Do shops let you use the toilet if you have a medical issue?

[KizzyJo]

I have a blue badge and recieve PIP for different reasons but am increasingly finding it difficult to be out and about without access to the toilet.
I had stomach surgery 4 years ago and my digestive health has gotten worse and worse.

I find myself having rapid onset symptoms.

In the last month I have cried in the car 4 times as I didn't think I was going to make it home. It's so embarrassing.

If there's a mcdonalds or somewhere that has a public toilet obviously I will go there but I was just in B&M, one where there's no other shops around and I desperately wanted to ask to use the toilet but I was too scared :(

If I showed my blue badge would people allow me to use staff toilets?

Probably not for insurance and staffing purposes. I also have toilet issues; I have an access card that specifies my need but nobody is obliged to accept it.

I don't think they are obliged to. But they might. However, I expect they could well say no.

It’s not an automatic right when you show a blue badge. Some shops genuinely can’t allow customers in to the back because of safety and insurance.

I’m the Same OP it’s awful isn’t it. I think usually they say no because of insurance :(

You should get a cant wait card, which helps explain the situation, but i think staff toilets wouldn't be possible in a lot of shops, esp chains

I’m the same. Do you have a radar key? That’s helpful if there are disabled toilets about. I find places like Costa etc work well as you can nip in and use the toilet if you’re desperate and no one usually challenges you as it’s so busy, mostly no one even notices or assumes you’re going to buy something afterwards (and I usually do).

No, not generally, I'm afraid.

I know it's not the same as a disability but I was 9 months pregnant in Next and they wouldn't let me use the toilet, they said it was because of their insurance.

No I don't. What is it?

I'm just feeling like I can't go out anymore unless there's a mcdonalds near by or a cage or something.

I didn't think they would let me :(

https://news.motability.co.uk/everyday-tips/radar-keys-explained-what-are-they-where-can-i-use-them-and-how-do-i-get-one/
its a key for disability toilets

I'm a shop manager and can confirm
that it's an insurance thing as
If anything happens to you we are liable
and usually the Store Manager is liable and can be prosecuted
for all Health and Safety incidents.

I have personally had occasions where people with health conditions have asked to urgently use the staff toilet and I have personally taken them there to make sure no one falls down the stairs etc but yeah like others have said no one is obliged to let customers use them unfortunately.

Sad to say that I believe places that allow this are fairly few and far between.

I have had irritable bowel for many years and when it strikes it can be a real issue, usually somewhere where access to toilets is limited.

I doubt many would. Our toilets at work have our staff lockers in them. I doubt anyone would be happy about random members of the public being allowed in.
Also increases the risk of mess in there.

When I used to work in a supermarket we weren’t allowed to let customers use the staff toilets but I’d make an exception for someone with a young child but would have to escort the parent and child there and back. I would have done the same if someone had shown me a blue badge

I work in a large retail centre . It actually would be quicker for a member of the public to go to the public toilets than our staff ones .

Well if there were public toilets I wouldn't be asking to use yours?

I'm talking about scenarios where there are no public toilets available

We were not allowed to let the general public use the toilets due to insurance and theft reasons.
We had minimum staff, and not enough to escort people to the toilets, that we also had to clean ourselves.
Thieves also use this as a ruse to steal from staff sadly, as we don’t have very safe storage for our personal property at work either.

This:

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/bm-bosses-apologise-partially-blind-11497983

is a bit old, but...

A B&M spokeswoman, said: “We apologise for any upset caused. “Most of our stores don’t have customer toilet facilities and we’re unable to allow customers into back areas of our stores for their own safety – we do however make exceptions to those customers who present a medical card.

And this:

https://www.toiletmap.org.uk/

can be useful for locating publicly accessible toilets.

I have inflammatory bowel disease and no shops don’t need to let you use their toilets sadly. I’ve suffered for 9 years now and got used to where I can and can’t go.

Have you got the toilet finder app on your phone?
That shows you any toilet that the public can access. Not necessarily a public toilet, if you know what I mean.
Cafes, gyms, hotels, libraries etc etc
Very helpful if you don’t know the area.

I got caught short in my local B&M and asked a lady around my age if they had a loo I could use. She was very kind and let me use the staff loo without hesitation.

We used to let customers use the toilets, as they are just off shop floor through one door but after having to clean shit off the walls, piss everywhere we stopped it.

that said if someone was desperate we would probably still show them but we make a point of saying why we don't usually!