Ratho to Lost Shore & a bit of a RANT!

Today Ann's friend, Fiona, had to take her car for a service/MOT which meant that she was at a loose end for a few hours in the middle of nowhere. We went to meet her at the garage and then drove out to Ratho so that I could have a walk along the canal to 'Lost Shore', which is Europe's largest inland surf destination. Lost Shore opened last November (you can see our first visit here) but Fiona had never been and as it's only a mile along the canal from Ratho we thought it would make a nice little walk, especially as the humans decided to have lunch at the Bridge Inn at Ratho afterwards.

It wasn't very busy at Lost Shore. In fact we only counted 13 surfers in the water. Mmmmm....... not sure how long it's going to last if it doesn't get a bit busier, but hey ho, at least Fiona can say she's been now and I had a lovely walk.

…................And now for a little RANT!!!................... OK, this might be a big RANT!!!


When we got home, Ann said, 'Trixie, let's walk down to the doctor's surgery and see if I can make an appointment for an MOT.' As those of you who read our Blips regularly will know............ Ann became a pensioner on Friday. She has not seen a doctor since she had breast cancer in 2011. Even when she registered with the GP in Edinburgh in 2019, all she had to do was fill out a form and that was it. She has no idea what her blood pressure is, what her cholesterol is, what her liver/kidney function is, etc, etc. And all her friends (even those who are younger than her) seem to get an annual check up. 


Apparently 'old people' in Scotland do NOT get a check up unless they have one of the following issues (see photo in extras). Seriously?! How does one know if one has any of these things unless they are checked for them??? I guess she could always say she has 'mental health issues'? What are the checks for that?


12 year old receptionist OK she wasn't 12 years old said that they didn't do annual check-ups and all Ann's friends must have something wrong with them. I guess they do! It's so annoying. Whatever has happened to 'preventive health?' In England there is a whole host of things that people are checked for between the ages of 40 & 74. (see here).


Anyway, enough ranting..................... My human has devised a very clever cunning plan.............. When we go back down to Cornwall in a few weeks time, she is just going to register with a doctor temporarily for 6 months and ask for a full check up. #problemsolved  Unfortunately not everyone else in Scotland is going to be so lucky??!!