Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

AIBU to think my GP surgery should find time to give me the flu Jab?

60 replies

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 15/10/2016 20:55

My GP surgery texted me 3 times last week to tell me I needed to book a flu Jab. I've never had a flu Jab before but after the 3rd text I rang the surgery.

Apparently, because of a medical condition I was diagnosed with earlier this year, I now qualify for a flu jab. I told the receptionist that I wasn't actually bothered about having one but she explained that the surgery has a target to meet of getting people who should have a flu Jab to have one. Fair enough, so I said I would. She then told me that they will be holding two flu clinics in the next two weeks. Both dates/times are on days I have important meetings at work that I absolutely cannot miss. The latest appintment at either clinic is 5pm.

So, I explained to the receptionist that I cannot attend those dates. I also said that I do have an appointment booked with a nurse next week for some blood tests, so could I have the jab then? Apparently not. The nurse can only do the flu Jab at the clinics, which I can't attend. The receptionist started to query why I couldn't take an afternoon off work to attend a flu clinic. I did explain that, most of the time I can be quite flexible, but not on those particular days. She got quite huffy with me.

AIBU to think that if the surgery is that desperate for me to have the jab in order to meet their targets then the nurse should be able to administer it when I go to a routine appointment?

OP posts:

Doilooklikeatourist · 15/10/2016 21:35

When you see the nurse say you want a flu jab
I had my coil removal and a flu jab at the same time
Well , not quite the same time ...

TheSnorkMaidenReturns · 15/10/2016 21:36

I bet the nurse will have some on her desk when you see her. I've not seen a doc/nurse in Sept/Oct in years who didn't have a load of vials on the desk.

FeelingSmurfy · 15/10/2016 21:39

My Dr's surgery are trying to give it to patients if they have appointments, it saves on the queues and moaning at the flu jab clinics on a saturday

ConvincingLiar · 15/10/2016 21:39

I apparently missed the clinic for people with jobs (they did one late afternoon/early evening session) so could only have 11am which is crap as I work 30+ mins away so try to go in late/leave early. I was therefore delighted to pop in to a pharmacy this week and get it done for free by filling in an NHS form. I think part of the insistence on separate clinics is that appointments are 2 minutes long instead of (I assume) 10.

daisiesinherfootsteps · 15/10/2016 21:40

The reception child gap in provision is daft isn't it? Our GPs do the sessions for the 2-4 year olds during the school day and years 1+ get done at school. Have managed to get them to agree to do my reception aged DC at end of school as soon as I can get her there.

OP don't worry about your GPs targets. Just get it done elsewhere at your convenience (or don't).

However YANBU to raise with them that they'd have a better chance of meeting their targets if they had a more flexible approach to offering the vaccine.

EweAreHere · 15/10/2016 21:41

If you're entitled to a free flu jab, I think you can get it somewhere else (Boots, Tesco, etc) for free on the NHS.

mistyegg · 15/10/2016 21:41

I think that the choice should be yours if you have the flu jab but surely if you qualify to get it at your surgery because of a new medical condition, then it means you could actually have more serious and damaging consequences of catching the flu than you did previously and it would be in your interests to get it because of that rather than feeling it's just to meet the surgery targets?

ILoveAutumnLeaves · 15/10/2016 21:45

I agree with just asking the nurse when you're there IF you want it. I can't believe you'd have it to meet their targets though. Surely you feel it's a good thing for your health to or not.

I'm entitled to a free one which I choose not to have.

Ifeelsuchafool · 15/10/2016 21:47

YABNU My surgery has Saturday clinics for this. Also no trouble getting mine when I was in for blood tests. If they're so worried about their targets they'll accommodate you, if not, the devil take their targets and, if you want the jab, get it done at Boots.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 15/10/2016 21:48

I assume they are booked 1 or 2 mins apart, convincing because in a clinic I always get an appointment time like 11:18 or 11:23. It runs with military efficiency. Spaces people out rather than everyone turning up at the start of a drop in clinic I suppose.

This year I'm having it done by the nurse during my asthma review so it should be possible for the OP to have it done.

inlectorecumbit · 15/10/2016 21:50

I'm sure the nurse will be quite happy to give you the flu jag when you get your bloods taken. That's how we manage to get a lot of our flu patients done as it saves on appointments.

butterfliesandzebras · 15/10/2016 21:57

At my GP's they also do the thing where nurse/gp have them to hand and offer in appointments for other things. And they have no appointment needed drop in days. And you can also make an appointment convenient for you at other times.

So your GP does sound oddly obstructive in comparison! If they want to encourage people to have it done they really should make it as easy as possible.

Original poster

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 15/10/2016 22:00

I'm going to ask the nurse anyway but the receptionist specifically said it wouldn't be possible for the nurse to do it and I'd have to go to the clinic. Which is what I think is ridiculous given that I'm goug to be o the surgery next week.

I do appreciate that I might now s more at risk of complications if I get flu but I never pick up viruses. I've had one cold on 8 years. Apart from an operation I've not had a day off sick in 13 years. So I think the chance of me getting flu is very low.

OP posts:

ChrissieLatham · 15/10/2016 22:00

I second using a pharmacy but preferably an independent one and not Boots who don't pay their taxes in this country! Small independents are likely to close with the latest cuts so support them as much as you can or they will disappear.

Pseudonym99 · 15/10/2016 22:01

If you don't really want the flu jab, then that does not count as consent. Therefore it would be assault if they gave it to you.

Pseudonym99 · 15/10/2016 22:06

Or just tell them you've had it done elsewhere already.

Original poster

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 15/10/2016 22:09

I really don't care about the Jab one way or the other. I agreed to have it as they kept texting me and then I was told they need to hit a certain target. If I really felt strongly about not having it then of course I'd say so and refuse yo have it. It's just that if they feel so strongly that I should have it, why can't they give it to me when I'm going in fit my appointment with the nurse for a blood test rather than insisting I take an afternoon off work to go to the flu clinic.

OP posts:

BlossomHillOne · 15/10/2016 22:11

There are over 7000 pharmacies in England that provide a private and NHS flu service - you can walk in for a vaccination without an appointment.

mistyegg · 15/10/2016 23:33

I agree that it's not good that the practice can't get the nurse to give you the flu jab when she sees you for a blood test given you can't make the other suggested appointment times.

I also think that healthy (or relatively healthy given you now qualify for the flu jab due to an illness) people with great immune systems can still catch infections.

Why do you think that the cash strapped NHS are devoting money and incentives for surgeries to spend time and resources to ensure as many high risk people get the flu vaccination as possible when as previous posters have written it only costs £5 for anyone to get it in Boots?

JosephineMaynard · 16/10/2016 01:04

Your surgery sounds very inflexible.

I've been advised to get the flu vaccination this year (pregnant). DS2 is also eligible to get the flu vaccine on the NHS as he's 3. The surgery has flu clinics, but the receptionist just booked me and DS2 in to have them done at the same appointment - outside flu clinic times - when I rang up about it.

Highlandfling80 · 16/10/2016 05:48

I am surprised they won't do it. I recently went for a blood test. Whilst there the nurse said o you haven't had your flu jab yet. Shall we do it now?
Maybe nurse will have more sense than receptionist.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 16/10/2016 06:12

I'm sure if you ask the nurse she'll give it. I went to get my son's MMR jab the other Friday (he couldn't have it due to temp earlier in day - thanks to the receptionist who said bring him in anyway!!), got chatting to the nurse and said I'd see her at the flu clinic. She replied, 'don't be silly, I'll just do it now!'

Peanutandphoenix · 16/10/2016 06:14

Question why are you on here complaining about something that you don't want that makes no sense at all if you don't want it then don't go and get it all gp's do flu jab clinics and I think that is the only time they hand it out. Am sorry but YABVU if you think that the surgery should accommodate you just so that you can have something that you don't want precious much. I suppose if you end up with the flu and worse case senorio you end up in the hospital will you be back on here blasting the doctors surgery for not giving you something that you didn't want in the first place. It's pretty simple really don't want it don't have it.

SlinkyVagabond · 16/10/2016 06:28

Crap, my surgery has a clinic, but my doctor and nurse have taken advantage of other appointments to pin me down. I'd go to Boots and she can stick her targets.

Original poster

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 16/10/2016 06:33

peanut I think you've missed the point!

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread