Is this discrimination?

[WorriedandExhausted]

I was having a chat with a student at work.

She was complaining that she can not get a GP appointment because she is Jewish.

The facts are

1. Her GP surgery only allows pre-book able appointments on Saturday

2.If you want an appointment on any other day you need to go to the surgery in person, fill out a slip, and wait till is your turn (sorta like a walk in center)

She would rather not do the walk in thing, because she could go in at 9 am, and have to hang around till 2pm. Work is about 2 hours away from home and her GP

I feel the system is not inherently wrong. But the receptionist made the mistake of saying..."Its not my problem that you chose to follow a religion with so many rules, this is how the doctors want to run the surgery"

The receptionist's statement was quite unnecessary.
She should have given the options and let your friend choose the option that suits her best rather than making silly statements which make her sound bigoted.

Statement was wrong. System is just the system.

How does being Jewish impact on this? I don’t get it?

The receptionist shouldn’t have said what she did. That was dickish. Could have just said it’s how the doctors want it run and I cannot bypass the system

I think she should find a practice that suits her better.

I know Saturday is the Jewish day of rest but I thought that meant you didn't go to work, etc. I'm sure you're allowed to go to the doctor then.

Happy to be corrected though...!

Fwiw the receptionist's statement was uncalled for but I don't see any discrimination.

Peppa Sabbath

Why doesn't she just change surgery to one with a better system

The receptionist is wrong. I sympathise (being Jewish) with your friend as I’ve had to spend more time getting things done because of not being able to do Saturdays + fri evenings but i think the system of coming in another day, while longer and a hassle, is non discriminatory. Hiwever, particularly if there’s a wider Jewish community, I would suggest she asks about any possibility to change the day to perhaps Sunday. As far as I know, we are the only prominent community in the U.K. who are restricted on a weekly basis on a specific day so moving it wouldn’t affect anyone. But because she can still make appointments (hiwever difficult it is) i don’t think it’s discriminztory?

How does being Jewish impact on this? I don’t get it?

Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath and some Jewish people won't do things like doctors' appointments on that day.

I do think GP surgeries need to be far more flexible. Like many people, I work 45m+ away from my home so the ridiculous call-at-8am-for-a-same-day-appointment-which-might-be-at-5pm system doesn't work. I'm already travelling to work at 8am, so I have to book a full day off for a 10 minute appointment.

But is this discrimination? No, I don't think so. The student isn't being denied an appointment because of her religion.

Oh actually ignore most of what I said, the appointments are on Saturday, right? I thought you could only pre book appointments on Saturday for the rest of the week. Most Jews I know would go to a Saturday appointment if they had to hopkinsresponsa.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/doctors-appointment-on-shabbat.html?m=1 shows why. If for various reasons such as to do with getting there she can’t, then probably she has to take the day off ubjortubtzlt - or switch practice.

ubjortubtzlt
[grin[

I'd put in a complaint about the receptionist if she said that to me.

I am pretty sure the receptionist's comment was a response to the accusation that the surgery is discriminating against Jews and therefore anti-semitic. I doubt she randomly introduced religion for no reason.

It must be pretty shit to be accused of this - she doesn't decide the system - she just works there!

The receptionists comments were wrong. However she can still access the Gp just not as easily

Totally uneccesary comment though in essence true...the system is the system, it wasn’t set up to stop Jewish people visiting the doctor.

I’d seriously consider complainibg about the receptionist though, I doubt she meant to be offensive but she was and definitely needs to be more mindful in future.

My gp does his surgery like this we don't book we just him on and take a number and wait its a pain he has another gp working with him a couple of days week now where you can book appointments but she's limited in the hours she works so some people can't make those appointments ,it's just the way it is its not racist or anything but the receptionist was ride

Orthodox Jew= Sunset Friday till Sunset Saturday is the Sabbath.

Some jews that are Sabbath observant don't do any form of work on the Sabbath.

Going to the doctor if you are ill is allowed.

Going to the doctor for something like a medicine review should be rescheduled to another day. She needs a asthma review.

She didn't accuse the surgery of being anti semtic, she just said Saturday appointments were unsuitable.

The system is unusual. And it does mean a small minority of patients can't pre-book an appointment. I think its just being mindful, that not everyone is available on a Saturday.

Rude *

But there again the traditional system works on people being available Monday to Friday which actually is inconvenient for a lot more people really

Seventh Day Adventist Here (we also dont do stuff on Saturday)

I think its very borderline, and it would depend on how many Jews there are in the area.

The question is...do people of different faiths get a different service?

Non Jews- Can either choose to sit and wait till they get an appointment on the day even if it takes several hours, or they can pre-book one on Saturday, and possibly avoid missing work/school

Jewish person- Has to use the on the day appointment system. Bosses could be annoyed cause they missed a whole day of work, for a non emergency.

Would you invite a Muslim child to your kids party, serve drinks, crisps, cake and pepperoni pizza....then say its ok because there was other stuff the child could eat.

It seems to me to be an unfair practice. People who work in retailing are more likely than others to work on a Saturday. Child care is unavailable for many on a Saturday, and it may be unreasonable to expect a child with special needs to wait with a parent for a long time.

Offering two or three days with pre-booked appointments would be reasonable.

Does the receptionist know she’s Jewish and won’t go doctor on Saturday if she didn’t tell the receptionist the reason why. Regardless the statement was uncalled for. But there’s nothing the receptionist can really do I would imagine, if that’s the way it’s run.
It’s a terrible system though, who’s got time to wait half the day for an appointment. I’d move to a different surgery that has a better system.

We live in a Christian country, Sunday is the church day. If its discrimination to book appointments on Saturday then you need to change the law and make the UK a secular country, with every day equal. Until then go to the doctors Monday-Friday and hope you never get ill on a Saturday.

The receptionist was wrong. The system isnt great limiting people to one day of the week for scheduled issues whatever the day but that is true of any day of the week in my opinion. But it's up to the surgery how they run! I would find another gp personally