To think this maskless woman should not be working in a hospital?

[PeachyBottom]

Went for a blood test this morning. The area leading to where they are taken is very cramped with small cubicles running off there.

There was a phlebotomist working in the next cubicle to mine without a mask on. She was standing at the opening to my cubicle chatting loudly and laughing to the phlebotomist taking my sample so three of us in very enclosed quarters (no windows) and her breath everywhere.

I was shocked someone would be working in close quarters with lots of members of the public in a hospital without a mask. The ridiculousness of it made me quite angry actually!

AIBU to think that if this person couldn’t wear a mask in these circumstances, she shouldn’t be at work?

@Samcro

surely if she is exempt she should be given a job to do that is not around patients.

This

Regardless of the situation OP has described, if this was a staff member not wearing a mask due to exemption ... If a medical exemption means you are unable to do a job without putting others at risk you need to be redeployed. Your exemption doesn't trump public health in a pandemic FFS.

I'm sure there are plenty of roles a phlebotomist can do. They just need to adapt. Like the rest of the frickin world.

Being exempt doesn't mean you can't spread Covid.

Exactly Job

@2020iscancelled

WAT?

I would assume she is exempt for a medical or disability related reason and therefore no she can’t just be “moved” somewhere else due to it.

She is trained to take blood, not mop the floors.

I would also assume she has regular testing.

And as for being “brash” - give your head a wobble OP. It is a requirement of the NHS to be of genteel nature - id say having a bit of brashness is probably exactly what someone who has to work with the gen pop day in day out needs. Because they have to deal with complaints like yours.

It's not appropriate for her to be taking blood in a patient facing role in a pandemic f she is mask exempt and the OP has every right to make a complaint. No one suggested she should mop the floors FFS.

I would assume she is exempt for a medical or disability related reason and therefore no she can’t just be “moved” somewhere else due to it.

Er yes, yes she can be moved. To do other reasonable duties.

@ZoeTurtle

I would assume she is exempt for a medical or disability related reason and therefore no she can’t just be “moved” somewhere else due to it.

Er yes, yes she can be moved. To do other reasonable duties.

☝️this. Of course she can be moved. It's a pandemic. Hospital staff need to

1. Protect staff/patients by wearing correct PPE
2. Protect themselves by wearing correct PPE

If they cannot tolerate a mask for whatever reason they work from home. (FWIW I work in a hospital and know this is what is happening)

She asked if all his friends were in too and when he said only a few as the other’s parents aren’t key workers, she said she was a keyworker but hadn’t sent hers in. Obviously she was making a point

I dont see any point being made. I just see someone making conversation

She should have had a mask on for sure. One hundred percent she should be redeployed if she is exempt or simply does not want to wear a mask. Patient safety should come first!

Of course it's the ops business! I would have said something though at the time.

All these people who are desperate to excuse people not doing the right thing. When I worked in a forensics lab we had to wear PPE for lab work, and have compulsory Hepatitis jabs - or else you didn't have a job!

If she can't wear one then she would have been given an admin job away from patients.

YANBU.
It’s irrelevant if she’s mask exempt or not, she should not be in patient facing role. She should be deployed. This is NHS policy and also policy is many other parts of the public (and private) sector. It is not discriminatory or ableist. It is legally and morally acceptable and appropriate.
People need to get over it. Their right to not wear a mask does not trump public safety in a medical setting and I say this as someone who has been redeployed.

Masks are compulsory in my hospital. I've never seen a member of staff without one.

There are a damn sight fewer people actually incapable of wearing masks than claim they are exempt. The arseholes who are at it spoil it for the tiny number of those who genuinely can't.

Safety reasons is not discriminatory. If you are unable to comply with PPE (or other requirements) to protect others (or processes/things) around you from you then is not discriminatory to protect those others by isolating you from them.
I would be very surprised that anyone patient facing would be unwilling let alone unable to wear one - it's kind of par for the course in the medical field.

To think that you and others on this post should mind their own

@Crabbypaddy

To think that you and others on this post should mind their own

You think wrong then.

According to PHE if you are close enough to patients to take blood you should have eye protection and a mask on - many trusts aren't enforcing the eye protection sadly.
YANBU OP and I can't believe 1/3 MNetters seem to think this is like a supermarket mask-less issue!!

There are unfortunately some really stupid people around @vanitythynameisnotwoman