To think my GP practice shouldn’t shut next Monday?

[Astounding]

I’m not anti-monarchist but was surprised when I got a text from my medical centre saying out of respect for HRH, they will be closed on Monday. Can’t they have a 2 min silence and then see the patients who need them? It’s just going to put strain on OOH and A&E departments.

At least one post not far above yours did to be fair to the other poster.
🤷‍♀️

I work in a GP surgery, I was hoping we would stay open as it's annoying having a shorter week and having to squeeze 5 days worth of patients into 4 (I'm a nurse and have patients with wounds that need 3x weekly dressings). Even more annoying at one week's notice.
We got no choice though, the CCG (ICB now) told us the score at midday yesterday and we had to scramble to rejig the week.

@Astounding , good on you for realizing you were being unreasonable. I really get it, though. You just had a momentary panic - you need this steroid injection, you’re in a lot of pain, you really need to see your GP, you’ve been trying to be patient, now your appointment is cancelled, it’s difficult for them to reschedule everyone in a timely manner, and you’re upset. We all occasionally say things like this when something in our lives stresses the hell out of us and we don’t think about the bigger picture (that obviously GPs and nurses and staff will have to take care of their children who have a school holiday). Sometimes I think trying to interact with others while in high levels of pain is like operating some horrifically difficult video game and I don’t know the rules, and I can’t use the stupid controller, and all the graphics are making me dizzy. It happened, you realized you were unreasonable, we all move on. You’re not alone; I made an absolute arse of myself on another thread because I’ve had a terrible health news and just a horrible day, and I was mad at everything. We learn; we do better next time.

I really, really hope you and @SierraSapphire get your new appointments quickly. Good luck!

Where i work we've extended hours on Friday and Tuesday, and added an extra nurse, GP's and admin staff on those days too. Yesterday we rebooked all of Mondays patients into either Friday or Tuesday.

I don't understand why all companies aren't expected to shut when schools shut though. I agree OP. Why should GP shut when other companies aren't expected to.

My dc is off school now I have no childcare so it's unpaid leave or try to wfh with them.
I think the government should have said it's a duty to shut unless exceptional circumstances. The small retail company I work for isn't shutting anyway.

"hospital appointments. My daughter has an appointment shes now waited 5 years for on Monday it will be rescheduled but nothing to do with the gp being shut."

The op is in pain and had an appointment for an injection to relieve that pain. Which may take weeks, if anything like our local surgery, to reschedule. You can't see how she maybe would be upset by that? She acknowledged that she wasn't looking at the bigger picture re childcare etc, but she isn't unreasonable to be upset that her much needed appointment has been cancelled at short notice.

Gp's are just as needed as hospital appointments.

Of course they are but they are not an emergency service. Do you want them to open Christmas day too?

5yearsleft. I am so sorry you’ve had such dreadful news about your health. Life is so utterly shit at times.

So you want people to work the most historic day since Churchills funeral

Gp's are just as needed as hospital appointments.. My GP is part of a huge medical centre and it’s used as an outreach for a few hospital depts too as well as a covid vaccination hub. My Monday appointment was a result of a rheumatology referral and I’ve actually lost track of how many months I’ve been waiting. My nerve blocks and other injections used to only involve short waits. Now they just get longer and longer and my condition is degenerative so the pain and difficulty of using my hands and the pain in my back and neck are getting worse so the waits get more frustrating and crappy.

Drs and nurses, receptionists have a right to pay their respects too!

This situation is unique because even access to hospitals and 'out-of-hours' centres in London will be difficult. Some people won't be able to pop to A&E because of road closures, delays, limited public transport, crowds etc. Grim to think that people will likely suffer and die because of this. Not sure what the solution is though.

my dsis and dh both have to work still and my friends company says theyre staying open -its just excuse to close really

Its a bank holiday. They are public workers.

Just because you’re sister, husband and friend have to work, doesn’t mean anyone else has to.

Excuse to close what a pile of shit that comment really is. They’ve been directed to close.

l had a hospital appt on Monday. It’s been cancelled. And I’m not a fan of the royals in the least. But it has been decreed a bank holiday. I for one won’t be watching anything on TV, but it’s not ‘an excuse to close’

We've offered rebooked appointments on Friday to many patients rescheduled from Monday with staff volunteering to work additional sessions/shifts. Will look at leave entitlement for PT colleagues who normally work longer than regular hours on Monday and who don't work Monday to try and ensure no working patterns are disadvantaged. Presume no additional funding to pay for it though.

This.
My primary school age kids are off school - in theory one of us could stay home and the other could go to work. However, we don’t work in isolation- if we don’t have a nurse, admin support, porters, pathology services etc because some of them may need to stay at home then we can’t work.

I also feel for those who have lost a day’s income at short notice, be they individuals or small business.

The funeral should have been on a Sunday and the bank holiday planned for another day in advance, if at all.

My GP surgery still hasn't made a decision, and can't tell me when one will be made!

"emergency service. Do you want them to open Christmas day too?"

Do you seriously not get the difference between a planned closure - ie no appointments made on that day, and a short notice closure with appointments already made?

People can understand why it's a bank holiday and still be upset that their much needed appointment is now cancelled. Maybe try having some empathy for others who do find themselves in that situation

Interestingly you’d be surprised at how quiet hospitals and surgeries can be when there’s something more interesting or exciting going on.

Weeds out the time wasters and family trips to ED. It’s the same when the weather is good.

Why shouldn't we? We aren't an emergency service and we want to see the once in a lifetime funeral. 111 are are an emergency service and have the extra staff to cover.

I've just had a thought as I am covering a colleague's annual leave next Monday and Monday is my rostered day off. I bet if we close that I won't get paid but my other colleague who works Mondays will get the day off and paid as she always is. If so, shafted again.

Of course they are but they are not an emergency service. Do you want them to open Christmas day too

well they probably should be. People don't stop getting ill on Christmas Day - or indeed, weekends.

All that needed to happen is reschedule appointments between 11 and 12 and watch the funeral. No need to close for the entire day.

It’s a bank holiday and they have to pay the staff bank holiday rates and they can’t afford it if not in the budget already. Also staff will have kids off school and the rest of the country is shut and if they didn’t close they would get more hate.

This having been in A&E when the rugby is on and it’s snowing! Empty apart from those coming in half dead.

Eerrrr it's a national bank holiday. You'd expect it to be like any other bank holiday and they be closed