Over-running appointment

[whiteroseredrose]

Had a physio appointment at 8.30 this morning. The physio only works mornings so I book that time and then go straight to work and arrange a late shift.

So I arrived at 8.25 and waited. There is no receptionist but I could hear the physio talking in her treatment room.

At 8.40 I started to think I must have the wrong day and perhaps wasn't on the late shift at all. My memory can let me down now that I'm post-menopausal! At 8.43 I left and set off for work. Physio was still talking from behind the closed door.

A few minutes later I got a text from the physio to remind me of the appointment. I pulled over and phoned her back and explained what had happened. She said that she'd had to overrun with the previous patient. Unfortunately if I'd gone back I'd have then been late for work so I said that I'd have to reschedule which she wasn't happy about.

Was I BU to leave?

Yes, YABU - you only allowed 13 minutes?

I'd have waited for 20 mins at least and wouldn't have left without speaking to someone. I'd have probably knocked on the door and asked how long they were going to be. I wouldn't just leave.

I waited over 45 mins for a recent NHS appointment!

Why would you think you were the wrong day/shift? Was it not written down anywhere?

If it meant being late to work, you needed to prioritise that OP. I have been in situations where you can here the person having very general chit chat behind the door, so unless something important is going on in the room at the same time, it feels more annoying when it's overrun.

To only allow 13 minutes is ridiculous. I waited over an hour at my doctors recently and just phoned work and said they were running behind and I would be a bit late!

I don't think you were unreasonable, why would the physio send you a reminder of your appointment 15 minutes or more after it should have started? its a bit shit for both of you, you wasting your time her having an overrun, but your not unreasonable to leave when you have work to go to.

Surely your appointment was longer than 13 minutes, so you had time to wait longer?

I'd say you were unreasonable to leave after such a short time.

Not an NHS appointment. In a chi chi little private clinic.

If she had come out at 8.45 it would have been too late for the appointment as I wouldn't get to work in time for my shift. Timing has been spot on until today.

We are expected to make non hospital appointments before or after so that they don't interfere with shifts otherwise we have to make the time up.

Yes the appointment and shift were on my Google calendar but sometimes I doubt myself.

DD thinks I should have knocked on too but I'm usually just in my bra for these sessions so I'd hate it if someone knocked on with me!

I think you were reasonable. When she realised she was going to over-run she should have stuck her head round the door and let you know. People have things they have to do, they can't just sit around all day.

I would have stayed, informed work and then worked through part of my lunch to make it up

YANBU.

The physio should have ended the session with the previous client on time. Alternatively they should have stepped out into reception and explained to you that they were running late and offered you the option to wait or rearrange.

We might put up with this shit from the NHS, but as a private business/clinic they won’t last long treating paying clients at like that.

I think you should have waited longer than you did. There must have been a valid reason.

I don't think 13 minutes is long to wait. I wouldn't have left and find it a bit strange that you did.

But equally your physio (sounds like there wasnt a receptionist or anything) should have popped her head out and let you know she was running late.

I'm guessing your physio will want you to take the early appointment in the future

For a private appointment where I am paying for something to happen at a certain time I would leave after 5 -10 mins. I assume you had a 1 hour appointment and had to leave on time for work so 1/4 of your time had been wasted.

Not unreasonable. The physio should have let you know they were running behind.

13 minutes isn’t long, doesn’t matter that it’s private, if someone has an issue that’s taking a little longer do you just expect them to say “sorry times up, get out so Mrs x doesn’t have to wait 15 mins”?
If you had something that was taking longer would you be happy to be kicked out on the dot or would you want to be examined fully?

Appointments run over, nhs or private. Not everything takes a set amount of time.

13 minutes isn’t long, doesn’t matter that it’s private

Of course it does, if the physio is overrunning an extra 13 mins on even half their clients, should the last person of the day be expected to wait an hour or more?

13 minutes at that time of day is enough. If the last client arrived late their appointment should have been cut short. If she arrived late then she should expect people to cancel.

@Megan2018 Mon 08-Apr-19 13:36:36
Yes, YABU - you only allowed 13 minutes?

Many Dentist and Doctor surgeries won't see you if yo are more than 5 minutes late and dentists also still bill you. Why is the OP's time any less important?

Do not pay any missed appointment fees OP, if they try to get you to. They should run on time or be expecting you so they can speak to you at 8.30 if there is no receptionist to do so - the therapist should have been aware of the time and interrupted the over-running app. to stick their head out the door to acknowledge you/check you were ok to wait imo.

I think it was reasonable of you to leave, it’s a private clinic, presumably the physio leaves time between each appointment for clear up/notes etc so was running more than 13 minutes late. Part of my job involves seeing clients at set appointment times, I used to work on 50 min appointments with 10 minutes in between so for me to still be with someone as you describe, the appointment would have run over for more than 20 minutes which is ridiculous.

I assume she manages her own diary so should plan her appointments to allow for a slight over run or manage her time in appointments better. If you were 15 minutes late I doubt she would have still seen you.

I would have tried to make contact before leaving. If appointments were less than 13 minutes late at my GP it would be a miracle.

I wouldn't have left without letting her know I needed to go.

I'd also consider booking an earlier appointment in future if a delay of 13 minutes is bound to mess with your day's schedule. Appointments do overrun, you have been lucky it never happened so far but the possibility is always there.

Personally I think YANBU, mainly because it’s private and those apt’s are pricey (mainly because they afford you the luxury of being on time/on demand.

Personally I would call the therapist tomorrow and highlight to them that your apt’s have to run on time for work purposes and you’re unable to wait 15 minutes, so if this happens again you will have to leave.

With private practise you get what you pay for. Most build 10 minutes in between sessions to ensure this doesn’t happen!

I don't think you were unreasonable at all.

I have had private physio before and the appointments were usually 30 mins, so 13 mins in would have been nearly half the appointment!

Yes, occasionally, things happen but they can't expect you to sit and wait, making yourself late for work with no explanation from them!

Dentists/many hospitals/doctors won't see you if you are more than 5/10 mins late so why should you wait around for more than that time for them?!

If it was private, not unreasonable. If it was NHS, you were unreasonable only because expectations are inevitably lower about timeliness.

Anyway the physio has messaged me and apologised. Will rebook the earlier appointment!

My antenatal clinic ran 45 mins behind today so 13 mins to me is nothing! Sadly I had a lady where we couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat and had to send her to hospital. Do people really think in those situations I should interrupt comforting my very distressed patient to “pop my head round the door and apologise” to the next person waiting?