Your rants here.

Ben6899

First World problem. I need to register at a London-based GP. Anyway, last week I go along with my proof of ID, current GP address/details etc and fill out all their forms.

Receptionist: "You need to tell us your NHS number."
Ben: "Oh I'm afraid I don't know it off hand, do I really need it at this stage?"
Receptionist: "Yes. That is how we get your details and medical history."
Ben: "Oh. Right. I'll go away and pop back later with it."

I'm thinking to myself "I've never seen this number before; and the dentist didn't ask for it".

Anyway I call up my current GP and the receptionist tells me she can't tell me the number because of the Data Protection Act. Fair enough I never thought of that, I could be anyone on the other end of the 'phone. She tells me that standard practice is for one GP surgery to fax the other GP surgery on headed paper... to prove authenticity.

So I have just been back to the 'new' GP surgery and explained all this only to be told: "But it's your data."

Ben: "I know, but how do they know it's really me when I call them? I could be anyone."
Receptionist: "Well I never heard of that. You'll have to fax them. Or I can call them if you have the number."
Ben: "I don't have the number to hand."
Receptionist: "..."

And that's where the final straw comes into play. After a shite day at work sorting out problems to the power of infinity, this is the last thing I needed. So I just gave it a "you know what, forget it" and walked out.


Sort of an anti-rant to suffix all that, but also evidence to back up my assertion that they're absolute fuckwits at the other surgery, I just called another surgery and explained my predicament. They said it isn't a problem and that, in reality, the predicament doesn't really exist.

The world is full of useless CUNTS.

That's better.

marchant

Have you got any correspondence from your hospital? Out-patient appointment letter? Your NHS number is probably on that, if it's any help.

rjsterry

Somewhere you should have a roughly 6" x 4" card with purple printing on it, and in very bad dotmatrix (who still uses these? Hell, why not go for letterpress?), your name address and NHS number.

Like this.



My rant? aside from the p***ing rain that rendered my brakes near useless, some weapon in a convertible Renault Megane decided that he absolutely had to drive through the narrowest bit of road (must be all of 8' kerb to kerb) in the Mitcham 1-way system, with uneven tarmac and ironwork everywhere, at the same time as me. Probably best for both of us that I didn't have anything sharp to hand.:evil:

Ben6899

Thanks chaps.

I found another GP surgery which doesn't need me to provide the number.

fill_uk

Took my usual commute via swimming baths this morning only to find that my keys including the ones for my d lock are in the back door at home. Straight to work for me then. Swimming is my chance to get a shower so guess ill be wearing extra deodrant today.

Only now have I had the idea of leaving a spare key in my panniers.

eyko

Got woken up at dawn by sever cramp/twitching in the left calf. Eventually stopped and fell asleep. When I woke up 7 got out of bed without thinking about it, absolute agony! PT for me today

bails87

rjsterry wrote:

Somewhere you should have a roughly 6" x 4" card with purple printing on it, and in very bad dotmatrix (who still uses these? Hell, why not go for letterpress?), your name address and NHS number.

I read that as dominatrix..... :shock:

I recently had similar, I got my NHS number off my card, only to be told that was my old NHS number, not my new NHS number. Phoned my old surgery, said "hello, I'm 'bails' can I have my NHS number?" "Yes, what's your address?". Told them, and they just reeled off my NHS number. I was a little suprised at how casually it was given out....

Ben6899

bails87 wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Somewhere you should have a roughly 6" x 4" card with purple printing on it, and in very bad dotmatrix (who still uses these? Hell, why not go for letterpress?), your name address and NHS number.

I read that as dominatrix..... :shock:

I recently had similar, I got my NHS number off my card, only to be told that was my old NHS number, not my new NHS number. Phoned my old surgery, said "hello, I'm 'bails' can I have my NHS number?" "Yes, what's your address?". Told them, and they just reeled off my NHS number. I was a little suprised at how casually it was given out....

Wow. Super secure.

I should be sorted now; the other surgery said don't worry about it and - having made a few phone calls - my incumbent surgery have agreed to hand over the details to my mum, if she rocks up with ID for both her and me.

DrLex

bails87 wrote:

I recently had similar, I got my NHS number off my card, only to be told that was my old NHS number, not my new NHS number. Phoned my old surgery, said "hello, I'm 'bails' can I have my NHS number?" "Yes, what's your address?". Told them, and they just reeled off my NHS number. I was a little suprised at how casually it was given out....

If you were a journalist, that would qualify as "hacking"

veronese68

I don't know my NHS number, but I know my hospital number for Kingston Hospital off the top of my head. You should have seen the look on the receptonists face when I staggered in to A&E at 2am and when she started asking for details I quoted my number.

bails87

DrLex wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I recently had similar, I got my NHS number off my card, only to be told that was my old NHS number, not my new NHS number. Phoned my old surgery, said "hello, I'm 'bails' can I have my NHS number?" "Yes, what's your address?". Told them, and they just reeled off my NHS number. I was a little suprised at how casually it was given out....

If you were a journalist, that would qualify as "hacking"

"Blagging", shirley?

Ben6899

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't know my NHS number, but I know my hospital number for Kingston Hospital off the top of my head. You should have seen the look on the receptonists face when I staggered in to A&E at 2am and when she started asking for details I quoted my number.

Ace. I'm similar. Once I know a number, it's in my head in the RAM section.

notsoblue

On the hybrid this morning, in civvies, with panniers, enjoying a bit of a power pootle in the sun along Chelsea Embankment. I'm closing in on a roadie ahead of me, and decide to go for an overtake. I'm just at his 5 o'clock when he blats out a massive snot rocket all over me.

WTF

dhope

bails87 wrote:

DrLex wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I recently had similar, I got my NHS number off my card, only to be told that was my old NHS number, not my new NHS number. Phoned my old surgery, said "hello, I'm 'bails' can I have my NHS number?" "Yes, what's your address?". Told them, and they just reeled off my NHS number. I was a little suprised at how casually it was given out....

If you were a journalist, that would qualify as "hacking"

"Blagging", shirley?

Tabloids would call it hacking though, on account of them being clueless numpties mostly.

Edit: Or at least writing for clueless numpties mostly.

redvee

Popped into Tesco metro after an appointment in Bristol and the carrier bags available were tiny, about 1/2 size of normal carrier bags. One bonus is I didn't spend as much as I left half my shopping behind. Put this out on Twitter and Tesco have responded and will notify the store.

Mr Sworld

Ben6899 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't know my NHS number, but I know my hospital number for Kingston Hospital off the top of my head. You should have seen the look on the receptonists face when I staggered in to A&E at 2am and when she started asking for details I quoted my number.

Ace. I'm similar. Once I know a number, it's in my head in the RAM section.

Surely you'd lose them all if you fell into a coma? I'd keep them in the ROM section of your memory if I were you...

Ben6899

Mr Sworld wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't know my NHS number, but I know my hospital number for Kingston Hospital off the top of my head. You should have seen the look on the receptonists face when I staggered in to A&E at 2am and when she started asking for details I quoted my number.

Ace. I'm similar. Once I know a number, it's in my head in the RAM section.

Surely you'd lose them all if you fell into a coma? I'd keep them in the ROM section of your memory if I were you...

But I need to be able to edit them in case there are any changes.

Mr Sworld

Ben6899 wrote:

Mr Sworld wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't know my NHS number, but I know my hospital number for Kingston Hospital off the top of my head. You should have seen the look on the receptonists face when I staggered in to A&E at 2am and when she started asking for details I quoted my number.

Ace. I'm similar. Once I know a number, it's in my head in the RAM section.

Surely you'd lose them all if you fell into a coma? I'd keep them in the ROM section of your memory if I were you...

But I need to be able to edit them in case there are any changes.

You'll be wanting NOR memory then.

roger_merriman

ITV4 commenters banging on about **** rider used to be/is a MTBer.

while many have, they all? are XC stuff which tends to be technically mild, olympic being Tasmin trail mild frankly.

Ben6899

Mr Sworld wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Mr Sworld wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't know my NHS number, but I know my hospital number for Kingston Hospital off the top of my head. You should have seen the look on the receptonists face when I staggered in to A&E at 2am and when she started asking for details I quoted my number.

Ace. I'm similar. Once I know a number, it's in my head in the RAM section.

Surely you'd lose them all if you fell into a coma? I'd keep them in the ROM section of your memory if I were you...

But I need to be able to edit them in case there are any changes.

You'll be wanting NOR memory then.

I'll take your word for it.

Blonde Cyclist

Thieving scumbags stole my "wet weather" road bike from a secure bike cage in underground parking which was under two locks. Front desk have them on CCTV but I'm so angry and upset about it! To add insult to injury my nice bike is currently having major repairs in the bike shop so in the space of two weeks I have gone from 2 bikes to none! Gah! I even had to do an interval session on a gym bike last night...

Green Brompton

Blonde Cyclist wrote:

Thieving scumbags stole my "wet weather" road bike from a secure bike cage in underground parking which was under two locks. Front desk have them on CCTV but I'm so angry and upset about it! To add insult to injury my nice bike is currently having major repairs in the bike shop so in the space of two weeks I have gone from 2 bikes to none! Gah! I even had to do an interval session on a gym bike last night...

That's so bad.

I had a bike stolen the day after I bought it... hence getting the Brompton. Now I can leave my road bike in the office, which is good.

veronese68

Sorry to hear that BC. When my Mrs' bike was pinched the police seemed really proactive about getting the CCTV footage and trying to identify the scrote. We even had an email saying they had some good images and were circulating them to try and identify him.
Meanwhile, watch Ebay, Gumtree and anywhere else. Stick a picture and details on here as well. I got mine back when it was nicked, there is hope.
I hope they're caught and have their hands cut off.

dhope

Green Brompton wrote:

Blonde Cyclist wrote:

Thieving scumbags stole my "wet weather" road bike from a secure bike cage in underground parking which was under two locks. Front desk have them on CCTV but I'm so angry and upset about it! To add insult to injury my nice bike is currently having major repairs in the bike shop so in the space of two weeks I have gone from 2 bikes to none! Gah! I even had to do an interval session on a gym bike last night...

That's so bad.

I had a bike stolen the day after I bought it... hence getting the Brompton. Now I can leave my road bike in the office, which is good.

Ugh, that's crap. With all that security you'd have thought they'd have picked an easier target.

Paulie W

roger merriman wrote:

ITV4 commenters banging on about **** rider used to be/is a MTBer.

while many have, they all? are XC stuff which tends to be technically mild, olympic being Tasmin trail mild frankly.

+1

Blonde Cyclist

Veronese68 wrote:

Sorry to hear that BC. When my Mrs' bike was pinched the police seemed really proactive about getting the CCTV footage and trying to identify the scrote. We even had an email saying they had some good images and were circulating them to try and identify him.
Meanwhile, watch Ebay, Gumtree and anywhere else. Stick a picture and details on here as well. I got mine back when it was nicked, there is hope.
I hope they're caught and have their hands cut off.

Thanks for the advice - the police have sent me a great link http://www.bikeshd.co.uk which seems to collate all online sales in the London area and present in a quickly searchable format so I'm looking at that regularly. I'll also try and dig out a photo tonight and put it on here. But in the meantime if anyone sees a white with pink/silver swirls specialized dolce elite with shiny white deda handlebars and fulcrum racing 7 wheels (both non-standard spec) please let me know!

Weird thing is that there were unlocked nearly new MTBs in the same cage and the only one they targeted was my heavily locked 4 year old road bike...

reformedfatty

One from the weekend.

Out for a walk along a local greenway (aka cycle path). Old couple and dog in proximity. Cyclist approaches - he slows down, rings bell. The old couple bring their dog to the side of the track and stand clear. Cyclist goes by at a snails pace.

Should have ended there, but nooo. Old man suddenly pipes up 'slow down! this isnt a cycle track'.. cyclist stops abruptly 'Excuse me?!'..

Suddenly I hear myself interjecting rather loudly and aggressively 'He did slow down, and he rang his bell! we all want to enjoy the path, have some consideration for all users!'
Old man 'oh, I suppose you have a point there'
Me 'Have a nice day sir'

Bit of a non event except for the fact that I managed to get all aggro and involved in a problem that wasnt mine. Guess im just too used to having that argument when im on the bike!

HoHoHoBlueGiant

Doing my early Saturday morning ride in the quiet country lanes of Derbyshire when I see the only car I'd seen all morning approaching on the opposite side of the road.

How surprised was I too look across and see the driver giving me the w4nker sign thorugh his window :shock:

I'd half expect this from a car full of yoofs 'impressing' their mates, but this was a grown man (very grown), a supposed 'adult'.

I just don't know what goes through these peoples minds :?

walkingbootweather

HoHoHoBlueGiant wrote:

Doing my early Saturday morning ride in the quiet country lanes of Derbyshire when I see the only car I'd seen all morning approaching on the opposite side of the road.

How surprised was I too look across and see the driver giving me the w4nker sign thorugh his window :shock:

I too fail to see why so many motorists seem to think we are w4nkers.

Perhaps we should have a mass debate on the matter?

merkin

Maybe he was making a suggestion? In which case you should have declined politely but thanked him for the offer none the less. He would probably have appreciated that.