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.

or SardineQueen.. errr.. hang it off the back in a bag maybe? they're not too heavy!

I thought it was a useful idea that might help someone so why nit pick? I said M&P because I KNOW I could fit one in the basket of my £20 M&P buggy, I can't speak for other brands I haven't tried but I'm sure it's possible

Cremeeggs, lots of really good ideas I hadn't thought about the bumbo but for some people at some times these solutions make not work. Doesn't mean that in a couple of months they cannot use some of them.

What I'd like doctors to do is use some common sense and not apply blanket bans. Looking at a lot of the posts some mothers have mobility or other health problems which mean they would find it really difficult to access the service and this cannot be right. I am very lucky and my surgery uses its discretion.
As margoandjerry has already said much better than I can, the important thing is for people to be able to access the service. This includes the elderly, who may find it difficult to get up stairs and also shouldn't have to negotiate a host of buggies.
For others, I don't believe I have a divine right to push my buggy anywhere I chose, I accept that at present I cannot take it everywhere, this will change as they grow up. I just don't believe that a principle such as this should prevent me from accessing a service.

There are too many people just looking for problems here, and I am fascinated that a buggy seems to solve all of them!

I am amazed at the number of doctors' surgeries that have the space in consulting rooms, let alone waiting rooms for buggies.

Without sounding even more superior , how about thinking more creatively? Most GPs are open well after 6pm so perhaps it is possible to go when DH gets home?

Worried about all the kit you have to carry? Then don't do it. Take your purse and phone out of your handbag and pop them into your pocket or changing bag for this particular outing.

If you have special needs, then speak to the receptionist or practice manager. They will try to accommodate you.

But they can't have a free-for all for the sake of political correctness. Most parents don't have mobility issues, don't have twins, don't have depression. But many parents are thoughtless as to the needs of others, and some are even quite selfish. Space is limited in waiting rooms, and the priority has to be to provide it for patients, not members of their family.

You are advised on discharge not to lift anything heavier than your baby after a c section, up until your 6 week check up.
An average baby car seat is about 5kilos, that is ontop of the babies own weight, plus a changing bag.

my experience of the ban is that they do use their discretion, so the likes of the real issues like OTTMum would of course be allowed in, thing is at the start of the ban EVERYONE things they should be excepted, because they had a CS, or their baby is squirmy and bored, and other reasons which just equate with it being a LITTLE bit more awkward or difficult but NOT prohibitive at all if they tried it!

ClaireAll, i would love to see your evidence for those statements.

What statements, and how might I supply the evidence you request?

I think nearly every single time I've gone to the doctor in the past five years or so has involved a physical exam, going for my 6 week check after having my dds, going for a smear test, I had one when dd1 was a small baby and had her with me in her pram, yes a big pram. Going a couple of times with breast lumps and once or twice when I've had a chest infection.

I have never owned a bumbo or a travel system and a sling would have been completely useless when I was being examined and needed my arms free. Not that I was ever able to get the hang of using a sling anyway.

You will always get that one receptionist though Cremeeggs, she who thinks highly of her role as 'gatekeeper', even though she isn't medically qualified to asses who needs some discretion.
But that is another thread entirely.

My surgery have the same rule, they have a shelter outside the front where you can leave the buggy. When dd was first born, I abided by the rule and took her in the bjorn, but now she is too heavy and I take my pushchair straight in and park it out of the way, no one ever says anything, if they think I am leaving my icandy outside they must be joking! They can't guarantee the security of it outside, so they can't make me leave it!

'Most parents don't have mobility issues, don't have twins, don't have depression'
Please elaborate.

OTT mum, as Claire pointed out, if the change bag is heavy - don't carry it all! I kept canvas shopping bags in my change bag so I could decant the bare essentials (one nappy and some wipes, phone, wallet, keys) if I had to lug him up or down stairs to a change room that wasn't buggy friendly without having to carry the weight or a whole change bag with changes of clothes and emergency gripe water etc.

Yes some people can't use slings, but many many more who will throw a hissy at the receptionist when the ban comes in could.

I think these are rather self-evident, don't you?

Interestingly our modern gp surgery (wheelchair accessible) has a sign up saying no buggies, no wheelchairs.

How it works in practice I have no idea, or how banning wheelchairs works with the disability discrimination act

oh I agree with that OTTmum

the problem is, unfortunately (as the car seats in the children's centre demonstrates) when left to make our own judgements, we were ALL judging that we all needed our buggies with us at every visit. Which we didn't. Not all of us. I didn't but I was one of them.

Yes i agree, some parents are selfish, block paths, don't see anything other than their own issues.
But why should the thoughtfull parents lives be made more difficult because of those who arn't.
Maybe we should all be a bit more vocal about asking others to not park their 4x4 buggies in front of a doorway or emergency exit, not just a blanket ban on all pushchairs.

cremeegg, hang what off the back of what?

a bumboo off the back of a buggy in a mesh bag or similar sardine

You are being unreasonable.

Oh fgs

It would seem that older babies/toddlers that can sit safely on floor while parent is examined should have their buggies left at entrance. Smaller babies would need to remain in car seat for practical reasons re being examined for safety reasons.

Clearly the 'gate keepers' need to use common sense and allow buggys in where it is clear the parent cannot feasibly manage more than one child safely for whatever reason, illness, mobility etc.

Polite signage 'if you are able to leave your buggy we please ask that you do so for reasons of access/space'

Whichever way you cut it, having a babe in arms, a young toddler, and at least one bag is tricky.

If you are under par yourself for some reason, it becomes impossible.

margoandjerry's post sums it up. For people who managed fine - well that's great. However for a host of reasons not everyone else is able to manage as well. The doctors service should be there for everyone, not just those who are (ironically) physically and mentally sound enough to be able to access it.

I really don't see how you can make that assumption ClaireAll without knowing all the parents in the UK.
How do you know that 'most' parents don't have depression or mobility problems, ( which can occur at any time, at any level or serverity, for any length of time )?

And why, if you are right, does this make it ok that these parents are made to suffer because they are in the minority?

I don't own a bumboo and don't even know what one is so I am not sure why you are telling me how to carry them.

My local surgery's waiting room is very small, I don't know if I'll even be able to get my pushchair in through the door!
Also, the surgery doesn't do appointments...it's open from 8.30 till 12 everyday, and you just sit and wait. So potentially I could be sitting there for at least an hour before I get seen by the GP.

In fact, when I had to go in at 31 weeks for a blood test to test my sugar levels, I got to jump the queue as I hadn't had any breakfast (plus I'd been sick the night before, so hadn't really eaten for over 12 hours) and you should have seen the dirty looks I got from the other patients. Even though I was quite clearly very pregnant and very pale and dizzy.

I do think it's a bit silly to ban pushchairs, I think the folding seats idea is great - everywhere should have those seats that fold down from the wall.

"Polite signage 'if you are able to leave your buggy we please ask that you do so for reasons of access/space'"

pointless! because noone thought they could do without their buggies before the ban, when the ban came in everyone was complaining that they wouldn't manage, noone thought THEY were the ones who could do without.

But we did and its not as difficult as we thought it would be but we'ld never have volunteered to do it as TBH I couldn't see myself how it would work, but it does and it's fine!