5 mins late for medical appointment and reaction of HCP

[BooeyBubbleHead]

I am 34 weeks pregnant. Due to an unforeseen traffic diversion followed by a slow moving farm vehicle on a winding road, I arrived 5 minutes late for a medical appointment today. I had left enough time to have been 10 mins early, should it have been a standard journey. I think being on time is important and I would never intend to keep anyone waiting. I was unable to phone ahead as I was driving and do not have hands free, and safe places to stop are few on this route.

This is a very regular appointment and I have never been seen on time - I have always had to wait at least 10 mins after appt time, and sometimes up to 30 minutes. I accept and understand having to wait and have never made it an issue or taken it out on staff; the sheer volume of patients mean that it is inevitable and nobody's fault.

Today, HCP was incredibly offhand with me, and even implied that I was lying when I apologised (sincerely) and explained why I was late. The appointment was rushed and very unpleasant and I felt that I was being punished. There was much passive aggression and hostile body language. I did state that I was offended by her tone but this just made her more argumentative - she needed to have the last word. I arrived feeling stressed and left feeling even more so.

AIBU to expect the same empathy and understanding when running very slightly late, that I give regularly when kept waiting?

Really annoyed and considering making a complaint...

[youarenotkiddingme]

Yanbu. I left 45 minutes to do a 15/20 minute hospital journey once. I was still parking at my time. I went in apologised profusely and was told (bluntly!) as I was 5 minutes late they'd let the next patient in (and pointed out because they were early) and I'd have to wait until their slot after mine yo be seen.

I breezily said fair enough, made sense, and I still kept being told I'd have to wait as I was late. I felt like they wanted me to be annoyed by the fact I'd have to wait!

[JuddNelsoninTheBreakfastClub]

I remember when I was pregnant with my second DC, first DC who was about 16 months old had been up all night hadn't been well. I had an early midwife appointment the next morning, phoned my dad who drove 25 minutes to get down to watch DC so I could get to the appointment, didn't want to take DC. Was about 10 minutes late, apologised to midwife who gave me an earful about being late, said to her if it wasn't for my DF I wouldn't have made the appointment in the first place. I was shocked at her manner, I am a registered nurse myself. The next appointment I had with her she kept ME waiting for 20 minutes, mumbled a quick apology, I managed to hold my tongue. With hindsight I should have asked for a different midwife, she attended me for both my DC, didn't like her manner or attitude. I know people are busy and have strict schedules (I work in the NHS) and there are different personalities everywhere but you apologised and gave a good reason for being late.

[OhTheRoses]

HCP's are never late and never make mistakes, neither are they ever rude

[ToadsforJustice]

There is no need for the HCP to be rude. I'm a practice nurse and I expect my some of my patients will be punctual and some will not. They will be seen at some point. I never apologise for keeping them waiting. I don't expect them to apologise for being late. Shit happens.

[iwasbornaunicorn]

I was a Nurse yes it has a knock on effect when someone is late but I always treated people with respect, in the real world sometimes things don't go to plan.

To the person who suggested planning better, a few weeks ago I had a hospital appointment now I know the parking is awful so got there an hour and twenty minutes before my appointment time....plenty of time you would think but I was still going round the car park 5 mins before my app, I phoned them and they understood cause stuff happens!

[OhTheRoses]

I think it's extremely rude if you don't apologise toads. How does that help build a mutually respectful relationship. I hope your surgery doesn't have a big notice up about lateness and how being seen is at the surgery's discretion.

I'm glad you aren't my practice nurse.

[Lemon12345]

My GP is always at least 30 mins late, usually 45+. This includes the times I have been the first appointment at 8am... they always stroll in at 8.30-45ish, talk to the receptionist, get a coffee then take another 5 to 10 minutes getting settled before they call you through! Bloody annoying.

But if I am more than a few minutes late they refuse to allow us to be seen, and I've even been waiting for my appointment for short of an hour and someone had come in, out of breath, apologising with an upset child and had the receptionist tell them since they are 5 minutes late they won't be seen as it will have a knock on effect for the rest of the patients. I couldn't sit there... I asked the receptionist if they had had lots of very late patients today since my appointment was about 55 minutes earlier... and mentioned to the woman, I wouldn't rush, you will still have to wait an hour if you're seeing the same GP I am (which I knew they were as my doctors tends to only have 1 on at a time for some unknown reason).

[slenderisthenight]

Very unprofessional of the HCP to let annoyance colour her treatment of you. That could compromise what she is doing and put you at risk in all sorts of ways if you then didn't want to bother her due to her aggressive attitude.

I would write her a letter pointing that out.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

the amount of time patients have to wait for appointments doesn't count it seems.
yabu at all

[jacks11]

As a HCP I would agree it is frustrating when patients are late as it has a knock on effect on the rest of the clinic, as you still need to complete the same assessment etc to provide the correct care to the patient. That said, I think it isn't great for this HCP to be rude and I can understand why you are irritated by that OP.

However, I would like to point out the the posters who say "they can run as late as they like, yet complain when patients are late" that it's entirely different (whilst recognising that patent's can be unavoidably delayed). It's not like I run late for the fun of it, or refuse to see patients who are late because I think my time is more important than anyone else's.

FWIW, I run late on a reasonably regular basis. I will apologise and ask reception staff to let the patients know when the check in if I'm running more than 5 minutes late, but I think running late is almost inevitable. The reasons for that are many. For example: patient comes in with a number of problems that need addressed/need a detailed examination; they are very unwell; the patient is distressed; I've had to break bad news; I have to take an urgent call about a patient. I could ask them to leave the minute I run over the allocated time, but that would mean I would provide unacceptably poor (and quite possibly negligent) care. I have never yet run late because I CHOOSE to run late (by taking breaks or simply wasting time chatting/twiddling my thumbs or whatever).

I often squeeze in extra patients before my clinic is due to start/after it is due to finish if they really need to be seen, but I usually won't see a patient who turn up more than 10-15 minutes late (depending on the length of the original appt) unless they have let us know in advance (or if I know there is a serious problem). Not because I think my time is more important, but because if I did my clinic would descend into complete chaos.

[MeeWhoo]

Surely if patient A is not present when called, you continue down the list and then go back to calling patient A after patient B or C has been seen? I don't see how that's going to delay anyone more than 20 seconds.

[Judydreamsofhorses]

This really ticks me off. I was kept waiting 30 minutes for a smear test this week, yet there's hell to pay if you're five minutes late.

[woodhill]

Yes my midwife was late every time I saw her. She was coming to the surgery. This was over 20 years ago.

She should not have made you feel like that.

[yoowhoo]

Yanbu. I always arrive early to doctors and dentist appointments and honestly can't ever remember ONE time when I've been let in on time. There's a sign on my doctors waiting room wall saying 'if you've been waiting longer than 20 minutes, please contact reception to make sure there isn't a problem in the system' but really? How can I go up to reception without it sounding like I'm complaining about them being late! I waited 30 minutes last week and quite frankly the doctor was rude. I do understand they work in a stressful job. But so do many people and lateness can't be avoided!

[yoowhoo]

And yes, why can't they call the next patient on the list? Most people arrive a few mins early and every time I'm in the waiting room there are always lots of people waiting for only 3 doctors. Surely they can't all be waiting for the same docs?

[glueandstick]

Had a hospital appointment mid morning that occurred 4mins after the appointment time. Nearly keeled over with shock that it was almost bang on time.

[lunchboxtroubles]

The problem is, that's half the appointment gone. But passive aggressiveness isn't appropriate.

If a patient of mine turns up late and I have no leeway/have to leave immediately the clinic finishes then they rebook another day. Otherwise I offer them to wait until I have a gap/someone else doesn't turn up, or it will be the end of the clinic - or they can rebook.

most people arrive a few mins early
no they don't. I'd say less than one in five patients arrive early

[Lynnm63]

Midwives can be total dicks. Mine visited at home after my c section. I told her my incision was infected, she told me it wasn't and she was the one with the nursing qualification. I wasn't at home the next day when she called and she left me a really PA message on my answer machine telling me how valuable her time was and I should be available for her visit. I gave her a monumental bollocking over the telephone. The reason I wasn't home was because my incision burst open the night before as it was infected and I was blue lighted back to hospital looking like something from Alien I spent a couple of days in hospital on IV antibiotics. I told her she was not welcome in my house ever again. Next pregnancy she was still midwife I walked in said no I'm not seeing you find me someone who knows what she's doing. Very satisfying.

[jacks11]

Yoowhoo- because the next patient may not be there either (unless you are running late)! I have different appt lengths- so it may be the next pt is not due to 10 or even 20 minutes and so not there.

This idea that I am sitting twiddling my thumbs or having a long cup of coffee when I could be seeing patients baffles me. Yes, patients can be unavoidably detained just like everyone else but if only 1/2 of my patients turn up even 5 minutes late I will be running even later by the end of the clinic. It's not unusual for a significant minority of pt's in a clinic to be late/got the appt time wrong etc.

[BlueBlueSkies]

I refuse to wait more than 20 mins for an appointment.

The last two times I went to the Gp surgery, I have left as they kept me waiting for 20 mins. The first time she said that the Dr was running late, I asked if I could rebook with a doctor that does not run late. The next appt I was kept waiting again, so I left and did not bother to rebook. Luckily I do not get sick and so rarely need to go.

[Aeroflotgirl]

Yanbu crap happens, you had valid reasons, the HCP should have been professional. It is double standards, There have been times when a HCP has been 45 mins late for my appointment!

[NataliaOsipova]

Best one I had was when I'd made a 4pm appointment to see the midwife. She phoned me at lunchtime to plead ask if I could possibly move it to 2.30 as she'd had a couple of cancellations and wanted to leave early. I swapped things around to do it as I felt for her. I got there at 2.25. She saw two other patients before me and didn't see me until 4pm anyway.....! To say I was furious was an understatement - and not much of an apology either. So I feel for you OP. If the boot is on the other foot it is a very, very different story. You apologised - she was unprofessional.

[theclick]

My GP is always at least 20 mins late for me. YANBU.

[JuddNelsoninTheBreakfastClub]

PS I'm sure I'd already phoned the surgery to let them know I was running late which made me even more shocked at her attitude.

[OhTheRoses]

But Jacks what about when one arrives at 8.20, for an 8.30 appointment, ask at 9.15 if there's a problem, are told the Dr has been delayed in surgery and the Dr you see is the lady you saw rushing through the car park and entering through a side door when you queried your apt.? Not great is it? Bet she blamed a late running clinic on patients being late.

Ultimately I have been kept waiting about twenty times to every time I've ever been late. And been expected to pay £8+ parking because a clinic has been running two hours late.