Vet practice and masks - aibu?

[WeirdlyKind]

Just driven my mum to the vets with her dog for a routine injection.

She has copd and lung damage from Covid which means only one lung works. This means she gets breathless very easily and masks make it worse. She does regular LF tests and we both had a negative one this morning.

The receptionist in the vets was very snotty with her, refused to accept she had a genuine medical exemption and told her she either had to wear a mask or stay outside. They also insisted it is still a legal requirement.

Mum decided to go outside which meant I had to take the dog in for the appointment and couldn't answer a couple of questions because I didn't know.

It just felt like a horrible, stressful experience for no reason.

Aibu?

@Wizzbangfizz

Vets have been bloody ridiculous during covid IMO

Vets and their staff can't socially distance and work in small spaces that can't be ventilated.

What happens when the staff get covid? They have to shut. Who will look after your pet when you have an emergency then?

Couldn’t the vet just go outside to meet your mum? Ours still has a two people only in the waiting room policy, including those paying so I usually still wait outside as I don’t need to sit down. No one is allowed in the consultation room still, only in the waiting room.

Our vets still dont let anyone in at all.

There's a gazebo we can sit under to talk to the vet without getting wet in the rain.

The vets here aren't refusing anyone a service, there is the alternative of going outside for people that can't wear a mask.

No one knows their circumstances, their health conditions etc.

@Hospedia

It is illegal to refuse someone access to goods or services for reasons related to a protected characteristic such as disability. Refusing to allow her inside because she was unable to wear a mask due to disability is discrimination so in this case it really is all about her and her rights.

Their argument (rightly or wrongly) though will be she could still access the service as the dog still got the injections one way or the other.

@Sugarplumfairy65

As long as the vets refuse entry to everyone without a mask and not just those with a disability, then there is no discrimination .

That’s not how discrimination works though.

Well I think the receptionist could have been more polite, but aren’t we wearing masks to help people like your mum?
I’m fit and healthy so unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid. I wear a mask to possibly prevent infecting vulnerable people. However it seems like you mum won’t even try and you are only concerned about her rights.

My vets is the same. Receptionist sat in a tiny perspex cubicle on her own and wearing a mask. Other staff all sharing the same workspace also all fully masked up. I had an interview with them for an admin job and the 50 min interview was all done in a mask. Was horrendous. Also my daughter wasn't able to lower her mask to kiss her cat when it was put to sleep. That is just stupid. I got offered the job but turned it down due to their mask policy.

I would change vets.

My vets have removed the screens round the reception desk, put all the chairs back in waiting area, & no masks are worn.

It was great to see.

My sister is a vet, she says the amount of abuse they’re getting from the public over masks is insane.

Our vets is still being ridiculous too. Only one person can go in to the waiting room, and then they take the dog in to the treatment room on its own! This was for a booster, so no chance to really go through anything or answer queries on the spot. It's madness.

@Pixiedust1234

Businesses can make their own rules, if you don't like it then go elsewhere. You have no idea if the vet or staff have lung issues too, or if their families are having cancer treatment. Its not all about you ffs

Don't talk rubbish. "Lung issues" don't mean that a business can ignore disability discrimination. Mask exemption around disability exists for a reason and regardless there are no rules around pointless ineffective masks anymore.

@Thewindwhispers

My sister is a vet, she says the amount of abuse they’re getting from the public over masks is insane.

Whilst I don't agree with abuse, perhaps they need to look at why people are so unhappy about this. It's been 2 years. Vets didn't used to insist on masks and having your dog put to sleep in the car park before covid existed. People will simply vote with their feet and find another vet.

This is crazy 🙄 I'm so glad my vets have common sense. Last summer my poor dog got hit by a car and had to be put to sleep. I was heavily pregnant and it was in the middle of the heatwave. The vet told me to take off my mask because I was so upset as she didn't want me to pass out. My vets have also allowed people in all through covid with their pets too.

could you or your mum have explained first to the receptionist or practice manager?

Vets didn't used to insist on masks and having your dog put to sleep in the car park before covid existed. People will simply vote with their feet and find another vet

With difficulty - most of the rules were stipulations of safe practice from RCVS, and vets cannot practice outside those

We've been involved with 3 vets recently. One is back to normal, the other two, we haven't been inside for 2 years. We had two animals euthanised & weren't able to be with them. The new one allows us to be with them so will be our preferred one now (they are new & we need an exotics vet, which we struggled to find before).

My vet still asks that you wear a mask and the staff still do. However they will let you in if you say you have an exemption.

Our vet has not allowed any owners in the building and still does not, and I have absolutely zero problem with that. The practice has 2 vets and covers a wide area. If they have to isolate or close it means a huge number of animals potentially missing out on care.

Legally health and safety law trumps the equality act. Mask wearing comes under health and safety legislation as a control measure against a risk.

The vets that I worked at insisted on masks because they couldn’t afford for their staff members to be off. The simple reason is that the industry is suffering with a significant shortage of qualified staff and even locums are becoming near impossible to find. So if they get covid the service has to close and even more people complain because their pets aren’t being treated. That then means vaccinations are out of sync, operations delayed and treatable issues become serious problems. In our area, the staff shortage is so bad they are starting waiting lists for registration. All the vets/nurses/support staff I know worked really hard to stay safe during the pandemic to ensure the services stayed open and its a shame people still can’t respect that.

It's our dentist that is being like that.Ridiculous.

@MintyGreenDream

It's our dentist that is being like that.Ridiculous.

How does a dentist visit work with a mask on?

I was at our vets again this morning and only 1 person had a mask on . The actual vets rooms still have a screen across the middle of the table but nobody is being precious about it . I’ve been down 4 times in the last 2 weeks and it’s been the same each time .

That's a strange way to do it.

During the height of the pandemic no-one was allowed in my vets surgery. We all had to stand outside while the nurse brought the pets straight to the vet's room. Then the vet would phone the owner so they could answer any questions etc.

There is nothing wrong with requesting clients wear masks when in the vets. All of the staff will be wearing them all day long, up to 12 hour days, sometimes 7 days a week, weekend, bank holidays and overnight.
They request it from their clients to not only keep the client safe but to also protect the staff as many companies still require staff to isolate for 10days if covid positive.
Imagine 3 people in one clinic all contract covid at the same time from one client who wasnt wearing a mask. Thats 3 staff members all isolating for 10 days, leaving the clinic so short staffed they may have to close.

Maybe it was communicated badly to your mum but the rules are there to keep people safe, especially someone with respiratory issues.
The pet still got treatment as required.
Maybe request a discussion outside next time if your mum cant wear a mask, im sure rhe staff will be willing to accomodate this if asked.