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...

You're the one who needs their care, they make time for you.

Hold up there with the hyperbole. They're not giving their care out of the goodness of their hearts, they're providing the service they are paid for.

Flumpybear you have missed the point of the thread.

In my previous post I explained I was under 5 mins late for an appointment. I allowed 40 minutes for a 10 minute drive. I was still late because my prebooked taxi turned up 30 mins late. I don't drive and the hospital is not reachable by public transport. I rang to apologise and warn them I was running late. The person on the phone was rude even though they were running late so I had to wait after I got there anyway. She could have said "don't worry, it's only 5 minutes, we are running 20 mins late anyway". She chose to be unnecessarily rude and patronising. It would be interesting to hear your take on this

Patients have jobs, too, you know, deadlines, children to pick up, stuff at home... none of that vanishes when they're ill, they have had to put it all to one side for their medical appointment, and it's waiting for them after their appointment. And most of them are ill, worried and vulnerable when they see a HCP.

And -again- there is no excuse for rudeness. Maybe reread your posts with a cool head?

Flumpybear - wow, that was a powerful reaction! Thank you for your comments.

I have considered your extra contingency suggestion but arriving for a regular appointment 20 minutes early, to be kept waiting an additional goodness knows how long is not on the cards. I work full time in a profession where I also need to be working, not wasting the children's learning time hanging around in a waiting room "just incase". It's a simple clear journey and I have it timed to a t. This occasion was a one-off.

As I have said in previous posts, I would have accepted rescheduling the appointment - I wasn't demanding to be seen against the will of the staff. I was late and if that meant I couldn't be seen then I was prepared for that.

My complaint was centred around the appalling treatment and lack of respect I received. Yet, you demand I show respect?? I apologised and acknowledged my lateness, I explained the circumstances - is that not showing respect? Do I, as a patient not deserve to be treated with respect or is it a one strike and you're on the naughty list?

Are you a HCP?? Maybe you were the lady I had the misfortune of spending time with on Thursday? You certainly share the same manner...

flumpybear, it really does irritate me when idiots bang on about the nhs being free. It isn't! It is only free at the point of delivery, which is somewhat different. Evrn if it was free, I would still expect hcp to be polite.
And yy to jassy's comment that hcp are paid to do their job. If they worked in the private sector and spoke to people like that, they'd be sacked and rightly so!

I have never had a doctors or hospital appointment that has been on time ever. I am amazed that their are doctors surgeries or hospital consultants that say your appointment time is 9am and you get their at 8.50am and you go in at 9am. Normally I wait on average about 40minutes. Even for 1st appointments of the day.

Dh has had his chemo scheduled for 9am every time apart from the first time, he never got linked up before 1pm. The one time he had an afternoon appointment he was told to come back the following day.

A lot of the time you wait in the waiting room for 50 minutes then have to leave because you can only get 1 hour parking maximum.

What annoys me most is the notice in the surgery that 173 appointments were lost through missed appointments. I once asked were the 173 appointments from those people who didn't arrive or those that turned up and left because the wait was too long.

Flumpybear - she did build in contingency time. 10 minutes is sufficient waiting time once you are there in the waiting room, bearing in mind that she's come from work. You know, that place that pays your wages? Guess what, they don't pay you to sit in a waiting room.

At some point common sense has to take over; it's simply unrealistic to say that you are going to be a minimum of 20-30 minutes early for everything if you are having to take time out of the working day to go to an appointment. Would you be applying the same logic to a HCP who was commuting to work and was late because they were stuck in the circumstances that the OP described?

Anyway, you've rather missed the point of the OP's thread anyway. She acknowledged the fact she was late and was very apologetic about it. What she's less than thrilled about - and understandably so - is being spoken to like shit as a result. Is professionalism suspended when someone's in a strop?

I should add also, that this was typically the one and only time, in nearly 18 months of appointments, that someone has been ready to see me on the dot of my appointment time - Sod's law indeed! I think that was the most frustrating thing!

I was 3 minutes late for a gp appointment, I left 1/2 hour to find somewhere to park... it took 33 minutes.

I was 'told off' at reception and told to wait......I waited 3 1/2 hours for an appointment. I needed a prescription r I would have left.

The gp ' apologised for my short wait and wouldn't belive I had waited that long.

I changed gp that afternoon.

As you've said OP, the issue isn't really the lateness thing. I think what happened there was reasonable and you were reasonable about it.

You can always ask for a chaperone to any appointment if you feel that an HCP is being unreasonable.
Hope the complaint email gets dealt with OP

If you are a few minutes late for an appointment in a surgery that is running 20 minutes late, it feels nothing short of vindictive to have that appointment cancelled from under you. Who are you holding up in that situation? If it is genuinely about causing delays for the HCP or other patients, why is the appointment not cancelled at the time you are called and not there ? This is a genuine question for any HCPs on the forum.

I work in two hospitals actually, parking is difficult often, and it's not always simple to get to your destination and 10 mins isn't enough time! I don't agree wth the HCP being unpleasant HOWEVER if every person in that clinic got there 'oh just 5 minutes late' that adds up to a whole pile of mi it's. Plus, if it's accepted and you're one of those types of people who are late to other appointments then perhaps this woman thought it might help stop this type of behaviour. I do work with doctors (not so much AHP's ) and so many of them go home reallynlate, miss putting their children to bed st night because of patients being very unwell and needing attention. This type of late nobody worries about because it's for the best of reasons. Being late because somebody, perhaps the 10th person that day, is just 5 minutes late then that's really unfair on medical personnel .... harsh!? Perhaps but I see people working ridiculous hours and often not seeing their own children Monday to Friday ....

Perhaps but I see people working ridiculous hours and often not seeing their own children Monday to Friday

I see that in most professional jobs, tbh.

My DH never saw the dc Monday to Friday. I worked 8-8 three days last week; DH 8-10 every day. We aren't HCP's but we work extremely hard and don't have time to waste.

If a clinic starts 30 mins late and continues to run late, what difference does it make if patients are a few minutes late anyway.

I am habitually early. Out of tens of medical apts have been late may be twice, and due to circumstances beyond my control.

I am wondering about your comment flumpy and your one of the types of people who are late to other appointments, the hcp may have thought it might stop that sort of behaviour. Would you care to explain how this muwife extrapolated that from an apologetic five minute late for a first appointment? Three strikes I can see - not this. Please also explain why the midwife had the right to be rude or do you think she was just one of those types of people?

I'm one of those types of people who is a net contributor overall to the NHS. I feel entitled therefore to receive excellent and timely care in a courteous manner. When I had my first child I used to suck up the Attitude. I don't now. I call it.

Yes indeed a lot of professional jobs can be long hours BUT the difference is if you're kept waiting by patients who should be there on time (doesn't sound like she phoned either but may have missed that bit of information?) then it's a can and should be avoided situation IMO. My brother is a consultant doctor (as are most of my close family) who are always courteous and polite, have been attacked, spat at, sworn at and essentially treated badly, but still seen these patients, treated them and been professional, I did say before that the HCP wasn't right to chastise OP, however OP came across very self righteous - essentially she was in the wrong. How many nurses, doctors etc go hours without water, toilet breaks and a brief rest - I can tell you it's a lot!!! There are studies about the lack of time medics have to not just have a break but actually drink to combat dehydration - its rife!! Perhaps the majority of public don't realise this, but it's a fact. A friend of mine was on call recently and her fit bit had her number of steps as 15,000 .... and it was mid-morning. Medics, nurses etc work exceptionally hard, I've minutes may be nothing for OP and others on this thread but if you're waiting for your break or trying to get home then I can see why the AHP May have the hump!

Roses - im habitually late!!!!! But for people needing my help (not by choice!) I've got a really full oin job, always squashing in too many apoiintments for people to see me, but they know that and I cancel if I need to get Home for my kids - i even live close to work on purpose so I don't spend valuable time travelling in my own time so I do spend loads of family time - but I can assure you if someone's appointment was bumped in the NHS because 3 people that clinic were 5 mins late then that person would, and should really complain .... but dive minutes for the odd one who was 'trying' to get there on time whilst amaro trying not to spend too long in hospital for a condition TGEY need treatment for isn't ok ... just leave earlier next time OP and save PALS the effort of your initial mistake
Also, in a court of law .... before you complain you need clean hands!! OP doesn't! Again I don't agree eith HCP CHASTISING but OP is on the back foot and needs to suck it up

Oh u guessed it - nope I've never been late for a medical appointment or school or anything else but to see me, for my expertise on a subject they need help with then they're happy to wait with a cuppa and a bit if time to sort their emails whilst waiting!!

OP was late due to road conditions even though the OP factored in extra time and did apologise.

My GP surgery starts appointments from 9am. My GP arrives into the surgery at 9.30am. His list is always running at least 30 minutes late. Even if you are late for the appointment time you are guaranteed to have to wait to be seen - yet the receptionist never seems able to hide her disapproval if you are late. I always try to book an appointment at the start of the day so I can get into work after and have never seen my GP walk into the surgery any earlier than 9.30.

FGS flumpy aren't doctors and nurses sensible enough to have a bottle of water on the desk/work station? I see an awful lot of chat going on in hospitals and a huge amount of inefficiency.

If a patient's waited 30 mins, surely they can wait another three while the hcp has a pee.

Sorry but I've seen ward staff too busy to deal with patients and my GP has taken a call from her surveyor whilst I've been waiting. Heard it put through.

Drs and nurses work as hard as other professionals who are equally time strapped. They don't work harder.

OP is on the back foot and needs to suck it up

No, she doesn't. The HCP is the professional, the one being paid and the person who is accountable. If her attitude prevents her doing her job (and acting passively aggressively could very well prevent her doing her job properly) then it doesn't matter what the OP has done, she's liable to answer for it.

And I find the sanctimonious, martyrish attitude from overpaid GPs nauseating. It may be a very hard job but there are very many other jobs that are not well paid that may be harder.

Absolutely make that complaint. No matter how late you were that doesn't excuse rudeness from alleged professionals. Had you been rude because they kept you waiting. You'd have been dragged over the coals, had your appointment postponed and received a letter about not being abusive to staff.
And let's not forget. Your reason for being late was due to an unavoidable situation. It's not because you were sitting at home with your feet and just cba getting off your butt

Have seen ward staff on the internet showing colleagues where they went on holiday when claiming to be too busy to speak to patients that should have read.

My favourite appt snafu of all time was an antenatal one at the hospital, at 8.45am. I was heavily pregnant and always felt rough in the morning - arrived on time to find the waiting room locked. Went to a nearby reception and they said I was much too early, no consultant due till 9.30.
Much later, when I had the appt, I asked why the time had been wrong on the invite, and was told 'we like to get people here really early, so the consultant are never kept waiting' :-

Fucking hell, Bear. Breath! All that tantruming and ranting like a 2 year old because a randomer on the Internet was a little for their appointment.

I think that the NHS is very stretched. I also think that whilst there may be some GPs who are well paid and not overly taxed in terms of workload, I think that these are a tiny minority. From what I understand there is a GP crisis - not enough being trained and entering practices. I also understand that the ever-increasing amounts of red tape discourage GPs from keeping going...Private Eye wrote about a case of this in the last issue.

I think that most HCP do a fantastic job with very little resources. I also think that - like in any job - you are going to get the odd person who is a rude arsehole and really unprofessional. Their behaviour also makes it difficult for their colleagues - who have to pick up the slack when invariably people complain and don't want to be treated by that HCP.

Whilst most people who are considerate would not dream of being late, sometimes it happens despite the best of efforts. If someone is apologetic, sincere and not in the habit of being late then the polite thing to do is to accept their apologies and try and work with them - whether that's allowing them to take their original slot because the clinic is running late anyway, or getting them to sit and wait until the end, or re-booking them on another day. If I spoke to a client like that I would be formally disciplined.