Waiting room times - how long should you wait?

[Chiavennasca]

I’m currently sat in my dentist waiting room for an appointment at 12.30. It’s 12.34 as I write this. I’m on my lunch break from work.

How late do you think is acceptable? Not just for my situation but for any waiting room appointment scenario - how long would you wait before saying something?

If they know it's going to be long they book a double appointment.

Have you heard of delays or emergencies ? Especially in a healthcare setting where people are ill?

I was waiting a couple hours for a hospital appointment in a non-emergency department, when I did get in the Doctor/Surgeon apologised that he had been operating in the morning and his list had over run by a lot, so he was already hours late at the start of the afternoon appointments.

"can I check if the dentist/doctor is running on time?" I usually ask when I arrive to set my own expectations.

Dentists and doctors are two different things. I'm on a dental plan so private and usually never wait more than 5-10 mins if there is a delay.

I don't think I have ever been seen at even close to my appointment time for an NHS dentist - usually I would expect around half an hours wait. My DD is currently receiving private treatment and gets seen at exactly her appointment time.

I once made the first appointment of the day at my dentist and arrived on time only to have the dentist stroll in to start work after I had already been waiting several minutes. No wonder they were always behind on appointments.

So when you're head back mouth wide open and the "timer" goes off you're happy to be handed your bag and your coat and asked to leave? I'm willing to presume that anyone that's completed the five years at university necessary to qualify as a dentist isn't running late for surgery because of the lack of imagination to invest in a timer.

It was an 8am appointment....I assume something like this was the issue. Something happened so someone in the team couldn't start at 8am. Think I was more annoyed there was no apology. Not that I complained or told them - they had alot of other people complaining already.

I had an appointment for a check up at 3.20 and a hygienist appointment at 3.30. The hygienist fetched me at 3. 45 and then I waited some more and I saw the dentist at 4.20.

I had to go back for a filling and waited 20 minutes past the appointment time. This was an appointment first thing in the morning, so not sure how she got so behind.

Mine is a private dentist, because there are no NHS ones here. She actually said that she isn’t organised in the morning. I understand that there are emergencies and that sometimes you’ll wait, but this is every time and several times the appointments have had to be swapped.

My dentist is routinely 40 mins late, and he’s an arse.

Unfortunately he’s nhs and I can’t afford private so I’m stuck, although they cancelled my check up appointment 7 months ago as they were only seeing emergencies due to lack of appointments, and I still can’t get seen.

My dentist is often running late up to 30 mins sometimes, however whenever I have had an issue he has seen me that day or the next. Seems a fair trade off to me.

Let's say the dentist spots something on you that needs 15 minutes of urgent treatment. If he doesn't do it very shortly there will be other issues. Would you like him to do it then, save further damage and coming back later?
I'll guess most people would.

Or alternatively he sees something, might be a major issue and says that he needs to get on with the next patient so you'll have to come back next week.

For appointments to always run on time you have to have the latter.

I have waited for more than half an hour in my dentist. However this is because they try and fit in Emergency appointments on the day. And as being one who was fitted in on the day when I was in agony, I don't complain.

Also, most of the time complaining does very little the receptionist has no control about how long the dentist is taking either with the patient or doing whatever. Some can get very rude to the receptionist if they are disturbed. I have witnessed this.

I’ve waited half an hour at the dentist - he’s very good and when my DS had a trauma involving his teeth he took the time to treat him meaning his immediate appointments ran late. I always assume he’s had something more immediate and I’m happy to wait.

My DD has multiple health appointments including hospital treatment. They always run to time give or take 5 minutes. My GPs practice runs like clockwork, the only time I’ve had to wait the receptionist explained there had been a medical emergency and offered to let me wait or book an appointment later that day.

We can wait an hour or more for our dentist. BUT if you’re in pain she will always for you in!! - so swings and round abouts.
if I’m going alone I phone before I leave work to see if she’s running on time, & have arranged with the receptionist at that point to go a bit later.

Just because they haven't told the receptionist how busy and important they are doesn't mean they don't have anywhere to be.

NHS appointments at GP surgeries are only 5 minutes. That's all the government thinks they need. My disability needs longer than that so my GP always books me 3 back2back appointments.
Dentists are allocated 10 minutes for each appointment on the NHS. Unless it's for something like tooth removal.

But that is generally why Drs, Dentists etc are running late. 1 or 2 people slow to walk from the waiting area to the treatment room or that needs a little longer soon adds up.

If it was a routine appointment at a private dentist I’d give them 10 mins and then I’d be out of there, re booking or going elsewhere.

Mine is private and has a sign up saying to speak to the receptionist if you are waiting more than 10 mins. So I guess that's a reasonable amount of time!

My dentist is mostly on time, sometimes early, at the worst 5 mins late. My GP on the other hand, I’ve waited up to an hour when they’re really bad. But I’ve also been on an appointment when they’ve been overly thorough and taken much longer than I’d expect. As a teacher who’s done parents evening it can be really hard to run on time. As much as you try the person who comes to see you is often unpredictable.

What country are you in? If UK, I'd expect to wait longer for NHS than private, for example. Also UK or EU companies usually have to let you go to dentist appointments in work time, though you should try to book in your own time (but sod that, ha!)

This isn’t how it works

If one patient is ten minutes late, that then knocks on to the rest of the day, appointments overrun, things happen.

Yes exactly. What does the receptionist do @foresthiding ? Ask everyone in the waiting room what they have planned for the day?

I would wait half an hour with no issue and would ask if it was more than that.