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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

About a Christmas party at GP surgery

48 replies

bearleftmonkeyright · 24/12/2015 23:04

Some health care assistants had a Christmas party at my GPs. They had it in a treatment room at the surgery. The photos are on Facebook. They put the food on a treatment bed. I have had a smear test there and coil. Some one made a comment about a patient on the thread. Am I being unreasonable to think this is unprofessional? Could they not have had party in an office? I feel quite panicky about this if I'm honest and wonder if they talk about patients. I get that everyone needs to offload about work but this seems really beyond the pale. But it might be me. I feel very happy to be told if I am being unreasonable.

OP posts:

SalemSaberhagen · 24/12/2015 23:06

They shouldn't comment on patients, that isn't allowed.

I don't see the point about food on a treatment bed though?

BatsUpMyNightie · 24/12/2015 23:07

Nope YANBU at all. This is hugely inappropriate and unprofessional and I'm sure it must contravene the workplace social media policy. Whether you want to take it anywhere is another matter. I'd probably want to but not - not a particularly brave way to go on I'll admit!

Kreeshsheesh · 24/12/2015 23:08

Commenting on patients on social media could be seen as a gross misconduct and lead to an instant dismissal. It's

Original poster

bearleftmonkeyright · 24/12/2015 23:09

It just seemed weird to me and an odd place to have food. I don't work in healthcare so it is hard for me to say whether this is acceptable or not. It is a big surgery with plenty of office space.

OP posts:

Kreeshsheesh · 24/12/2015 23:09

Sorry hit button too soon! I was going to say it's very unprofessional!

WorraLiberty · 24/12/2015 23:10

Well it's not like you needed to eat the food so I'd forget about that.

But discussing patients on social media is really not on.

Drquin · 24/12/2015 23:10

I'd be more worried if there were signs of food not cleared up / hygiene issues ..... Rather than "just" having a gathering in the room.

Worried about them speaking about patients? To be honest, they may well do. I'm quite sure there are some healthcare professionals who do speak a bit too freely about patients. But many more who wouldn't. Probably as likely as a police officer, or teacher, or lawyer to talk or not about their clients.

Are you stressed because it's happening, or because you can see it's happened. Ignore FB for a minute, and colleagues will always meet up socially and chat, you just may never know. So which bit worries you?

goodnightdarthvader1 · 24/12/2015 23:11

They put the food on the bed. Ok, are you worried about them not cleaning the bed after? Because I doubt your vaginal secretions are on it as they use those rolls of paper for a reason.

Regarding patient comment, without knowing what was said it's difficult to make the immediate jump to them discussing patients in depth with each other.

Drquin · 24/12/2015 23:12

Sorry, missed the bit about them commenting on FB about patients ..... Would agree that's not on.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 24/12/2015 23:14

I work in a GP surgery. No way would our HCA's do that. Certainly not discussing patients on social media. Maybe in the surgery if people need to know things but on social media, that's out of order.

BumWad · 24/12/2015 23:15

Food - don't see the issue

Talking about patients - inappropriate. What did they say?

Original poster

bearleftmonkeyright · 24/12/2015 23:16

I suppose the biggest problem for me is that one of the people involved is someone who knows me socially, knows all my friends. She has never treated me. She is perfectly nice. She was tagged in on this, she didn't post. But I just felt odd. It is probably me. The person who commented on the patient, I don't think she was in the picture. She just said, oh I remember when patient x blah blah on that bed. Lol! I didn't think it was on.

OP posts:

bobbilyknob · 24/12/2015 23:26

Did they actually say 'patient....' or just a name, could've been a colleague/friend and not a patient? I'd be surprised if they used a patient's name.

Potatoface2 · 24/12/2015 23:29

all depends what they said about a patient, if they said 'do you remember mrs smith and her piles' then that is against patient confidentiality if they said ' do you remember the patient who wet the bed' thats different...it could be anyone......i expect they were having a last get together before the holidays....just like everyone else does!

Original poster

bearleftmonkeyright · 24/12/2015 23:30

No they didn't use a name. The post said "a bloke". To be honest I was trying to obscure exactly what was said because I don't want to out anyone but I realise now it would make it impossible for anyone to judge if it is unreasonable or not.

OP posts:

thelouise · 24/12/2015 23:32

Gosh, how weird. YANBU at all.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 24/12/2015 23:34

It's not so bad if they didnt name the patient. Naming him would have landed them in hot water. Just using bloke is alright because its generic and plenty of men would have been on that bed.

Original poster

bearleftmonkeyright · 24/12/2015 23:37

I think it's just a timely reminder that what is on Facebook can be read by anyone. If they had said "that woman" I wouldn't know if they maybe were referring to me. Does that make sense? I have been a patient there a long time.

OP posts:

TartanBirdFeeder · 24/12/2015 23:41

Commenting about a patient is gross misconduct surely? As for the food, well if they want to eat food off a treatment bed that has had numerous bums on it, well, they best be very confident about their cleaning skills. Ewwww...it's put me off my wine and mince pie.

Dipankrispaneven · 24/12/2015 23:41

To be honest, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. They were just messing around at their place of work, literally hundreds of people must have been on the treatment bed. If they want to talk about their work they would do it just as easily in a pub as in the treatment room.

Jibberjabberjooo · 24/12/2015 23:42

I don't see the issue about the food. If it's a treatment table it's wipeable.

Mentioning patients on social media is a big no no, everyone knows that.

Potatoface2 · 24/12/2015 23:45

the bed would have been clean.....nurses, doctors, medical people see all sorts ....to eat snacks placed on a treatment bed is not the worse thing....i have emptied a colostomy and gone back to eating a sandwich i was enjoying....wore gloves and washed my hands though!

Original poster

bearleftmonkeyright · 24/12/2015 23:45

I'm not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. I came on here, an anonymous forum just to sound this out. If I am being unreasonable, fair enough. I can see both sides. But I am now thinking of changing practices.

OP posts:

Potatoface2 · 24/12/2015 23:57

i dont think you are being unreasonable, and i dont think they are either....i do think putting it on facebook is a bit stupid though....i personally think anyone who puts work related things/pictures on facebook is opening themselves up for problems/trouble...i dont even tell people where i work!

Original poster

bearleftmonkeyright · 25/12/2015 00:01

I think you have just summed it up potato. I wish I hadn't seen it. I have got to have a smear and a coil removal in new year and seeing this just made me feel panicky. But I work in a school and I would never post anything on Facebook about where I work. It's daft.

OP posts:

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