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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain to doctors about chugger

134 replies

Doodlekitty · 28/09/2015 18:40

Hi all.
Took my lb to docs thus morning. Waiting room was rammed and people were queuing for flu jabs. There was a woman there from Marie Curie going round people in waiting room to tell them about all of the good Marie Curie does in our area. She was then explaining this could not happen without support and trying to get them to sign up for a direct debit.

To be fair she was not giving it the hard sell but it felt very much like emotional blackmail in a place where people are very likely to be vulnerable. If I didn't love my doctor this would make me consider changing. Aibu to write an email of complaint about this being permitted?

OP posts:
laureywilliams · 07/10/2015 15:05

Totally out of place.

I completely support you in escalating your complaint.

I think you sound very sensible and reasonable. Don't know where the 'gunning for this lady' idea came from.

I also think MC do a wonderful job and a friend had direct experience of their work recently. But that doesn't make it ok for them to target a captive audience who are likely to be a little vulnerable.

UncertainSmile · 07/10/2015 15:06

I'd be certainly taking it to the Primary Care Trust; this should not be allowed in a Gp surgery.

Marisaurus · 07/10/2015 15:54

This is totally out of order, please write to your PCT.

OnlyLovers · 07/10/2015 16:00

I'd escalate the complaint too. That response isn't good enough and chugging to a captive audience, some of whom could actually be there because they think they've GOT fucking cancer, is thoughtless at best.

And yes, contact your local politicians.

Baconyum · 07/10/2015 16:33

I've had an email from Marie curie saying they're investigating and will get back to me when they've finished.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 07/10/2015 16:38

You and me both, Baconyum Smile

trian · 07/10/2015 17:11

bloody ridiculous, the last place i expect to be harrassed by a chugger (there is no other way of being a chugger other than to harrass people) is in a GP's waiting room ffs! So I could be there having being raped and needing testing and counselling, I could be dealing with my child's life threatening illness, etc etc, why the flip would anyone this a doctor's waiting room is an appropriate place to chug?!!! Nowhere is appropriate but a doctor's waiting room is less so. Next thing they'll be in the mortuary when you come to view your loved one after they've just died of cancer.
Most cancer charities bug the hell out of me because of their approach to the issue, but that's another story. I've worked for charities....despite being completely skint, we never lowered ourselves to the level of chugging.

softhedgehog · 08/10/2015 14:00

not at all appropriate as I said before - I am astounded that the PM thinks it is acceptable. Please escalate.

OurBlanche · 08/10/2015 14:56

OP, contact PALS. They will help you with this. They may already have had complaints. They are a greaf information and support.

OurBlanche · 08/10/2015 14:57

greaf = great source of Blush

jorahmormont · 08/10/2015 17:02

I'd be furious and don't blame you for complaining at all. I've got to go to the GP for results of an MRI and I'm aware there's a chance it's for a tumour. If she'd approached me I would have freaked out and not known what to do - and I'm a young, normally fit and healthy, confident person. What if it was someone elderly, or more vulnerable, who she started pressuring? No excuse at all, and no excuse for the practice managers response.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/10/2015 12:21

Copy of email received from Marie Curie after querying this ... clearly the presence of chuggers in GP surgeries isn't some kind of mistake, but something they've sanctioned

Thank you for your patience while we investigated your concerns. I would like to assure you all of our fundraising is in line with the Institute of Fundraising guidelines

I can confirm we do have Marie Curie fundraisers promoting our weekly lottery product (which is via direct debit) as well as giving information about our services in some doctors surgeries nationwide. These promotions are booked in advance with the practice managers

Marie Curie provides hands on nursing care and support for people living with any terminal illness, and their families. Our aim is to raise awareness of the service we can provide. And with the agreement of the practices we visit we do take the opportunity to ask people if they would be willing to support us. We rely on the generosity of the public to provide our nursing care. Our staff are directly employed by Marie Curie and are specifically trained to provide useful information about our services as well as ask for support. They work to clear guidelines to ensure that people are not pressured into donating and are particularly sensitive to the surgery environment and vulnerable people

I appreciate you taking the time to contact us and provide your feedback and I can assure you it has been passed onto the relevant team

OurBlanche · 09/10/2015 13:03

Oooh! I am not sure I like the sound of that!

Thanks for letting us know. I may have to rethink donations etc, send them an email outlining why the thought of a GP surgery being used for this is unsettling.

wickedwaterwitch · 09/10/2015 13:08

It's just wrong, keep complaining - I can't belive Marie Curie actually think it's ok - of course it's not!

celtictoast · 09/10/2015 13:10

They work to clear guidelines to ensure that people are not pressured into donating and are particularly sensitive to the surgery environment and vulnerable people

Angry Not pressuring people would mean not getting in front of a captive audience who didn't ask to see them. Being "sensitive to the surgery environment and vulnerable people" would equal not going to surgeries.

NumbBlaseCold · 09/10/2015 13:12

I would contact the Ombudsman and see if they agree because hassling sick and vulnerable people is not ethical.

NumbBlaseCold · 09/10/2015 13:13

I will not donate to a charity while it endorses such a premise.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/10/2015 13:28

I'm also wondering about the rather carefully worded bit saying these staff are directly employed by the charity. I believe they previously used a company called Tag Campaigns who later went bust, but can't see anything online about what the arrangements are now

Does anyone have any idea how I'd find out more on this, please?

wigglesrock · 09/10/2015 14:34

Thats such a disappointing reply from Marie Curie. I've been following this thread. That sort of approach would have really upset my mum when my dad was diagnosed with cancer last year. She was in and out of the Drs for herself and I know that would have been the last thing she needed - she would have felt very exposed and vulnerable.

I haven't had great experiences with Marie Curie fundraising in the past (unfortunately cancer does affect my family in quite an encompassing way) but there's something exceptionally low in approaching people in a GP surgery.

MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge · 09/10/2015 14:50

I can see how this would have gone for my parents in their GP surgery:

Father (terminal cancer)
Mother (exhausted, frightened carer for F)

Marie Curie chugger; spiel spiel
F: Oh! (silently gets upset)
M: No, thank you
MC: more spiel
M: We know about MC thank you
MC: (finally notices F's crutches and clutch of hospital letters, puts two and two together, tries to be all sympathetic)
F: Let's go (tries to get up, takes about 10 minutes)
M: gets cross with MC person, fails to persuade F to stay for his appointment, waits until she gets home to cry.

It might sound dramatic, but my parents hated strangers wanting to talk to them about his illness. He was very private. And they were both mostly so beleaguered by the burden of the day to day coping that things like this really threw them.

2rebecca · 09/10/2015 15:15

I agree that it is a disappointing reply. Being sensitive to ill or distressed people in GP surgeries should include not trying to sell them stuff, any stuff and not having discussions about cancer to people who haven't requested one.

Notoedike · 09/10/2015 15:28

I'm really quite appalled that Marie Curie think being a good cause and doing good work gives them a free pass to behave so insensitively. Are their chuggers still getting a generous commission for each person who sign's on to a direct debit? Because while that practice continues the chuggers will always push beyond the boundaries and their training.

giraffesCantDoThat · 09/10/2015 15:31

Totally out of place.

I completely support you in escalating your complaint.

SirChenjin · 09/10/2015 15:35

That is awful Shock

I can't say I'm exactly surprised though - these big charities seem to be a law unto themselves. I wonder how much the GP practice was paid?

NumbBlaseCold · 09/10/2015 17:24

Not dramatic MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge.

When I lost my baby and was waiting in the doctor's to get referred to EPU to check with a scan, I would have either kicked off after being approached or broken down there and then.

They are preying on vulnerable people and that is unethical and immoral.

They are nothing more than chuggers in every sense of the word.