Boots opticians - covid overkill

[WeeM]

Went to make an appointment today as happened to be passing. They are still making people stand outside and have a barrier over the doorway. There was no one else in the store but the woman came over, took our details on a scrap bit of paper, went to the computer to check dates and then came back over to offer us a time. Is it just me or is this just total overkill now? I don’t think I’ve noticed anywhere else that is still doing this sort of thing. And not to mention customers details are floating about on bits of paper... I get they may want to limit numbers in the store still but the place was empty! I can’t wait to go back for the appointment to queue up outside

Our Boots optician is way better in this regard than Specsavers.

@user1471443411 it didn’t bother me. I just said I thought it was a bit odd.

All the ‘vulnerable’ people on this thread - how do you cope with flu? Genuine question as that is what covid has mutated too.
Also what is vulnerable? The government has a lot to answer for - they have created a climate of fear and people who need help with anxiety. You can see it if you go out - I tell my children to stand back from others not because I’m fearful but people can be. There are too many who believe if someone breathes within a 100ft they will drop dead of covid. That is very wrong.

Op - Specsavers is the same and inside looks like a scene from the movie outbreak. Plastic sheeting everywhere.

Boots opticians have been absolutely awful to me recently.

After waiting forever for my appointment they messed up both pairs of glasses I bought. Because I complained they have said their trust in me has broken down and they will not sell me glasses again. I now have to go and have another eye test and pay again alone of the pairs are readers, so only use part of my prescription.

This is after being a customer for 15 years and being a member of their contact lenses by post scheme. They are shocking and my complaints have been met with a brick wall.

Yes it’s overkill now, it’s probably been retained as it makes it easier for the staff in some way. Vulnerable people can presumably handle this in the same way that they previously handled essential appointments in the winter when other respiratory viruses, infections etc. were also widespread.

@MrsPear

All the ‘vulnerable’ people on this thread - how do you cope with flu? Genuine question as that is what covid has mutated too. Also what is vulnerable? The government has a lot to answer for - they have created a climate of fear and people who need help with anxiety. You can see it if you go out - I tell my children to stand back from others not because I’m fearful but people can be. There are too many who believe if someone breathes within a 100ft they will drop dead of covid. That is very wrong.

Op - Specsavers is the same and inside looks like a scene from the movie outbreak. Plastic sheeting everywhere.

As I said above, many vulnerable people reduced risk points in the winter months due to the risk of flu. My sister used to work in a dentists and they had lots of elderly patients or those with medical conditions who would always ask for their appointments delayed to the Spring/Summer. My OH would avoid busy/crowded spaces in winter as much as possible and always made optician/dentist appointments in Summer.

So many vulnerable people DID take precautions, but it just wasn't visible as they just did it in their own way and it generally wasn't in the public domain.

Vote with your feet.

@MrsPear

All the ‘vulnerable’ people on this thread - how do you cope with flu? Genuine question as that is what covid has mutated too. Also what is vulnerable? The government has a lot to answer for - they have created a climate of fear and people who need help with anxiety. You can see it if you go out - I tell my children to stand back from others not because I’m fearful but people can be. There are too many who believe if someone breathes within a 100ft they will drop dead of covid. That is very wrong.

Op - Specsavers is the same and inside looks like a scene from the movie outbreak. Plastic sheeting everywhere.

Honestly, we didn't do anything before covid, we didn't do anything during covid and we won't do anything after covid.

I cannot abide people using "the vulnerable" to hide behind.

We made a choice many years ago as a family that our "vulnerable" boy would live every day of his life as if it was his last, because every day genuinely might be. When I see thread after thread of people using him as ammunition for their pathetic arguments it makes me want to scream.

People need to stop expecting everyone else to restrict their lives and to accept that they need to make decisions for themselves and themselves alone. It isn't up to fucking Specsavers, the local pub or Sharon on MN to decide what is "safe".

All the ‘vulnerable’ people on this thread - how do you cope with flu? Genuine question as that is what covid has mutated too.

I get my flu vaccine every year and go about my business as normal. Just as I did pre Covid. I don't see any need for that to change.

We never schedule routine visits during flu season.

That doesn’t mean you won’t find a vulnerable person at the optician because non-routine things happen.

People who are vulnerable know because they see their doctors regularly and while they are there they can get updated information on the latest research for individual
conditions.

I took DS to a boots opticians a while ago to choose some glasses and the only thing different to normal was being asked not to put glasses he had tried on back on the racks. That said they didn't tell us until he had tried some on - luckily Inremembered which ones they were!!

Yanbu op, it's OTT and ridiculous.

I am surprised at this, seeing as Boots Pharmacy don’t take such precautions and have pretty much dropped all restrictions.

It may be the staff working at that particular store. I know certain staff members that like to take COVID rules and restrictions into their own hands.

@gogohm

Specsavers is the same, they said the advice is from their governing body type org.

I just walked into Specsavers last time I went. I was taking DH's glasses to be fixed and didn't bother with an appointment and went straight in.

I was really pissed off when I went to Specsavers last year though as they weren't using the normal chair for eye tests, they had a small plastic chair instead presumably to make it easier to wipe down in case my clothes were carrying covid. My back was killing me by the end as it was completely the wrong height. I'll be checking what chair they're using before this year's test.

Our vets still make us stand outside

Thankfully ours has seen sense and one person is allowed in. I've also been there a few times and seen them allow 2 people in if the animal was being PTS. Thankfully they are showing some compassion.

People need tostopexpecting everyone else to restrict their lives and to accept that they need to make decisions for themselves and themselves alone. It isn't up to fucking Specsavers, the local pub or Sharon on MN to decide what is "safe"

So, I get the 'restrict your lives' things when we're talking about lockdowns, jobs closing and the like. But is waiting outside store a restriction? I mean, come on. Are we really so selfish as a group of people that we want to complain that the world's most minor inconvenience is a huge restriction to our freedoms or whatever?

@ChloeHel

I am surprised at this, seeing as Boots Pharmacy don’t take such precautions and have pretty much dropped all restrictions.

It may be the staff working at that particular store. I know certain staff members that like to take COVID rules and restrictions into their own hands.

Could be that there are vulnerable staff working in a particular outlet, so additional precautions are needed to protect them.

But is waiting outside store a restriction? I mean, come on. Are we really so selfish as a group of people that we want to complain that the world's most minor inconvenience is a huge restriction to our freedoms or whatever?

It is if it's pouring with rain or freezing cold! The optician is always running late so there's no way I'd stand outside in the cold and wet. It's hardly helping the vulnerable is it? I agree it's not a huge restriction but it's bloody inconvenient.

But is waiting outside store a restriction? I mean, come on. Are we really so selfish as a group of people that we want to complain that the world's most minor inconvenience is a huge restriction to our freedoms or whatever?

..........

Yes it is. They are restricting access to the store when pre covid anyone could walk in off the the street and pop in.

If it's freezing cold, snowing, windy, raining, it's really unpleasant to be stood still in a queue and that's including vulnerable people too.
All under the guise of 'keeping everyone safe' oh fuck off we are way beyond that point.

I’ve just been to my local independent opticians and apart from asking people to wear a mask as it’s quite a small space they are pretty much back to normal. Happy for me to try on as many frames as I wanted and encouraged me to take my mask off to make sure I was happy with them.

A few people dropped in to make appointments while I was there and they were all made welcome by the reception team. Totally different to my experience with specsavers a few weeks ago.

@Thebig3

I'm CEV and even i think this is over the top!

We cannot live our lives like this forever. Before covid there were many vulnerable people who would become very ill or even die from many illnesses but we didn't act like this. Flu kills 1000's every year but we don't act like this over the winter months.

Flu affects the body in a completely different way to Covid. If you are CEV, its up to you what's risks you take, but I expect to be able to attend medical appointments in safety as far as possible

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

But is waiting outside store a restriction? I mean, come on. Are we really so selfish as a group of people that we want to complain that the world's most minor inconvenience is a huge restriction to our freedoms or whatever?

It is if it's pouring with rain or freezing cold! The optician is always running late so there's no way I'd stand outside in the cold and wet. It's hardly helping the vulnerable is it? I agree it's not a huge restriction but it's bloody inconvenient.

See that's what I do anyway. After I went to the GP and someone was sat in the waiting room and announced she had chicken pox

Waited outside the GP for 40 mins the other day in the storm and it was bloody freezing but I didn't feel happy inside as it was so busy

but I expect to be able to attend medical appointments in safety as far as possible

The idea that screens and sanitiser can guarantee you 'safety' is totally flawed

@MrsPear in the case of me and at least one other person on this thread we are being as careful as we possibly can because our husbands have cancer, and I at least am doing my best to avoid flu as well. The other potter's husband is vulnerable due to chemo which means his immune system is significantly less able to fight covid even in a 'mild' form. My DH is having immunotherapy rather than chemo but it is given on the chemo ward alongside extremely vulnerable people, and so if he tests positive he will not be allowed in for his treatment regardless of whether he feels unwell.

Have a think for a moment about what it means to delay cancer treatment before you make any more snidey comments about anxiety. DH is 42 years old and has a good chance of making it through this if he keeps going with this treatment. I will avoid everything I can avoid but I need to be able to see to drive and I don't think it's out of order to ask people to be a bit more considerate in medical settings, to keep my lovely husband alive.

@ReeseWitherfork

It does indeed seem like overkill when even GP surgeries are generally letting people walk in and book at a desk. I wonder when they intend to drop these protocols.

I'm not sure where you are, but none of the surgeries down here are operating like this. They still have chains across doors and access is only for prebooked appointments.

@MrsPear

All the ‘vulnerable’ people on this thread - how do you cope with flu? Genuine question as that is what covid has mutated too. Also what is vulnerable? The government has a lot to answer for - they have created a climate of fear and people who need help with anxiety. You can see it if you go out - I tell my children to stand back from others not because I’m fearful but people can be. There are too many who believe if someone breathes within a 100ft they will drop dead of covid. That is very wrong.

Op - Specsavers is the same and inside looks like a scene from the movie outbreak. Plastic sheeting everywhere.

Flu doesn't worry me too much although I always have the flu vaccine. Its what Covid does to the blood and organs of people with my condition that worries me.
There's a big difference between vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable . The extremely clinically vulnerable are immune suppressed, usually by chemotherapy, which I've been on for most of the last 6 years or through having had a solid organ transplant