to want to take my pushchair into my doctors surgery?

[gillquil]

my g.p surgery has just banned pushchairs, I've them a letter that follows, is this the norm? or should I just change our G.P.?

Hello,

I would like to make a complaint about the forthcoming ban on pushchairs in the surgery from the first of April. I am a mother of three, my eldest child has just turned four and we have a double pushchair which we normally use for our two youngest. My youngest child has just turned one, and as is typical for his age, he wants to crawl and climb all the time, he definitely doesn?t want to sit on my lap while I wait, he will however normally wait happily in his pushchair, or sleep in it while we wait or during our appointments. My two year old daughter just wants to run around.

If I am unable to bring my pushchair into the surgery I am going to have to let my son crawl over the floor in the surgery which I can?t imagine being the most hygienic thing to do. Or when he is asleep I will have to wake him, and what if both he and his sister are sleeping? do I really want to wait for my appointment struggling with a sobbing two year old daughter and a crying one year old son, my handbag, and changing bag on the floor or on the seat next to me. All of which, toddler, and baby and baggage have to then be carried into the appointment. I would also like to know what is suggested for mothers who need for example to have their young child with them during say a smear test? Should I leave him to crawl around the floor in the surgery during this?

Parents that I know often rely on being able to entertain a young child or children in a pushchair so that they can speak to their G.P. or nurse for a few minutes uninterrupted. Or the child sleeps on through their appointment and waiting time, and the parent can have a proper conversation or treatment.
I don?t have the option of arranging childcare for the times when I need to come to the surgery, especially as we normally ring at 8 a.m to see what appointment we can get if any for that morning.

I asked about the security of the area that has been designated for pushchairs to be left. As far as the lady I spoke to knew, there is none, it seems that the surgery is relying on the area being ?out of sight.? I disagree anyone walking past will be able to see a row of unsecured pushchairs. Pushchairs cost as I am sure you know an enormous amount of money. We live close by and two of my neighbours have had pushchairs stolen from outside their own front doors in the last six months, and we had a child?s scooter taken ourselves. It was suggested also that I buy a bicycle style lock for our chair, but I can?t see what I would secure it to.

While I can see the need for some sort solution to the congestion in the waiting room, as a result of parents and children who are patients at XXX Surgery using pushchairs, I don?t feel that just telling people their only option is to leave their pushchairs outside, in an unsecured area, and carry in their child or children and changing bags, handbags and who knows even their shopping, is acceptable. In fact I think it?s discriminatory. I have spoken to several mothers today who are patients at XXX, as are their children, and they all agree, and have said they will be putting forward their comments also.

I look forward to your reply and hope that XXX can be a bit more creative in finding a solution that doesn?t leave patients feeling unwelcome.

It's not as though leaving the buggies outside creates a safe environment in the case of an emergency, either. Picturing my surgery in my head, if they banned pushchairs, there would be no reasonable place in which to leave them outside the surgery or outside the building in the surgery is housed. One would have to leave them in the narrow hallways or outside in the fire lane!

Not to mention that there would need to be some sort of railings to which to lock the pushchairs...and probably an enclosed space for them...an unattended stroller here would last about two minutes before it was nicked, destroyed by vandals, or possibly blown up as a suspect device. (Sardine, I think you shoudl add "Enrol at a surgery in a naice area" to your list of solutions.)

Surely if you have 2 non walking children you present more of a risk by not having a buggy than having one anyway? You're not exactly going to be able to pop one down on the floor during an evacuation and return to the building for him in a minute are you...?

There's no way I could use a surgery that banned buggies. I have 18-month-old twins. Neither of them can walk yet. I can't carry them both.

Oopsi re 19:07, I have twins, when they couldn't walk I would have had to carry them, try opening a door with one child under each arm - not exactly safe but I suppose I could stand on one leg and use the other one to open the door.

When giving injections I would hold one child as asked to by the nurse (the other in the buggy with a book) whilst the nurse gave the injection. There wasn't anyone else to hold the other child, the nurse would then be doing her job and recording the details whilst I comforted that child and prepared the other one. When mobile, being in the pushchair stopped the one not being vaccinated from investigating the surgery.

The children are not magically silent in the pushchair, I take books and toys and keep them occupied whilst talking to the doctor. Try sitting there trying to hold two toddlers on your knee dying to the investigate everywhere whilst talking to the dr and my older son (5) to get to the bottom of the problem. Its just not possible with 15 month old twins and a 5 year old.
Or are you saying I am bad at managing my children? If so, have you ever had twins?

zzzzz

You all need to look at a melobaby change bag. Tis tiny, I use for current 10 month old and 2 year old. I Fit x 4 nappies, babygrow, wipes, nappy bag, small muslin etc etc. can be thrown under buggy/ in any handbag.
If only one baby surely 2 nappies, babygro, wipes blah blah is sufficent for short app, and could fit small book/ toy in also

10 month old in arms/ sling, 2 year old walking tis not rocket science! Did the same when newborn and 15 months

Haven't read the whole thread - it seems to have got quite long...

But would a guilt system work? Ie, they put up a notice saying that 'due to fire regulations only 3 buggies are allowed in the waiting area so unless essential please leave your buggy outside'. The receptionists at GP surgeries always seem to be dragons used to dealing with patients so they could police remind people as they came in. Of course they would need to provide a suitable area where the buggies could be left securely. At baby clinics, all babies end up being woken up so priority could be given to twins, people with mobility problems etc

I have always walked with dd to the GP and for me it would be inconvenient but not impossible to leave the buggy outside except for that lovely smear appt :o

Alternatively if you are unable to attend without your pushchair insist the GP come for a home visit as you are otherwise unable to access the service... that might get them to change their minds.

Sardinequeen when you say, ^Should doctors surgeries be accessible to people who have small children.

The answer is, no.

If a person cannot go and see a GP because they have twins and mobility issues and no childcare options then tough. They should find a way around it. Possibly by putting their wallet in their nappy bag.^

I assume, I hope, you're joking. Please be joking. Because otherwise you're remarkably callous. My twins (and I) have needed a lot of doctor's appointments recently. Carrying them both would be impossible. They can't walk. I don't have back-up childcare - whether or not I pay for it. Are you offering to come and babysit for me??

Grrr, why didn't the italics work when I quoted?

She is joking, I've already gone aagh at the post and then felt bad about it when it was pointed out.

Oh OK. Oops. Sorry. That'll teach me to read in a rush. Calms self down. Refills wine glass.

It seems this is the norm then. GREAT letter scroobious pip, but unfortunately I had already sent mine a few weeks ago. The folding chair idea is a winner and I will be suggesting it.
The reply i got from my G.P is below.

Dear Ms Quilty

Thank you for your recent letter and email.

I do appreciate your concerns over the 'pushchair ban'. Unfortunately this has been brought about due to Health and Safety reasons and the waiting room is becoming increasingly overcrowded and is causing a Health and Fire hazard.

We are doing our utmost to provide a suitable parking spot for pushchairs and have now opened up the rear garden where pushchairs can be parked. This area is due to be cleared over this coming weekend to provide more space. The garden has a door which can be kept closed for added security and also the reception staff can also see into this area. However, pushchairs will still be left here at entirely the owners risk.

Please contact me again if I can be of any further help to you.

Yours sincerely

Yanbu.
While you are at it, can you do something about surgeries that only offer upstairs appointments for 6 week post natal checks? This results in the mother ( who had forceps delivery with extended episiotomy) having to take baby in sling, meaning there was nowhere to put said baby for mother to have internal check (much needed) and is still concerned about possible prolapse more than one year later as a result

Buggies are a pain in the arse and not everyone in the surgery has a bunch of kids in tow - maybe they get sick of trying to negotiate massive travel systems. The world does not revolve around mothers. If you are near enough to be in walking distance (like me) carry the pushchair bound child and if you are taking the car, leave the pushchair in the car and carry child from pushchair to surgery. It's not rocket science

As for the surgery floor "not being the most hygienic of places" do you normally have your children sealed in a hermetic unit ?

Are you telling me that you have absolutely no friends or relatives that could have looked after your children ? Why didn't you make the appointment when your DH could have had the children ?

DH and I both work full time yet extraordinarily enough we manage to arrange doctors appointments at a convenient time.

nigel, I can barely arrange a doctor's appointment at a 'convenient' time as it is. I wonder if our surgeries here are so different from other places! We are rather at their mercy. If they say I should come in on Thursday afternoon for my smear because that is when they do smears, well, Thursday afternoon it is. If DD gets sick, we call in the morning, and they call us back with a time - a single time, not a choice of times - to bring her in. My 'convenience' really doesn't enter into it!

And I can't be the only one to say this, quite honestly - no, I really have no one who will look after DD when I go to the dr's, except my DH (good thing I have him, eh?). My family lives abroad. My friends all, without exception, work themselves; they are helpful with DD when they can be, but it isn't much use when I need to do something during normal daytime hours. There is a childminder we use on very rare occasions, and she has a £32/4 hour minimum; she also is only available evenings and weekends. Could I find another childminder? Maybe. But is there any one willing to do this for me for free and on no notice, and during working hours? There is not. I wish to god I had a brilliant support network, but I don't. Am I the only one????

I had 3 children in 20 months and they all get the same bugs so we're at the doctors so often we should have a brass plaque on our own bench. Officially you can't bring in buggies, but NOBODY has ever challenged my mahoosive triple megatron pram because a) they're frightened of what's in there and b) they know I can't channel Vishnu and carry them all myself. This isn't because I look like a sleep-deprived maniac, it's because my surgery is staffed by normal human beings who get it. And on the rare occassiinally when we've had to go to an upstairs room, the staff have fought to help, arguing over who "gets a go of the babies."