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.

Most doc apt these days do not require sleeves up and gloves on IYKWIM, most things you go to your GP for just involve sitting in a chair, which you can do with a babe in arms quite easily - they don't even do blood tests themselves nowadays they just write you a form - holding a baby doesn't hinder the GPs form writing ability, and the phlebotomists at where we have to go at the local hospital has a whole play area.

It's really fine. I kept a sling on the back of the buggy anyway.

TBH if you think about it it's probably in you and your child's best interest - which is worse? a squirmer on your lap for 20 mins or an urgently needed fire exit blocked by a load of travel systems?

YANBU- cant believe that docs surgerys have banned pushchairs!!!
Thought my surgery was bad with our (littlebritain type) "computer says no" attitude, bad mannered receptionists but a surgery that bans puschairs?-really?
How can you have a smear, bloodtest, preg test all with a newborn in your arms or baby crawling everywhere-very unhygenic!
Imo Move surgeries

it doesn't matter that most appointments are just sitting in a chair (are you a gp btw? how do you know this?) it matters that some require examinations where it isn't possible to hold a baby or restrain an 18month old toddler.

also, slings aren't suitable for everyone. and with a caesarian i wouldn't want to have the weight of a baby pressing on my scar aswell as trying to hold another baby on my hip, never mind their changing bags and your shopping.

i think some people are being quite flippant about this because they aren't considering the real practicalities of it. lots of parents aren't just using the buggy from the car to the surgery. they have done their shopping, and finally got their newborn twins off to sleep, their section scar has become infected and they need to lie up on the couch for the gp to examine it. doing that without a buggy would be impossible.

I agree Iam as i walk everywhere & do not own a car so its akward for people especially those with twins/&/or newborn&toddler

Yes, you could wake one sleeping baby to wrangle it out of the car seat into a sling to go in for your 6 week check, qhe carrying the other, and then, um, put them, screaming blue murder, where precisely while having your stitches prodded?

As for triplets...

Well, the lady who left her buggy right outside my surgey door (I work in a Health Centre) and when I asked her to please move it as I had eldery, immobile and poor sighted patients coming in and out.
She tutted at me and said it "Was a Bother".

Well, madam, not as much of a "Bother" as someone falling over the damn thing. Which wasn't meant to be there. There is space in the foyer.Not as much of a "Bother" as someone breaking a hip. . FFS.

I've got 2 DC. I took a bike lock to secure my buggy.

In the Olde Days it wasn't allowed, and everyone coped just fine, but in those days pushchairs were not worth more than some people's cars.

Then pushchairs were allowed by someplaces. As pushchairs got bigger, H&S regulations got sillier more strict, but sadly Doctor's surgeries have stayed the same size with little opportunity for changing them (especially older ones).

Those built in the days before 4x4 buggies can't cope.

Back to the Olde days again then....cheap pushchairs that no one gives a monkeys about leaving outside.

They are banned in my GP too, in our old area the waiting room was bigger so could take them in - much more convenient. The reason they are banned in our new one is because of "fire hazard" apparently as they block the area cos the waiting room is quite small.

I understand your annoyance OP and I do agree with you that they should let buggies in, I have 3 dc similar age to you but I don't think you can really say you have no choice but to let your baby crawl everywhere and toddler run round etc. Although it is a total pain, you will have to contain them all next to you, on your lap etc while you wait. Bring toys and things to distract them.. If you send them a letter saying that don't know if they will take it seriously unfortunately, although i hope they do.

If you have another option of a bigger drs that allows buggies in the waiting room i would possibly think about changing? I would do this myself but my dr is only one in walking distance, maybe once i learn to drive i will change to something else because it is so much easier to take the buggy in.

I have seen people sneak buggies in ours once or twice so you never know maybe if you just beg them on the odd occasion they will make an exception. I have never asked, but surely if you need to lie down for examinations in your appointment and have nowhere to put your baby they would have to let you wheel it straight through to the appointment room - if the issue is about buggies in the waiting room that shouldnt b a problem to do that

How can you do a bike lock with a newborn baby in your arms complete with changing bag & a toddler ?
The lady sounded rude but maybe if pushchairs wernt banned it wouldnt have been in the way in the 1st place
Maybe the lady was knackered and peed off for having to carry her baby around and didnt have a spare arm to move it.
Why didnt u ask if you could move it for her ?

was the "move it for her" aimed at me pumpkin.

Let me explain.

There's a sign to say no buggies. It doesn't work if it applies to one but not another.
Her baby was maybe a year old.
Her buggy was Right outside my door.

My room is tiny, I had opened the door and it was there.
My patient (the one I am responsible for getting safely out the door) was on 2 sticks.

I was worried about the patients safety TBH.

70isaLimitNotaTarget you are forgetting that a PFB trumps all other people's needs. Silly you....

For as long as I have had children, my GP surgery has always had a ban on pushchairs. They have to be left outside in the porch.

Most parents of young children come by car, so they bring their babies in in their car seats. It's really not that big of a deal.

If you have a one-year old, you do not have to let him crawl on the floor. You can keep him in your lap. You are the adult in this situation. Teach your children how to behave!

Behave yes, not fiddle no!
DD1 investigated the Drs, and took her first steps at the dentists because she wanted to carry off the magazines.

My buggy was too big to take in to these places. It was not restful.

YANBU. My GP surgery has no access for prams and pushchairs because all the consulting rooms normally used by the doctors, nurses and health visitors are up or down steep stairs, and while it's often OK (when you're basically fit and well, and don't need to be examined lying down), sometimes it is just not feasible to take a small child along, let alone several. I'd simply have been told to make another appointment and come back for it without my DS. People who are blithely asserting that there's no real problem with keeping babies and children in a sling or in one's arms before and during GP appointments: what exactly do people do with their darling progeny during smear tests, or after they've had C-sections, or when they've sprained their wrist, or if the doctor needs to take a look at their haemorrhoids? What is the magic thing that we're stupidly not thinking of, that would make these appointments possible while carrying one or more children throughout?

Someone is going to come along now and ask whether it's really all that hard to find childcare for the time it takes to go to the doctor. Well, yes, it is. And it is really not acceptable for this to be a barrier between women and the care of their GP.

Yes, I do think they're being unreasonable, for all the reasons you listed. Where are you supposed to put them?

*Children or buggys that is. Buggy area not safe from theft and children won't stay put while you're being examined.

Really though, if this new policy has been introduced as the result of a health & safety review or fire inspection like a poster above suggested, what else can the surgery do? The only solutions I can think of are-
• Extend waiting area, at great expense and disruption, to accommodate all prams
• Limit the number of prams allowed inside- I can see the AIBU/Pramgate threads now. Also unworkable on certain clinic days
• Blanket ban for all prams, hopefully with exemptions for people who are clearly struggling

I personally don't see the point in complaining unless there's a valid alternative they should be looking into. It seems to be an increasingly common policy though, if this thread is anything to go by. I can see why this would be a complete pain in the arse if you were traveling on public transport or walking!

(NB- all comments made on basis that this is due to H&S regs, and not because the surgery manager has decided prams ruin the aesthetics of the waiting area, etc)

if the surgery is going to provide baby bouncers or some sort of seat that can contain a toddler it would go some way to making the ban a bit easier on some people. although i dont know if such a seat exists that is suitable from birth to 3 years for containing children and would be cost effective for surgeries to have one (at least) in each room, oh wait, wouldn't a buggy be perfect for that?

Im here in the US and no strollers are allowed in the paediatrican office but they have separate wait rooms for sick and well children with sanitized toys for them to play with (you get your toy pack when you arrive). The exam rooms are allocated so the two groups do not meet. Parents are told to keep newborns in car seats and they want everyone else playing with toys. It works pretty well.

Everywhere else strollers are not a problem. My obn has 2 receptionists and I would be happy for them to watch DD while I have my appointment. DH has taken DD with him to his appointments too. DD stays in the stroller and comes into the exam room.

FWIW - I have the biggest stroller known to man. It is HUGE but is still smaller than a wheelchair. Having to push DD around has made me so much more aware of the difficulties faced by those who are wheelchair bound.

I normally take the pram into the waiting area, park it at the side and take the baby out to go into the gps room. The surgery has no outside space just a door opening directly onto the pavement so i dont see how i could leave the pram outside. Most people take car sears in rather than prams but since i dont have a car i walk around a mile to get there so need a pram. I could use a sling but have never even after 5dcs managed to use one without feelng as though my back were about to break - so i dont.

I have no baby sitters alot of the time and will have anywhere between 1 and 5 children under 7 to manage including 3 under 3.

I have never had any problem at all, if they banned pushchairs from in the surgery i would have to change doctors, my pram isnt expensive ( i got it off ebay for £40 ) but i do feel like i need it when i am ill or when one or more of my children are ill. I was recently there because i was ill i needed antibiotics and felt awful, i had no choice but to take the 3 youngest childen and i think i would have just collapsed if i had had to carry them about plus walk there. The doctor was lovely and the receptionists spent quite a while cooing over my newborn.

@ClaireAll. The problem is, teaching children to behave takes time - lots of it - and two or under is too young to have got there yet. The two year olds who don't try to run around in a doctor's surgery haven't been well taught, they just have placid natures. If you have a lively one on your hands, it's going to take longer than that to teach them how to behave. Of course, if you just have the one toddler you can physically hold them on your knees, it's a bit trickier if you have two.

I'm of people with these toddlers who are demonic balls of destruction when put on the floor, but will be placid little treasures in a pushchair for hours on end.

DD (2.5) would last about 2 minutes in the pushchair before howling to get out, but she would sit on my lap and read a book/do some colouring/play with the bead rollercoaster thing in the corner. She would never run around screeching because I wouldn't let her.

YANBU

Our surgery has a buggy area but they've now stuck chairs there

The car park is tiny as they want people to avoid driving and there is permit parking in the surrounding areas

There is no "porch".

Winds me up.

I very rarely took a pushchair to the doctors, despite having 2 kids born 19months apart. (it would be trickier with more than 2).

I used a sling and would carry the older one if needed. I think I only had to take one child to a smear just once (and overheard some very judgey nursing staff 'can you believe she has taken her child' - ummm, should I have left her at home alone????). I just sat her up on my chest and spoke to her/played with her while the smear was being done. It was no big deal.