Weird GP appointment

[Skippy21]

Husband in consulting room and gP says ‘we will do that cervical smear test now, just pop behind the curtain????

[BloomingTrees]

Yes I think it's odd.
No way would I want my DH there and he's seen me give birth twice.
It's a private and confidential matter, the GP doesn't know the state of your marriage.
It put you on the spot when you weren't expecting it and that's not good.

[ShrinkingViolet9]

Wouldn’t bother me. But I’m quite laid back and would really rather avoid cancer at all costs. So I personally wouldn’t find this weird

But the OP hasn't said she has been avoiding booking an appointment for a smear.

It should not have been sprung on her at what was an initial appointment for admin purposes, having recently signed up with the practice.

And what if a husband had wanted to query some aspect of his health record but not in the presence of his partner?

Very unprofessional to have called them in together.

[Crunchymum]

Very odd. I've never heard of anything like this to be honest.

If you want a smear test, you need to book one.

You aren't just randomly given one on the spot? At a push the Dr saying "I see your smear test is due, I have some time, would you like to have it done now?" would be permissible (albeit I'd still find it as weird as fuck) but to just expect you to drop your knickers on the spot is most peculiar. Especially at a new patient appointment!!

Did you have it done? Personally I'd have said that today doesn't suit and I'll book an appointment with the practice nurse in due course, but I appreciate you were put on the spot.

[rainbowsandmagpies]

I'm a nurse, and one thing that I see time and time again (and I'm sure I'm guilty of myself occasionally) is healthcare professionals forgetting that a healthcare setting is OUR normal and not necessarily a patients. There are so many reasons someone might not be comfortable with an on the spot smear test, I'm sorry you were made to feel uncomfortable. I would definitely feed this back to the practice manager (doesn't need to be a complaint if you're not sure you're comfortable framing it that way, equally, if you are it wouldn't be unreasonable). The feedback is vital.

[PanettoneSeason]

Both being invited in together is the only thing that seems a bit off.

It’s a nightmare to try and get an appointment at most GPs just now so personally I’d appreciate being offered the smear there and then to save me the hassle of arranging another appointment. Wouldn’t bother me personally that DH was there or that it was a male GP but obviously some spoke would much prefer female

[ShrinkingViolet9]

@rainbowsandmagpies

I'm a nurse, and one thing that I see time and time again (and I'm sure I'm guilty of myself occasionally) is healthcare professionals forgetting that a healthcare setting is OUR normal and not necessarily a patients. There are so many reasons someone might not be comfortable with an on the spot smear test, I'm sorry you were made to feel uncomfortable. I would definitely feed this back to the practice manager (doesn't need to be a complaint if you're not sure you're comfortable framing it that way, equally, if you are it wouldn't be unreasonable). The feedback is vital.

Well said.

[knobblykneesandturnedouttoes]

@Wiredforsound

I think that’s great. It has saved you another trip and perhaps a few weeks worrying about it. It’s a bugger to get to see anyone in a surgery at the moment so he’s making the most of the time he has with you and saves you having to make an appointment, and now you don’t have to think about it for another 3 years. Your doctor has seen hundreds, nay thousands, of fanjos so he’s not going to be horrified if it’s a bit Hairy McLairy.

I think it's a bit insulting to assume the only reason a woman wouldn't want to have a smear test is because her vagina is hairy. I get sick of hearing about 'it's only 5 minutes embarrassment, they've seen it all before' etc when it comes to smears. For some it's an intensely traumatic experience.

The doctor should have said 'I have some time now, would you like to do the smear today or book an appointment another time?'

[girlmom21]

The doctor should have said 'I have some time now, would you like to do the smear today or book an appointment another time?'

Whilst I do understand this, at the same time many of us can't get appointments because of staff shortages so if we can kill two birds with one stone we absolutely should be.

[ChristmasPlanning]

@Fluffycloudland77

Oh I’ve had that. It was a bit strange having dh in the room while another man’s looking at your cervix.

Although we do know a couple for who that would be just a normal Saturday night.

[WeatherwaxOn]

Let's in coming back and having problems viewing threads today but I think this wasn't handled well by the GP.
As new patients you and your DH should have initially been seen separately, as PPs have said, in case if previously undisclosed DV, or other issues.
Whilst I appreciate the importance of being a smear done, it would have been better to have asked you a) if it was convenient b)if you would prefer a female practitioner or chaperone.

[CloudyStorms]

Absolutely should not have been invited in together

[SusannaQueen]

Not sure what people are misunderstanding here?

It's very odd, I'd have said no thanks, I'll book it in with the practice nurse thanks, don't think I've ever had a GP perform a smear.

I did have a gynaecologist do a womb biopsy without warning at an appointment. That actually shook me up afterwards, felt really weird about it, no idea why.

[GreenLunchBox]

It's odd that a GP was doing a new patient check, odd he called you both in together and odd he wanted to do a smear (HCAs or nurses do new patient checks and nurses do smears) The only time I'd expect a GP to do an impromptu smear is if they were fitting a coil

Another odd thing is people saying your husband was your chaperone, because he would be outside the curtain and so not observing the procedure from the limited information given

[CarrotSticks19]

It's a bit unusual but personally I'd be leaping for joy if a GP decided to actually do something at my initial appointment rather than having to come back for another appointment that I will inevitably forget to book.

What it is that you found off? If you weren't comfortable just say no

[tillytown]

Everything that this doctor did is wrong, you should try to find another one.

[tillytown]

What it is that you found off?
Seriously? The doctor invited someone else to her appointment, sprung an intimate examination on her whilst someone else was in the room, and she wasn't even offered a female nurse/doctor to do it. It doesn't matter that the other person was her husband, no one goes into another persons appointment unless they have been invited by the patient not the doctor. What is with people pretending they can't grasp the obvious today?

[CarrotSticks19]

Well yes @tillytown but OPS post is quite vague, and it would useful to know what she didn't like about the appointment

If it's everything that's fine, but equally it could be the male doctor, it could be the on the spot smear, it could be the husband in the room. Equally she maybe fine with a lot of those things and it would be good to know OPs thoughts on her own appointment so that we could comment a bit better

[Prescottdanni123]

I would find that a bit weird too. The wording, the timing, fact that your husband was there and you were having a joint appointment etc.

[CarrotSticks19]

Because OP may have just felt a bit rushed, in which case it's a case of be firm next time.

Or she maybe saying actually this doctor gave me really weird vibes with his insistence on a smear when I clearly wasn't comfortable, and in which case that's much more serious.

I can't tell from Ops post whether she just didn't like the appointment or felt the GP had a poor bedside manner or whether she thinks there's more something going on.

[TatianaBis]

Very odd. I’d have just said no personally.

Routine smear tests at our practice are with the nurse.

[Vapeyvapevape]

@GreenLunchBox I agree that it’s odd for a gp to be doing all this. I’d be furious if I found this was happening at our surgery because we can’t get a telephone appointment let alone a face to face appointment just to register.

[ilssagain]

It is a bit weird.
But I would have said no thank you, I'm not comfortable with that happening now. I'd prefer to make a separate appointment.

Ditto, I wouldn't have wanted my husband/partner in the room for the appointment anyway. I'd have just said, no he's not coming in, I'd prefer to be on my own.

Stand up for what you want and express it clearly.

[julieca]

My GP does this. But that is because my smear is always overdue.

[LuluBlakey1]

@luinagreine

My gp likes to pounce on you(not literally but you know what I mean) for a smear because it doesn't give you time to put it off. Lots of women put it on the long finger so just doing it makes sure that it gets done.

What does 'put it on the long finger mean'?

[LaCerbiatta]

How weird... those of you saying you wouldn't be comfortable with your husband in the room, while behind the curtain, why not??