Would you attend a non-emergency hospital appointment right now?

[EdinaMonsoon]

I'm trying to decide if IABU or not. I have a hospital appt next week and basically I'm concerned about the risk of corona. As a family, we have only left the house to exercise and the DC have both had a couple of socially distanced meet ups with friends. The appointment is for a currently undiagnosed issue which makes life difficult but not entirely impossible. WIBU to reschedule for a later date? Would a later date in fact be any safer?

YABU: just go, you'll be fine
YANBU: No. I would wait longer too.

[Hollyhobbi]

Go. Hospitals are one of the safer places right now. As they are wearing masks etc. It's more dangerous in a supermarket! I'm cocooning myself but have to attend hospital nearly every week for blood tests. I've also been in A and E four times since the first of March and an outpatients clinic and I haven't caught Covid 19. Even though in A and E I was within 3 feet of suspected Covid 19 patients on 3 admissions and I didn't have a mask at the time. Also they have loads of hand sanitiser stations. And people checking that you should be there. I have to produce my letter for my appointment before I even get in the main door.

[LilyE1234]

My local hospital is one which was worst hit when the outbreak first happened in March. I’ve had two appointments in the last week and have never felt more looked after. The hospital is eerily quiet and I was seen early for both appointments. There was no sense that they were in a rush. They were doing temp checks and making sure people were wearing masks on the door. It felt safe.

[showmewhatyougot]

Yes you would be silly to postpone, who knows if it will all kick off again in future. the hospitals are empty atm and only the patient is allowed in many trusts, with improved hygiene and great social distancing in place.

[saraclara]

I went for a blood test a few days ago. Queueing outside, staff member then sanitised my hands, mask obligatory, and the waiting room chairs very much spaced out. All very organised, and nowhere near the part of the hospital where any covid patients would be.

[PrayingandHoping]

Have u called and confirmed it's face to face and not over the phone? Not everyone is getting phone calls before to be told not to attend in person!

[Isitbedtimeyet4]

I have to go to hospital 3 times a week at the moment and I’ve not caught anything at all. I wear a mask, sanitise my hands very frequently and all the staff are wearing lots of PPE :) honestly you’re fine to go!

[ToothFairyNemesis]

As you are not vulnerable then yes I would go.

[VincentVanGoo]

If you've got a face-to-face appointment now, take the opportunity. Firstly, they'll be extremely careful. The clinical staff don't want to be infected either.

Secondly, the delays will be massive later on, as a result of the postponements and of people having telephone appointments where only a face-to-face appointment will actually be of use (so that they have to be seen in person later).

[VickyEadieofThigh]

EdinaMonsoon

We decided recently that we had to start facing the world again, otherwise (as my partner said) you're in a brick coffin waiting for your wooden one!

She took a mask, sanitiser, etc but they were also availably at the entrance. The consultant wore a mask and she said he washed his hands thoroughly when she went in and then kept using sanitiser. Her nose was the issue, so she just had to pull the mask down for him to poke about in her nose!

She came back thrilled with herself. She celebrated by doing an Aldi shop (it's in a very middle class town, where everyone was behaving properly) and was thrilled with the arrangements there, too.

Just me to make a break now - I genuinely haven't been inside another building since March 15th...

[pigsDOfly]

Of course you should go.

It's important to go for these sort of appointments, especially for something that could have a massive impact on your life.

I know a couple of people who have been going to hospital appointment all through lockdown, one a pregnant woman and one a 84 year old man. Both have been fine.

Life cannot stop because of Covid19; this has been a massive problem for many people with operations and important hospital appointments being cancelled to such an extent that there is now a huge backlog.

And who's to say if things will be any better later on if you do delay the appointment, or how soon you could get another appointment?

This virus is going to be around for a long time, we can all hide away forever, we need to get on with living our lives.

[sashagabadon]

100% go

[awesomeaircraft]

I would go. The hospital protocols are pretty good by now and I would be worried appointments may get hard to come by as the NHS has such a huge log to work through after general services closed for CV19 prioritisation.

[endofthelinefinally]

Chances are they will phone you to cancel, or it will be a telephone consult.
Don't call them, they have got enough to do. They will be in touch.
I have been to hospital twice since March, both times for urgent treatment.
Everything else has been cancelled or changed to phone consultations.

[Mrsjayy]

I have an MRI next week I will be going they supply masks and said they have "correctPPE" I've no reason not to go.

[EdinaMonsoon]

@PrayingandHoping Yes definitely face to face. It’s a barium swallow test - I have dysphagia of unknown origin - hence the need for the test.

Again, thanks everyone. The response has been something of a comfort & I’m feeling a little calmer about the prospect.

@VickyEadieofThigh That’s good news about your partner feeling so comfortable. Hope all is well for her 😊

[Mrsjayy]

Sorry made that last post all about me . You should go to your appointment.

[bluemolly]

I’ve got one in July and no way am I putting it off, I’ve waited ages for it. If they’re inviting you in now it’s because they think attending is worth any risk so I would go.

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

@endofthelinefinally

Chances are they will phone you to cancel, or it will be a telephone consult.
Don't call them, they have got enough to do. They will be in touch.
I have been to hospital twice since March, both times for urgent treatment.
Everything else has been cancelled or changed to phone consultations.

Interesting this directly contradicts what the NHS themselves have been saying about it being important that people continue to seek help and treatment for non-Covid conditions.

[bluemolly]

@endofthelinefinally

Chances are they will phone you to cancel, or it will be a telephone consult.
Don't call them, they have got enough to do. They will be in touch.
I have been to hospital twice since March, both times for urgent treatment.
Everything else has been cancelled or changed to phone consultations.

Not all appointments are cancelled or changed to phone ones though. I’m going in for tests for example.

[endofthelinefinally]

Yes, seek help in an emergency.
A routine appointment isn't an emergency.
If it is considered urgent by the doctor concerned it will go ahead.
Covid free hospitals are set up to take a tiny fraction of existing appointments.
I was in hospital all day on Wednesday. It is like a military operation.

[SueEllenMishke]

I had a non urgent MRI yesterday. They aren't cancelling non urgent appointments anymore.
Most hospitals currently have very few ( if any )covid patients at the moment.

[endofthelinefinally]

That is interesting about the MRI.
I need one but the consultant who saw me this week said they aren't doing any at all.
It must vary across the country.

[Ponoka7]

If people don't go to appointments now, they are predicting that the backlog will take over a year to clear. The surgeries are going to be two years, the royal body of surgeons have said, especially if we don't get same day testing.

It's safer now than it will be over winter and early spring. Absolutely go.

[TulipsTwoLips]

I spent a night in hospital recently and I felt very safe. Hope you get a diagnosis soon 😀

[bluemolly]

@endofthelinefinally

Yes, seek help in an emergency.
A routine appointment isn't an emergency.
If it is considered urgent by the doctor concerned it will go ahead.
Covid free hospitals are set up to take a tiny fraction of existing appointments.
I was in hospital all day on Wednesday. It is like a military operation.

If it is considered necessary it will go ahead. It doesn’t have to be urgent.