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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Dr surgery offering appointments during school run?

78 replies

MuffinMouse · 07/12/2010 12:56

The last three times I have tried to make a GP appointment I have been offered 3:00, 3:10 or 3:20. Primary schools here finish at 3:15. I am always asked by the receptionist if I can get someone else to collect my children, which I have previously done - but it seems unreasonable to ask. I got around it once by phoning up much later (11:30am) and got offered a 4pm. Leaving it till late morning on the off chance is a risk, as I have been told before that all appointments have gone.

It seems they won't prebook, or fill cetain slots until other times for appointments have gone. You have to phone from 8:30 to get a look in on decent times - and as a mum I leave for school with two little ones at 8:30 to get them there in time for 8:50! It seems a bit unfair.

OP posts:

CristinaTheAstonishing · 07/12/2010 12:58

Your local surgery can't organise their life around yours. What about your DH? Can't he phone in the morning?

elphabadefiesgravity · 07/12/2010 13:05

YANBU. I am so glad that my doctors have a wonderful appointment system. Yo ring up at 8.00am and you get offered the first available appointment which is usually somewhere in the next 24-48 hours. They keep a few back for emergencies in which case you ar told to go up there straight away.

I can choose the time of my appointment within reason even if I want one tomorrow or in 3 days time.

I will never ever change my doctors.

hairyfairylights · 07/12/2010 13:08

YABVU. If I need to see the doctor, it means I'm ill. Appointments are usually offered in work hours. If I need to see a doctor then I work my life around the appointment that is available.

Original poster

MuffinMouse · 07/12/2010 13:08

Offering a 2:50 or a 3:40 is hardly 'organising their life around mine' is it???

It can't be just me who has to do the school run and don't have other people to organise/help run things - is it??

I guess I don't have a DH who can step in.

Or I'm plain selfish.

OP posts:

Prinnie · 07/12/2010 13:08

Surely if you need a Drs appointment you could phone at 8.30 and your kids could be 5 mins late? Or do you need to go often?

MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 07/12/2010 13:11

I know its a pita but you need to arrange someone else to pick up the DC or pick them up early so you can go to your appointment. We've all had to do it

taintedsnow · 07/12/2010 13:12

I'm sorry, but I think YABVU too. You want to use their services, and they are offering appointments. There's no issue here. They can't be expected to just abandon those appointment times simply because some people have a school run to do. It's entirely reasonable that they try to fill those slots first if they are difficult ones as well, they may as well make a good use of their resources.

elphabadefiesgravity · 07/12/2010 13:13

You are not necessarily ill though. The appointment could be for anything. We get offered to see the nurse if the doctor isn;t availabel, then if a prescription is needed she calls the doctor in.

My dh works away and I have 2 childrne to get to school and a job. If I need to visit the doctors apart from an emergency I have to organise being off work in advance and get the kids to and from school.

I usually ask for a 4.30pm - 5.00pm appointment.

OP - Change doctors to one more flexible

Thingumy · 07/12/2010 13:14

It takes a few minutes to call and arrange a appointment,surely 3 minutes off the school run will not be crisis material?

taintedsnow · 07/12/2010 13:15

Btw, I'm speaking as someone who doesn't live with a partner and has a four-year-old to 'work' around with these kind of things, so I have some experience in this area. I still don't expect the doctors to make extra provisions for me and those in a similar position.

I do understand why it's annoying for you, but I also think YABU.

RockinRobinBird · 07/12/2010 13:15

They offer what they have. It is for you to organise to be there.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 07/12/2010 13:16

Hang on, this surgery has 10 minute slots with 2-8 doctors (however many there are) every day. They'll be throughout the day. It must be terribly bad luck to only get offerred the times you can't do. You may just have to ring up early and be late with the kids to school.

Vallhala · 07/12/2010 13:16

There are a lot of assumptions going on here. For a start, Cristina is lucky she didn't address her "What about your DH? Can't he phone in the morning?" at me as she might have received a sharp response - I'm a lone parent. For all I know, the OP is too.

Likewise we don't all have someone else to pick up or drop off our children.

When I was going through cancer treatment my children frequently had to be in late/leave early because I had no-one to help me out. Agreed, the world can't and shouldn't revolve around my needs but the system the OP speaks of, which is akin to my own GP's way of working, certainly could be better thought out.

Bonsoir · 07/12/2010 13:17

YANBU. As a mother with pick up imperatives there are all sorts of times of day when other appointments just cannot happen.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 07/12/2010 13:17

Or be like one of those mums (occasionally tutted at on MN) who speaks on her mobile whilst taking their kids to school.

Original poster

MuffinMouse · 07/12/2010 13:17

hairyfairy Lucky you! I am heavily pg, with some temp serious complications, but am still working. And fitting everyone's needs around mine - like any working mum. I could fit in a GP appt if 8:30-9:10 and 3:00-3:40 are avoided. And I am having to go more often - for obvious reasons.

Just thought the chance to get to a Dr without worrying how to collect a 4 year old would be relatively straightforward. And that I would find others who agree.

OP posts:

Firawla · 07/12/2010 13:18

yanbu i would have thought if you say "that time is not great for me, have you got any others" that they would offer you different ones? if i dont like the times ive been offered i always try to ask for another one and they tend to accomodate i thought it was normal

PacificDogwood · 07/12/2010 13:18

If these are 'emergency' appointments ie to be seen on the day, then YABU.

If this is ALL you are offered even for an appointment some time in the future, YANBU.

belgo · 07/12/2010 13:18

YANBU. I don;t understand why they refuse to offer you a more convenient time, even when other times are available.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 07/12/2010 13:20

Vallhala - calm down. So what, lone parents have mates/parents/friends too, don't they?

Lulumaam · 07/12/2010 13:21

do you walk or drive to school? if you walk, phone as you walk, if you drive and have a hands free kit, call as you drive...

if you find that you cannot get a time that suits, you could feed this back to the practice manager.. our surgery offers late evening appts as a result of feedback, but you can phone at eitehr 08.30 for an AM appt or a 14.00 call for a pm appt

if you consistently cannot get a good time,without having to get your children collectted by someone else, you could consider chanign surgeries to a more flexible one?

it is a PITA , but surely there is a way round it..

Lulumaam · 07/12/2010 13:22

if i get offered an 08/50 appt, i decline and say i have to get the DCs to school ,invariably i get offered a 09.15 one which is fine,

elphabadefiesgravity · 07/12/2010 13:23

Christina - No, lone parents do not always have these support systems. if your parents are too elderly/not around etc then chances are that being a lone parent you are not able to go out and socialise to make these "mates"

I am not a lone parents but because dh works away in the week and I work too I have no mates nearby who I could call on. The neighbours are all out at work for example.

MemooMerrilyOnHigh · 07/12/2010 13:23

Muffin if you are pregnant and have pregnancy related issues that you need to see the GP about you can take the time off work.

Original poster

MuffinMouse · 07/12/2010 13:23

Thank goodness for Valhalla and Cristina. Much appreciated.

At 8:30 everyone is phoning and it takes on average 20mins to get through.

I don't expect a busy surgery to accommodate me all the time - but some surgeries are clearly more flexible than others.

OP posts:

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