Doctor's fucking punctuality

[AnotherTimeMaybe]

So went to doctor today and he was late again! Previous patient came late so he couldn't just chuck him out and he took me half hour later ,I was late for school pick up ended up paying late care
I don't get it, why are they allowed to be late we are supposed to accept it or leave and miss the appointment for which I had to take day off! And if we are late they wait for 5 minutes and then you go back to the bottom of the queue
AIBU ? Is this a life sentence?

Tobysmum I'm always happy to tell patients who is most likely to run on time it is generally always the same ones.

I have no problem with my appointment running late due to the doctor dealing with emergencies (which happened at mine last week) or because earlier patients had more serious issues and needed more than the allocated 10 minutes. I do have a problem with people who don't turn up for appointments or turn up late for appointments. I actually believe we should introduce fines for anyone who misses an appointment twice within a specified time without cancelling. This would allow those who have been in an accident or who had a family member die etc not to be fined for a reasonable reason not to cancel their appointment. Based on the number of appointments GPs say don't turn up or cancel, could bring in much needed funds to the NHS. Similarly, I think it you are late for your appointment, you have to go to the bottom of the queue.

I also want to say I have been registered with three surgeries in my 42 years and every single one has been fabulous, I have never been rushed out if they felt I needed more than 10 minutes. My current surgery operates a policy where 50% of the appointments can be pre-booked but the remainder are first-come first served by ringing on the day. I can honestly say I have never had to wait more than 36 hours to get an appointment.

I'd rather wait for a doctor like that, than be seen on time by someone like the doctor that cleaty had for a short time.

I think personally it depends what you are going for. If it had been for piles cream before work you may have wanted shorter shrift. Personally I think a balance of caring and business like with some in the middle is optimum.

It isn't the doctors that are ever unpleasant or unhelpful but I'm sitting in the car now having gone back to my London teaching hospital for an Xray to avoid a 2 hour wait on Tuesday.

No clear signage to Xray so had to detour, in the detour three young doctors walked towards me three abreast exuding arrogance and made no attempt to strand,aside as a courtesy. As they came immediately in front of me I stood still so one if them had to give way. No acknowledgement, no basic courtesy at all.

Arrive at Xray and behind the counter five support staff were bantering while I waited for them. After a few minutes one sauntered to the counter and through a gum chewing gob took my details and when I asked confirmed there was no queue.

After 15 minutes (no queue) I was called by the radiographer. Very little grace, told to undress and left waiting fir another five minutes whilst she had a laugh and a bant.

That's what I object to. The awful, discourteous way the system treats the human beings.

When I see a Dr, the Drs are generally lovely but why is it that what goes on around them I so poor.

I have been that patient before that has caused both GP appointments and also hospital clinics to run over. I do apologise for my health issues causing this - how bad of me.

I have caused gynae appointments to run over several times as scans had showed that my babies heartbeats had stopped. This has to be confirmed by anther member of staff and then obviously your options explained to you. This has happened several times and on neither occasion was I able to hop off the bed as was too devastated.

Have caused my GP to run over many times due to health problems. Attending with bleeding during pregnancies and also for meds after losing pregnancies. Painkillers and meds to help the bleeding and obviously a lot of emotion involved and I was longer than ten minutes. Sorry for this OP. Also when I was severely depressed after this and was breaking down in the room while working out what meds would help.

Also when my GP had to admit me to hospital with pneumonia and other occasions when pressure in my skull has been too high. This involves phoning the ward to arrange to be admitted and typing out a letter for me to take with me. So sorry for the doctor running late after helping me not die.

I was also the cause for "routine" day case ops to have to be rearranged due to complications when I was in theatre and things being worse than expected. My op had been rearranged previously while I was sitting waiting with gown and stockings on due to someone else having complications. These things happen and it is impossible to guess exactly when.

My dd due to her additional support needs goes over her ten minutes at times due to sensory issues.

You really do need to realise that you just never know what is going on with other cases. I always leave time and would never book an appointment near school drop off or pick up as other patients have needs and you never know what they are.

GPs get far too much verbal abuse and slagging off when they are doing their best in the circumstances they have. Please think about others.

I went to the hospital on Tuesday. My consultant is brilliant, he tells me to phone if I'm struggling and he'll see me within the week. I am, so his secretary overbooked his clinic and fitted me in. 5 minutes isn't enough for me, it never is.

He was already running late, I didn't care, I didn't look at my watch, I had my Kindle. There was plenty of tutting in the wating room. I think I went in 40 mins after my appointment time, I was with him for 20 mins. He wanted to do some treatment in another room, so I waited about 30 mins for that, then I was in there with him for another 15 minutes. I always apologise for making him late, he says I shouldn't because I have a complex problem.

One time I had an evening appointment with him, it was a follow up after I had had major surgery a month previously. The receptionist announced to the waiting room that he was stuck in theatre as there was an emergency. People were getting really annoyed, one bloke was quite rude and asked why there wasn't someone else in the theatre who could do it. It pissed me off, as during my surgery I had become quite poorly and he'd stayed until after 8pm making sure I was alright, so I said "I'm bloody glad he stays theatres when there's an emergency otherwise I might not be sitting here right now because I was that patient a month ago!" It shut them all up!

I can see both sides fairycaravan. I think you should absolutely have the care you are getting and your Dr I brilliant and should nit change what he does. But the people with less complex problems often have jobs and juggle a million balls in the air and don't feel their time is respected. Ime it is often the tone of the support staff and of communication that causes the damage. The appointment letter capitalising a sentence about not being late, devoid of any please or thank you or sentence explaining that patients should allow time for delays etc. To be fair if I get a letter commanding me to be on time I sort of expect their to be some mutual respect for my time. Oddly enough people depend on me too, both professionally and personally and the NHS never seems to understand that.

So people with complex health problems are not likely to manage to be employed now?? Anyways, do you really expect a GP or hospital
doctor to leave someone who is in desperate need of care simply so you aren't inconvenienced?? Such an entitled attitude going on there. What if it was you or a family member requiring urgent medical attention? I suspect that might change your mind regarding this
subject.....

This is ridiculous, doctors aren't faffing about having a chat with their mates having a quick look on Facebook to delay you things crop up that can't be helped it's unfortunate but what can you expect especially when more doctors are needed theyre swamped!

Some GPs (think this is dependent on area) get 7.5 minutes for an appointment, you can see how that would run over. It's unfortunate but wouldn't you rather have a thorough doctor than someone who was more arsed about time keeping than your well being?

Also, people with more "complex
problems" can still "have a million
balls to juggle in the air"

Ds is classed as a complex case for a few of his medical professionals, believe me the juggling needed to deal with that is much more than the juggling of holding down a job (which I did do until a few months back when one of the juggling balls had to go before everything crashed!)

I must have read a different OP to everyone else....why did the doctor see a patient that arrived late? Shouldn't you see the people who came on time first? My GP's just bounce back/rebook everyone who arrives late at reception. Surely that would help?

My mother is an oncologist, lots and lots of her patients are still employed and have families what a ridiculous comment to make or doesn't cancer count as a 'complex problem'?

You are being unreasonable. That is all.

Whilst I don't agree with most of what the OP says, I agree with Icebeing, in that if you are late for your appointment, you don't get to jump ahead of people that are on time.

I could be there for something simple to prescribe something for and take 5 minutes.
I could be there for depression/stress/other complex situations and need a lot longer than 10 mins.

They can't predict what patients will say.

YABVU

Beau I had to see my consultant yesterday so my husband can continue to work and I can be left at home safely. For the first time in 23 years of marriage I had to ask him to stay home instead of going away with the RAF. I don't have a support network, the LA won't help me, DS1 is in th army and won't be home until August. DS2 is at uni studying nursing, he's on placement and they don't have long holidays so he won't be home until August either.

I don't care if the other people in the waiting room don't feel their time was respected because I was having urgent treatment, tbh. I doubt they care that I have been crying in pain and struggling to get out of bed. I'm glad that when I stopped breathing and was bleeding heavily in theatre my consultant decided to stay with me rather than going to see the patients in his outpatient clinic.

I've been to the hospital with my children and husband with more routine appointments (and some complex) and I don't feel "my time isn't being respected" if they're running late. I'm glad I'm not the one getting bad news that day and I am very aware that they're not sat round the back having tea and cake.

When I had NHS counselling a few years back you had an hour slot. Quite often it would take me a good half an hour just to feel at ease enough to talk through things properly so I'd then have the last half an hour to try and get through everything. It went quicker than you'd imagine, the counsellor would be looking at the clock and when the hour was up it was literally "right, see you next week then." It felt awful. Like you were being turfed out when you needed help.

GP's couldn't operate this way. "right I'm sorry you're feeling suicidal and all but your times up Mr Jones. NEXT PATIENT PLEASE."
It's super annoying having to wait an hour to be seen, I get that completely. I think the longest I've waited to see my GP is 1.5 hours and that was with a one and two year old in tow. Not pleasant. But I'm thankful I don't have to fork out £££ to see them and that they care enough to make sure patients get the best care possible.

I've not RTFT but while I accept some appointments take longer, and they might squeeze in an emergency, it would also help if they arrived on time for work themselves.

I remember my son having an appointment some years ago at 9am (this was a hospital appointment and we had an hour's train journey to get there and we were on time). The doctor didn't even arrive until 9.30 and then messed about for a further 15 minutes before inviting us in (and didn't apologise for the delay). If I were managing that hospital I wouldn't accept that. If you have appointments at 9, you make sure you are in by 8.45. And that means allowing time for problems with traffic and leaving on time.

It's a lack of understanding of the work that causes this.

I used to be the same, I'd fume at being kept waiting. Now I understand. I understand that the slots patients are given aren't enough for some to take their jacket off and give a few general details let alone get into what they need to.

And if you're going to see a consultant at a clinic you may have to understand that you might not be a priority. They will have many acute patients under them and sometimes if things fuck up which they are want to do they need to get in there and sort things out, at that moment in time clinics sadly have to wait.

Blame the government, blame the system. Don't blame the doctors.

purplevase up thread there's an explanation for this, which I can verify as it happened at my hospital yesterday, often the doctors may get called into the wards first and held up here due to deterioration of an inpatient or emergency surgery.

️X post with Greys there.

Beau This is a parenting site. Therefore, most of us on here are parents, juggling balls, including Fairy. Many people with complex health problems do work and parent. If anything, we have more balls to juggle than those without. I'd far rather be waiting for an appointment for less complex health needs than waiting for one with mine. I'm constantly bombarded with crappy news, then have to scoot back to work to juggle a few more balls and pray that I can get everything done in less time than others to ensure I'm not late to collect my kids.

You've never been late to work I take it purple? And you realise that just because he didn't get to you at the right time doesn't mean he wasn't working. He could have been doing the ward round, been with other patients?

Most patients appointments purple are actually set for before the doctor sees you, the doctor would have been working you just won't have seen.

How do you know the doctor was messing about? The vast majority of doctors go over the patients notes before inviting them in.