Walking with Oxygen Campaign - Living life with Oxygen
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Walking with Oxygen Campaign - Living life with Oxygen
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| John and the South West changes John makes us feel like relative newcomers with his in depth knowledge of Oxygen and Health related matters. His Website Breathless with COPD is well worth looking at and is a vital reference for anyone try to step through this maze. However, the situation has changed yet again on October 1 for the South-West region and I am now familiar with both Air Products and BOC and their services. When Air Products took over the SW region they ran into major difficulties in March. They claim that they received an underestimated demand for cylinders from the previous supplier although the NHS deny this. There was therefore an initial chaotic period when deliveries were sporadic. However, pharmacies had retained cylinders and certainly in the SW were able to fill in any gaps for patients with severe COPD etc. They had a real shortage of Freedom 300 cylinders and certainly I did not receive any. As a response to this crisis, they ordered a large number to be manufactured which are now only just being delivered!! I took a cruise from Southampton and needed oxygen on board - Allied Medical received the Hoof form but refused to recognise my existence on their computer, in spite of my PCT contacts and GP/nurse support. They promised to ring but did not. I cancelled the "order" and took Freedom 400 cylinders with me to the ship. You will note from my web site that I purchased the Freestyle concentrator for ambulatory purposes which helped but I do not recommend the purchase of this. That is my only experience of Allied Medical. On October 1 Air Products company were deemed as "not fit for purpose" and therefore the new SWPSHA area was handed over to BOC. I expected chaos again, especially with no pharmacy back up this time and the fact that the nearest depots to me (Seaton, East Devon) were in Bristol and Plymouth. But I am not aware of any difficulties in supply for concentrators (which are exactly the same as Air Products) or CD or larger cylinders. The reasons for this success is straightforward. Air Products had ironed out all the difficulties and handed their solutions on a plate to BOC! Also most of the delivery chaps retained their jobs and BOC trained them to understand COPD. Now you are interested I know in the ambulatory supply. I can therefore only reply to the new arrangement for Air Products and BOC. BOC have a lightweight cylinder called zc or something which is not widely available and so guess what? They are renting the Freedom 300 cylinders from BOC as they arrive from the manufacturers. Patients should see their GP and order a conserver and complete the HOOF form and make sure the box "lightweight cylinders" is ticked. This takes only a week to complete. If they have already been receiving true lightweight cylinders there is no need to do this. I have the old Sequoia conserver which is tricky to use because of the clip (I manage it OK but then I am not elderly or suffer from arthritis). There is now a new version which BOC etc will supply that claims to have resolved this problem - I cannot comment on this because I don't have one, Generally speaking the companies prefer to deliver 2 cylinders at a time - with the Freedom 300 there is a waiting list!! Once that is resolved they promise to deliver within three days therefore that is 4 cylinders a week. If you going to use more, with a conserver, then you should qualify for liquid oxygen. This involves the engineer delivering or servicing your concentrator to fill in a form & see if you tick all the right boxes and then if delivery demand climbs as described a BOC nurse will come round to assess you further. Many GPs are frightened of liquid oxygen. Patients should ignore them. Any complaints should be NOT sent to the an MP. A patient may ask for a second opinion within their surgery or telephone their local PALS. I explain the process on my FINDING OUT page. PALS may also refer a patient to the PCT lead on oxygen. If a patient feels they cannot do this then somebody must do this for them. This is the proper procedure. Should all this fail the hospital PALS service will help or the respiratory department and if not then that is the time to contact an MP. I know that some elderly people still find the Freedom 300 cylinders too heavy and that the new Sequoia conservers still slip out but it is hard to see how they can produce them much lighter if they are going to last a significant time. In my experience elderly or frail persons tend not to want to use them outdoors anyway except in their wheelchairs or on mobile scooters. Exercising indoors or in the garden with the use of a concentrator is usually sufficient. Visiting others is no problem since they can take oxygen with them on their scooters. Please note my new information on the position of National Express with regard to oxygen on my TRAVEL page. I was not aware that the Oxylite system had been condemned as dangerous. In any case I believe that the smallest cylinders there weigh 5lbs. At 2.6 kgs plus conserver the Freedom 300 is not much heavier when carried in a small backpack. If users (frail or not) use oxygen for ambulatory purposes outside their home frequently they should be able to have liquid oxygen, although GPs may say they too are dangerous. Unless patients have permanent carers who can perform tasks for them (like filling liquid cylinders or carrying cylinders) it will always be difficult to encourage people to use them outdoors. Far better in my opinion they go outside with their scooters with or without oxygen and exercise indoors or in the garden with a concentrator, unless they are in a position to do otherwise. Anyway I admire your efforts and I am sure that BOC or Air Products can devise a more compact cylinder including a conserver weighing in at around 2.5 kgs. Please take a look at what John has done. It was heartening to find another Web Site. |
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