to think the NHS should be expecting "changeover day"

[HoleyGhost]

My antenatal clinic was running over two hours late today. They kept explaining that it was because today is "changeover day".

Google tells me this is when junior doctors start. Surely this should not be a total surprise to the hospital and they could have planned accordingly (e.g. assuming that new doctors need more time and so reducing the number of available appointments.

Today there were a lot of uncomfortable pregnant women stuck in a cramped waiting room for hours with some bored, fractious toddlers.

AIBU to think that "changeover" is a lame excuse?

It doesn't really work that way tbh.

Be grateful yours was just a late outpatient appt, I work in A&E and am dreading work tomorrow, it's worse than having no doctor at all usually!

I can see that A&E is harder to manage, but surely outpatient appointments can be reduced in the first week?

Well there are still the same number of people that need to be seen so....

Same number that need to be seen but many, like me, could happily have waited till next week for the routine appointment. It would spread the load over a few weeks.

As it was, staff looked really stressed. And not just the new ones.

I expect to wait at least two hours at my antenatal clinic each week. I've been there four hours before. It's often so overbooked they have double the number of patients they're meant to see. What are they supposed to do? The women need to all be seen and the staff are doing they're best in what are obviously difficult circumstances. I just arrange childcare or if I have to take my toddler, arm myself with lots for her to do and some chocolate buttons in case of an 'emergency'.

Even if its 'changeover day', they still have patients who presumably need seeing.

I'm surprised antenatal was affected, it being largely run by nurses.

The daft thing about changeover day is that it happens, for most doctors, on the first Wedneaday in August, December and April so this whole 'dont be ill in August' thing isn't true. The only exception is that brand new first year doctors (FY1s) start in August, but they will start new rotations in December and April too...

Two hours wouldnt surprise me. I used to go to the library before my antenantal appointments as there was a good chance I'd start and finish a 300 page book whilst waiting. God knows what change over day is like at that clinic

My brother is starting as a FY1 this year but has already been in hospital on his ward getting to know the nurses and patients for the last 2 weeks. Apparently most of his friends (in a lot of different hospitals) are the same. It might just be a crap excuse from the AN clinic.

I can see that A&E is harder to manage, but surely outpatient appointments can be reduced in the first week?

But that would involve the management having a brain cell and would mess with targets. You don't really think they would let anyone cancel some appointments for that do you?

I once wrote a letter of complaint to my local hospital explaining that having nurses and doctors start at 9am and scheduling the first appointment for 9am was ridiculous in a clinic where the staff had to set up equipment before the first patient was seen.

They did change things, but I'm sure the staff had been thinking the same thing for months.

I think management should do some frontline work.

I don't know why the changeover can't happen on a Sunday.

Some Trusts do cut clinics but this usually just leads to massive overbooking the next week. And antenatal clinic is uniquely time critical in that women are only pregnant for a relatively short time

And where on earth do nurses run antenatal clinics?! Midwives, yes. Nurses, no. But they still need obstetricians.

Lots of specialties also have staggered changeovers.