSB checks for individuals. It is much cheaper for volunteers having theirs done by a charity or not for profit company. The NHS should surely be able to have these done for free at this time.

 

I haven't used this, but posting the link in case it is of use to others:

https://www.kbk.co.uk/product/kbk-essentials-box/

 

Marks and Spencers are also offering food boxes for delivery, which may be a way to get fresh fruit or other specific goods:

https://www.marksandspencer.com/l/gifts/food-boxes?scroll=2

 

Article covering the various companies offering food boxes for delivery:

https://www.independent.co.uk/extra...-fresh-mindful-chef-coronavirus-a9413896.html

 

I don't think they're intended to be a complete week's worth of food, just a selection of the food items they have in store. I like the way they are offering fruit and veg as separate boxes, as many of the companies that supply these via weekly subscriptions are limiting their services to existing customers. M & S don't yet offer online delivery as a standard service, so at least they are trying to do something for vulnerable customers.

 

Maybe it's worth giving them this feedback:

https://www.marksandspencer.com/MSC...4&catalogId=10051&categoryId=282501&byEmail=7

I suppose it can be difficult to meet people's specific needs. For example, I am highly intolerant to soya-based proteins which are often used as meat substitutes, so wouldn't want these in a vegetarian food box. Other people can't eat dairy. So I can see that it can get very tricky trying to create a vegetarian food box.

Food boxes are okay as a last resort and for a few weeks, but definitely not as a long term solution.

The subscription based food delivery services are also not very useful to people living on a low income, which would include many pensioners and disabled people - they are far too expensive. I noticed many included up to £5 donations to poverty related charities per order, so definitely they're not aimed at people already living on a tight household budget!

 

Wow, I’m grateful and pissed off all at the same time.

my phone just rang ‘No called
ID’ I answered it only because I’m waiting for Gourmade 2.0 to be delivered today and don’t want more defrosted food.

It was the Corvid support group asking if I’m okay. Well no I’m not and now I’m even worse thanks.

So they were told that I can’t talk on the phone last week and I was told if I need anything to just give them a call

So... they’ve just rang me to ask if I’m okay.

I told her yes even though I’m not. I also told her that I’m too I’ll to talk on the phone. She said ‘oh that’s okay we’re just ringing to check you’re okay’

I replied again ‘yes but I’m too ill to talk on the phone’

She said, ‘that’s fine as long as you’re okay for us to ring you weekly to check on you’

No it’s NOT FU*KING okay!!!! And I never agreed to it!

I told her again I am too ill to talk on the phone, and this is not my method of communication’

And she finally let me go.

She was a nice lady, but I am livid. I am now in agony as my tablets hadn’t kicked in for my migraine yet and now my brain is exploding and probably now will be for the rest of the day.

So my worst fears have come to light; just like I knew would happen right at the start when I was trying to find ways to get food without being on the interfering extremely vulnerable list. I even bought a sodding freezer to avoid this and now have enough supplies to survive.

So now I have all of the regular interference I didn’t want, without any of the benefits of being in the extremely vulnerable list and based on last week, when they’ve decided they are calling, they will keep calling all day; and as far as I’m aware I can’t block a ‘No caller ID’ number; and even if I did it would probably result at them knocking at my door instead.

wow I’m talented yet again, contacting my MP has shot me in the foot, just like last year when I was trying to get my scooter out of the building. If I ever say I’m contacting my MP again; will someone please, please stop me

 

I went to my local Tesco Express yesterday. They've set up a one-way system like other food shops I've been to. The shop is very small and the aisles are very narrow. There were a couple of people ahead of me and we were all spread out adequately according to the marks on the floor and the 2m rule.

Then, a member of staff came along with one of the cages they use full of food to re-stock the shelves. And he went in the opposite direction to the customers and the one way system causing chaos and forcing people into close proximity with each other. It was absolutely insane!

 

Tesco added a 4th week of slots today (was only showing 3 weeks of slots yesterday), as of right now for me that week is showing as mostly available.

 

As far as I know I'm not registered for anything, I've not even bothered trying as I've not seen a GP for years and so don't have much in the way of evidence to provide, perhaps the slots vary by region.

 

Could you Mam phone this covid group on your behalf @Hell..hath..no..fury... ? Or your ex? Maybe someone else phoning on your behalf explaining to them that if they do need to get in touch then email or a text is more appropriate for you. That you are too ill to explain this to them on the phone yourself.

Then if need be you can follow that up with an email or text confirming you are not to be contacted by phone.