Shielding and no delivery slots

[PumpkinP]

What are those of you doing that are shielding but no delivery slots? Sorry if it’s already been asked.

Thanks @Tattiebee, that's a much more civilised time to be looking!

@PumpkinP the NHS service is separate to council run services. Your GP refers you and local volunteers in your area will get an alert on their app that someone is shielding and needs help getting their shopping.

I have had no issue getting a slot for Asda at 1am for the last 4 weeks. Fingers crossed it continues. Morrison’s, M&S and from tomorrow Aldi are doing boxes for delivery. As others have said, use social media to see what’s going on locally - milkmen can deliver milk, eggs, juice, and bread. Round me there are at least 4 fruit and veg box schemes for delivery, several butchers, a bakery offering pies, bread and cakes and one man delivering tray bakes to order. Also a local food wholesaler has opened up a limited amount of his stock to non-business people on a controlled click and collect basis and will deliver big orders. Join local Facebook groups and ask - someone has compiled a list on my local one and reposts it once a day which is really helpful. Hope you get sorted.

Try local Facebook pages. Our local Facebook is rammed with suppliers (mostly wholesalers with access to markets) advertising boxes of veg, meat and staples available for contactless delivery.

Aldi is advertising a delivery of grocery basics. Again contactless.

Loads of local butchers are offering deliveries, also pubs, take aways, delis, corner shops are busy advertising new delivery services.

I’ve found with my local Tesco that they tend to release next day slots after about 5/6pm. It’s almost as though any priority slots that are left over at the end of the day are released to the general public.
I’ve managed to get a delivery for my elderly parents tomorrow by doing this.

Have you looked at small local companies that are are delivering? In my area there are a huge number of butchers, grocers & other pop up shops that are delivering everything that you could need - often with very low minimum orders & plenty of slots.

We also have many cafes & restaurants doing deliveries that you could easily fill your freezer from.

I checked Tesco and Sainsbury’s at 9. Nothing at all. Checked again at 9.45 and got a Tesco one. It isn’t till the 27th though. We should be able to keep going till then.

Hope you manage to get something sorted OP.

Maybe not your normal choice but Iceland release slots for the next day around 11am-12pm they do obviously mostly frozen stuff but do sell fresh as well, I was very surprised with my order as it was the only place I could get a delivery!

The problem surely is that people who are able to physically go to the supermarket are booking a delivery instead?

Maybe if the supermarkets could weed out those who want a delivery from those who need one, it would be easier.

I managed to get a Sainsbury's click and collect. I am self isolating but my DS is well past his symptoms so he got out and loaded the car. I only booked it last week.

@familyofaliens the slots for vulnerable people are held separately from general slots. I know someone who works for Sainsburys. All stores for Sainsbury’s it put their own available slots so they don’t all come out at midnight, it is store specific.

The actual main problem is there are not enough slots, vans and drivers to accommodate all the vulnerable customers let alone anyone else. The vans are specialised as refrigeration is required and they can’t get anymore just now.

I haven’t rtwt but Iceland have slots tomorrow where I live and loads of fruit and veg stuff-where are you?

@Tattiebee thanks for the tip. I logged on at 10.15 and got a delivery for my parents for the 27th. They were all gone 10 mins later!

OP aside from delivery slots have you looked at local Facebook Covid groups in your area?

Where i live volunteers (I'm one btw) have signed up with the Council and we are delivering shopping to shielded/vulnerable members of the local community.

I'm not sure how every council is working but in my location we are being allocated to a single household (which I think makes sense as you are dealing with the same person and they get to know what you like/need).

I call "my" household and they text me a shopping list and we agree substitutes if I can't get certain items etc. The reason for the text is to prove they've asked for what I have bought.

I then shop, deliver the shopping to the porch along with the receipt and they then pay me back via internet banking and send a confirmation text that I've delivered what they asked for.

All volunteers in my area have had to watch a safeguarding training video and sign a confidentiality agreement so as not to divulge anything about the identity/circumstances/shopping habits etc of the household we are assigned to (that also includes health issues if we are picking up prescriptions).

If you are really struggling it might be an option?

For the reasons above I can't say much but it's been a real privilege to help out the lovely household I've been assigned to and I'm glad I can make a difference in this awful situation.

@CornedBeef451 ahhh good news :) glad you managed to get one!

Morrison’s would only allow me to order one box.

A friend has found Iceland to be very good, they only have slots for 3 days ahead but that helps when it is urgent.

Keep checking Morrisons normal online delivery slots, they've just this week seemed to be having some more availability, there was even a choice of dates and times at one point so worth checking.

I think the supermarkets are releasing slots at different times, not just midnight. Got a morrisons slot in the morning for MIL and a tesco slot for my mum a couple of days later in the afternoon (they both live in another town). Have just looked on tesco now and there are quite a lot of slots available in next few days to their 2 addresses although obviously dont need one at mo. Suggest you keep looking at different times of day. Was easier to get slots now than 2 weeks ago. Also do try local council again. Ours had taken a couple of weeks to get things set up but now has great links with a couple of supermarkets so things may have changed a lot since you were last in touch

Yup nothing here even into May with both children shielding no government box either and suspect we are going be In for longer than original 12 weeks as already saying when start yo lift elderley and vulnerable need to shield longer

Have you filled in the government form ginger?

My partner is on the list, I'm getting in shopping and medicine,exercising our dog and also going to work (supporting key workers). We practise distancing at home. If I went into full shielding with my partner I wouldn't get paid and the dog would go crazy. Not tenable long term.

OP i am classed as vulnerable and WFH PT. I have registered to help phoning vulnerable people on my non working days with the NHS GoodSam and also a local Covid FB site. Both of these groups also have volunteers doing shopping and collecting prescriptions for vulnerable people. The latter the FB site keep encouraging people to come forward if they want any shopping. But as already said i would go on FB and check which local shops are doing deliveries here the list ranges from local farm shops, post office/newsagents/local convenience stores, the local market, local butchers etc etc.
I dont know how the 80 item limit works but someone said at one shop if you buy 1 can of something it is classed as 1 item but if you buy say a pack of 6 items its still classed as 1 item. You may have to be a little bit creative and shop a little differently OP.

Yeh I could send my 4 children under 10 shopping 🤔 or I could leave the child that needs to be shielded home alone. Decisions decisions 🙄

In fairness Op you didn't say that it was just yourself and 4 children...

Keep trying with the delivery slots. I've downloaded all of the apps and have hit lucky a couple of times now, they seem to be releasing new ones at various times.

The Boxes are a good way to go if your stuck for immediate essentials (the M&S one is 35 and can deliver next day), you've got a shop coming so hopefully they can sort it out for you (and everyone) when you next need it.