Page 5 | Doctors don't understand how difficult it is for me to see them.

YourSparklyLimeTraybake · 2025-12-02T17:52:08+00:00

I work in leadership in a school. My direct boss is off sick long term and I am acting up. The next person in the line of succession is also not well and in and out sporadically. There isn't anyone else that can step in to cover, even if it's just for a short period of time. My school is very challenging. I am incredibly stressed, working 7am til 7pm most days just to keep afloat. They don't take online bookings unless you're a Uni student, I am on duty at break and lunchtime, so can't call during the day. I need a blood test and it's overdue. They now won't prescribe one of my medications until I get tested and then a separate appointment to be reviewed. I've tried to arrange both three times, and each time something has happened so I can't go, which means the second review appointment gets cancelled too, then I have to try to figure out how to find time to make the appointments again. I don't know what else I can do and now I've run out of medication.

ChaoticNoodle · 02/12/2025 18:51

Just email all the parents and tell them school must close for the day. Unfortunately this is the world we live in now with schools and the NHS both so underfunded.

IamnotSethRogan · 02/12/2025 18:49

It sounds very stressful but what do you think the Dr's should do in this situation?

endofthelinefinally · 02/12/2025 18:42

Elsvieta · 02/12/2025 18:33

Have you checked if your medication can be bought online?

The thing is, if it is a medication that requires blood monitoring, it could be dangerous to buy medication without the necessary blood test. Equally as risky as not taking the meds. OP should at least get the blood done. The rest can be done online.

butterpuffed · 02/12/2025 18:41

Have you checked to see if any Phlebotomy/Haematology departments are open at the weekend? The Urgent Care one in my town has theirs open for a few hours and so does the nearest hospital. I should imagine this is fairly common everywhere .
.

FuzzyWolf · 02/12/2025 18:37

You need to prioritise yourself and your health is your responsibility. Make an appointment and keep it, no matter what comes up with work.

Newbutoldfather · 02/12/2025 18:35

I do sympathise.

You either have to wait for the holidays or see a private GP. I am sure you could find one close to your school that you could pop out to at lunchtime.

Elsvieta · 02/12/2025 18:33

Have you checked if your medication can be bought online?

Parker231 · 02/12/2025 18:31

iSage · 02/12/2025 18:22

GPs seem to have no concept of people having to work for a living. They offer a phone appointment with no time specified - they can't even specify morning or afternoon.

The OP needs a blood test and not a phone appointment but the OP keeps cancelling the appointment.

iSage · 02/12/2025 18:22

GPs seem to have no concept of people having to work for a living. They offer a phone appointment with no time specified - they can't even specify morning or afternoon.

kornwall · 02/12/2025 18:20

And if it's blood pressure meds, please make sure you get them as the end of term is stressful enough without being off meds!

Smartiepants79 · 02/12/2025 18:19

What are you hoping the doctors to do??
You've cancelled 3 times!??
In the end you have to prioritise you sometimes. This is one of those times. School will have to manage. You have to make an appointment and go. You’ve run out of medication because you didn't prioritise it.

kornwall · 02/12/2025 18:19

YourSparklyLimeTraybake · 02/12/2025 18:15

@kornwall the actual Head off long term is the DSL, I'm the DDSL, so obviously stepping up. The next in line is stepping up as DDSL but was away those three times.

That's a good idea about a buddy head. We're not near other schools, but can think of someone who could be phoned if needed. Thank you.

Headship is a very lonely place particularly in a challenging situation and where you are acting up so already have a depleted SLT. I would prioritise getting another DDSL trained asap as safeguarding is something that can quickly take over the day (as i am sure you well know). A head buddy is absolutely invaluable as they really are the only one's who get it, very useful for a rant or just to let off steam to someone as well!

endofthelinefinally · 02/12/2025 18:16

Private laboratories are avalable evenings and weekends. You will have to pay but as long as you know exactly what blood test you need you can get it done.
My gp surgery has a saturday morning session. If yours doesn't, you can email the blood test result to your gp.
Having said that, I agree with pp, book your appointments early in the morning, give notice to your employer and attend. You have as much right to look after your health as the people you are covering for.
What happens if you get ill as a result of not having your meds?

Original poster

YourSparklyLimeTraybake · 02/12/2025 18:15

@kornwall the actual Head off long term is the DSL, I'm the DDSL, so obviously stepping up. The next in line is stepping up as DDSL but was away those three times.

That's a good idea about a buddy head. We're not near other schools, but can think of someone who could be phoned if needed. Thank you.

OP posts:

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 02/12/2025 18:14

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 02/12/2025 17:55

I've tried to arrange both three times, and each time something has happened so I can't go

That doesn't sound like the doctor's fault and they can't prescribe you medication that might be damaging you. As a pp said, you need to make time.

What’s more important than your health?

I used to be a teacher. I know it’s hell. But letting GP down 3 times is crap. Go before anything kicks off, or book it in morning.

With the best respect. They can cope without you. You don’t sound well. Which is understandable working in teaching.

TeenLifeMum · 02/12/2025 18:14

No job is more important than your health! Even surgeons get time for medical appointments so this is a failure of leadership.

kornwall · 02/12/2025 18:12

YourSparklyLimeTraybake · 02/12/2025 18:07

Okay. Thanks everyone.

I don't think my job is more important, and I have properly cancelled, not just left them waiting. Twice for behavioural incidents, once for a safeguarding disclosure. All three times, the next in line was also absent.

Thanks @Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits some really useful advice there. We do have a wellbeing advice line I could call, so I'll try that. I think I'll book for the holidays, although that means I'm without medication for two and a half weeks.

I assume you have a DDSL so safeguarding shouldn't be a barrier. It seems that the doctors appt is just throwing into sharp relief the lack of contingency in place and that isn't good for anyone. Are there any local heads you could buddy up with to provide support either formally or informmaly?

Parker231 · 02/12/2025 18:10

YourSparklyLimeTraybake · 02/12/2025 18:07

Okay. Thanks everyone.

I don't think my job is more important, and I have properly cancelled, not just left them waiting. Twice for behavioural incidents, once for a safeguarding disclosure. All three times, the next in line was also absent.

Thanks @Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits some really useful advice there. We do have a wellbeing advice line I could call, so I'll try that. I think I'll book for the holidays, although that means I'm without medication for two and a half weeks.

Why wait - make the appointment and attend it. If you got taken into hospital, the school would continue to operate.

WickedWitchoftheDesk · 02/12/2025 18:10

Can’t you arrange your face to face appointments during school holidays if necessary? I always appreciate it is difficult for teachers to attend appointments during term time, so try and arrange their routine monitoring and med reviews for when they’re off, then at least a telephone appointment after 4/5pm. Unfortunately bloods need to be done in the morning though, so they can get to the lab, but most surgeries should have one regular early morning with a few 7:00-8:00am bloods appointments.

kornwall · 02/12/2025 18:09

Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits · 02/12/2025 18:03

I understand the difficulty @YourSparklyLimeTraybake

People don't understand that the school can't legally be open without a head/deputy/acting head. And you cannot send 100s of children home because you need a GP appointment.

How heavy is your teaching schedule? Would you be able to block out a morning to do a phone appointment? Check if the school subscribes to any wellbeing service, most do (but no-one uses them). They sometimes have a GP service. Register with Livy or one of these online GPS that can do a Saturday. For the blood test, some walk in blood test centers start at 7am. Could someone open the school and you'd be in before the children, just not first in. Or book now for the first appointment possible in the Christmas holidays.

Don't know if any of those would work, but some ideas if you haven't already tried them.

We are talking about a member of SLT being offsite for a brief medical appointment, not undergoing surgery under GA. If the school cannotbe open without this singular member of staff on site then they need to look at their contingency plans as a matter of urgency. If the OP were caught up in a traffic collision one day i doubt the school wouldn't open, arrangements would be made as they always are. Validating this sort of pressure on an indicvidual is not helpful

Parker231 · 02/12/2025 18:09

Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits · 02/12/2025 18:03

I understand the difficulty @YourSparklyLimeTraybake

People don't understand that the school can't legally be open without a head/deputy/acting head. And you cannot send 100s of children home because you need a GP appointment.

How heavy is your teaching schedule? Would you be able to block out a morning to do a phone appointment? Check if the school subscribes to any wellbeing service, most do (but no-one uses them). They sometimes have a GP service. Register with Livy or one of these online GPS that can do a Saturday. For the blood test, some walk in blood test centers start at 7am. Could someone open the school and you'd be in before the children, just not first in. Or book now for the first appointment possible in the Christmas holidays.

Don't know if any of those would work, but some ideas if you haven't already tried them.

If the school is so short staffed, the OP would need to notify the Governors that she would be leaving the school on x date at x time (am a former school governor).

Original poster

YourSparklyLimeTraybake · 02/12/2025 18:07

Okay. Thanks everyone.

I don't think my job is more important, and I have properly cancelled, not just left them waiting. Twice for behavioural incidents, once for a safeguarding disclosure. All three times, the next in line was also absent.

Thanks @Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits some really useful advice there. We do have a wellbeing advice line I could call, so I'll try that. I think I'll book for the holidays, although that means I'm without medication for two and a half weeks.

OP posts:

Starsanstripes · 02/12/2025 18:07

I appreciate it sounds reallly challenging and probably never feels like ‘the right time’ with so much pressure and responsibility at work. However your health really does have to come first. As others have said, if push came to shove the school would operate in your absence. And that’s without notice. Whereas here you can even given them notice. Get next available appts booked in and no matter what just stick to it!

Periperi2025 · 02/12/2025 18:03

The GP surgery should be able to give you a blood form so that you can go to hospital phlebotomy clinic to have it done which is more flexible as you just turn up, take a number and wait. But you will still have to make the effort to attend, and arrange and attend the follow up appointment.

BillieWiper · 02/12/2025 18:03

Is it you that keeps cancelling the appointments? If so then it's not their fault. Your health is your responsibility alone.

Plenty of people work in school leadership but the doctor isn't exactly going to give a home visit out of hours to everyone who does?

Tell your employer you're going to the doctors for an essential test. If you think they'll try and guilt trip you just call in sick on the day of the appointment without giving notice.

If you don't and you get really unwell then they might have to manage without you for months.