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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Doctors running late...

98 replies

Leehanne · 28/12/2018 11:53

Now I know doctors get a lot of stuck. My dad is a GP and he's explained the reasons why they run behind. I don't mind them running late at all. For all I know someone had a heart attack in their office or they were attending to a baby which of course takes longer.

I'm sat in my docs surgery however and they're so far running an hour and 40 minutes late. The appointment is for my 9 week old DS who isn't well and also for me to ask a question about my own health. I've booked a double appointment.

Nobody can tell me how long they're going to be and I feel like I can't leave because it would be unfair on DS.

AIBU to think nearly 2 hours is a bit of a piss take with no apology or explanation?

Sorry, just here to rant. I'm so bloody tired and just want to be seen within the hour preferably...

OP posts:

DeepanKrispanEven · 28/12/2018 12:27

What did the receptionists say when you made inquiries? Couldn't they give at least some indication of how many people were before you in the queue?

LakieLady · 28/12/2018 12:27

I rang the doctor's at 8.40 this morning. They run a telephone triage system, the doctor phoned me back about 9 and decided she needed to see me and booked me an appt for 10.45.

She saw me at 10.50; there was one other doctor on duty and only 2 people in the waiting room. That's about the quickest I've ever been seen, I was very impressed.

A two-hour wait, without any explanation, is excessive imo.

ChristmasTwatteryDoesMyHeadIn · 28/12/2018 12:28

stayathomer if you rarely go, I promise you are not like my SIL. She uses ambulances like taxis and wastes so many resources it makes me sick. She spent an hour in one appointment just wittering on.

What you describe is the total opposite.

4strings · 28/12/2018 12:29

On more than one occasion at my previous surgery the I was left waiting and waiting for the first appointment of the day (at 7am!!!!) due to the Dr not arriving, presumed stuck in traffic). The receptionists never mentioned it: I only found out when I heard them laughing about the fact there was no Dr in the building (yes, they were actually laughing). Asked them when they were going to tell the patients in the waiting room and they shrugged, said they weren’t, and we’d have to wait. I walked out. On another occasion (same GP) I was needing to discus some test results and was very stressed. I’d been waiting an hour (again for the first appointment of the day at 7). I asked to speak to a manager who said the receptionists were too busy to keep me informed and what did i expect from people we are only paid minimum wage. I confess I went ballistic at this point. I went and registered at another surgery.

My point is that in OP’s case, she should be informed as to how long she might be expected to wait. We all understand emergency situations, but there is such a thing as courtesy. Especially with a 9 week old baby!!!!

Original poster

Leehanne · 28/12/2018 12:29

@dancingthroughthedark but I was sat there with my baby who was feeling unwell (still is) so I could've been you, with a very sick child, sat in a waiting room with his condition getting worse. If I was aware that they were dealing with an emergency I would have probably gone straight to the walk in.

Obviously I'm slightly more concerned and annoyed because my 10 week old is poorly... :(

OP posts:

fieldsgrowingdark · 28/12/2018 12:29

I'm surprised that's allowed stayathomer. Most surgeries are quite clear that only x number of issues can be brought up per appointment. It's really not fair to book a 15 minute slot and then sit there for 40 minutes raising every single issue that you've had over the last six months but haven't bothered to do anything about.
Are you not aware of all the other people, some of them feeling like crap, some of them anxious to get to work, who are left sitting in the waiting room while you take up the time of two or three patients?

SoupDragon · 28/12/2018 12:31

I agree that it can't be too difficult to say how many patients behind they are to give you a rough idea of where you are in the queue

I am giggling to myself that your DS has aged a week since the first post x that is one hell of a delay! 😂😂. I hope he's OK.

Original poster

Leehanne · 28/12/2018 12:31

@DeepanKrispanEven they told me that they were just running behind because it was busy after Christmas.

OP posts:

TurnipCake · 28/12/2018 12:31

I suspect the date has something to do with it.

It's the time of year where people who didn't want to see a doctor because of Christmas who should have been in hospital are now rocking up at their GP and need referring into hospital, or have a list of ailments a mile long.

Hope you get seen soon x

MyGuideJools · 28/12/2018 12:31

My GP is always running an hour late. I've come to accept in now. It's not ideal but she's a good GP and gives everyone the same amount of time.

Original poster

Leehanne · 28/12/2018 12:31

@SoupDragon he's 10 weeks on Monday so I never know whether to say 9 or 10 weeks 🙈 9 weeks and 4 days to be precise!

OP posts:

chocatoo · 28/12/2018 12:32

It's so annoying isn't it! I do completely understand why and the solution is to give everyone longer appointments but then less people would be seen overall. I spend the whole time I'm waiting trying not to breathe in (so I don't inhale all the germs around me)...clearly impossible!!

Celebelly · 28/12/2018 12:33

Yes, if you're going in with multiple issues then you should mention that while booking and ask for a double appointment for that reason. While it may seem like you're being efficient by 'saving them up' and doing them all at once, the day is scheduled around appointments being a certain length. If just a few people go over their appointment time, it has quite a big knock-on effect for the rest of the day and other patients.

SoupDragon · 28/12/2018 12:33

Yeah, I figured that :) it did make me laugh though. I could never remember how old mine were when they were past a certain point.

TheBabyAteMyBrain · 28/12/2018 12:33

My old gp, who has unfortunately retired now, was always running at least a hour behind. But, he always took his time with each patient to truly listen and try to help them. He was gold dust, the receptionist used to tell us to call before the appointment to find out how long the wait was so we could adjust our arrival time. I miss him, he was superb with ds and never made me feel like a clueless ftm.

MCC85 · 28/12/2018 12:36

The past 3 times I have been to my GP, 1 for blood pressure after birth complications (they wouldn't let a HCA take it), the second my 6 week check and the third my very poorly 7 week old (resulted in a hospital admission for sepsis) all resulted in me waiting for nearly 2 hours.

The first appointment was quite upsetting as my week old baby was in the car with my husband as I couldn't physically carry him upstairs to the waiting room and didn't want him or my 2 year old in a waiting room full of coughs and sneezes, DH ended up having to bring him to reception for a feed and the Dr wondered why my blood pressure was so high!

Luckily the delay didn't cause any problems with my poorly baby, but it could have done and each time I raised the ridiculous waiting times I got told to tell the GP.

I absolutely love and appreciate our NHS, but there comes a certain point where I feel the need to speak up about how patients are treated.

I hope both you and your baby are ok x

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/12/2018 12:37

I don't mind Drs running late but I would like to know by how long.

Seaelf · 28/12/2018 12:37

I live in a rural area, over an hour from the nearest hospital. Our GPs attend serious incidents or accidents when requested to by the ambulance service. Without them, many wouldn't survive the journey to hospital. Reception do keep patients up to date if delayed and offer to rebook appointments. They've no way of knowing if the doctor will be back in 10 minutes or 2 hours.

RUOKHUN · 28/12/2018 12:39

To everyone to has clearly not read the OP. They said that they’d booked a double apointment so get off your high horses. Jesus.

werideatdawn · 28/12/2018 12:39

I hope you both get seen soon and baby is okay. Always a worry when they're tiny, I remember it very well.

Sirzy · 28/12/2018 12:41

With a 10 week old who isn’t taking fluids and has a high temp I would probably skip the walk in centre and go straight to a and e, preferably a peads a and e.

Hope he is better soon

ChristmasTwatteryDoesMyHeadIn · 28/12/2018 12:41

I think timewasting in appointments being raised was my fault, with what I said about SIL. It wasn’t meant to be aimed at you OP, quite the opposite.

Sorry

newhousestress · 28/12/2018 12:42

A baby of less than 3 months with a fever needs a septic screen so there's no point in going to the GP or a walk in centre. You need to go to A&E.

Celebelly · 28/12/2018 12:42

To everyone to has clearly not read the OP. They said that they’d booked a double apointment so get off your high horses. Jesus.

Er, the replies about double appointments aren't to the OP. They're to the person who said that when they go in, they usually have a list of things as they've saved them up. Maybe RTFT ;)

Nellabella · 28/12/2018 12:42

It's poor management, emergencies may happen but they could at least tell people-my old surgery was always running late no matter what the time of day.

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