People walking in during gynae appointment

[Over40Overdating]

I know I’m not BU but my GP surgery beg to differ!

I had a routine gynae exam earlier this week and over the span of 10 minutes, 2 people walked into the room without knocking - one male, one female, both patients.
I was behind the curtain so they didn’t see anything but I was naked from the waist down & in stirrups!

Even after the second interruption the nurse refused to lock the door as it’s ‘not policy’ and when I complained to the front desk they shrugged and said it was an error, out of their control and nothing happened so what’s the problem.

Surely door locks exist for this reason & it’s not unreasonable to expect to have a gynae exam without worrying about who else might walk into the room unannounced?!

If you're lying flat on your back, legs up or wide apart, your vagina winched open by a cold metal or plastic device all the while trying to RELAX ... Having anyone, male or female, HCP or random wanderer, suddenly bursting in is going to make you jump and tense up, which hurts.

@cavalier I sincerely hope you are not in a health care or health and safety related role.

They can not lock doors i think for safety reasons, at my surgery there is an Occupied or Vacant door slide, if there isn't one there should be.

@cavalier the fact that two random patients were able to access the room within 10 minutes with no one stopping them & without the consent of anyone in the room is the very opposite of a controlled situation, and one I absolutely will worry about because if patients can’t expect to have privacy or security when vulnerable then the current protocols are not fit for purpose.

The only reason the curtain was pulled was because I pulled it. The nurse was not bothered about it.

Every time ive had any procedure (ultrasound/smear/coil - all NHS), the door has been locked and the GP/chaperone has made a point of making it obvious the door is locked. You should also be offered a chaperone in the room for anything like above.

OP explained that the reception staff had sent the patients to the room by mistake. They sent them to the wrong room.

I’m a health & safety professional and I can assure you that this has nothing to do with fire safety. There’s no reason not to lock a consulting room door when a female patient is having an invasive procedure and is exposed from the waist down.

Of course it isn’t a controlled situation when patients are sent to the wrong room and are able to just walk in.

@cavalier, you have chosen a very good user name as you seem to have a very cavalier attitude to other people’s discomfort and embarrassment.

The 7% voting YABU either don’t understand because they have a prick… or are pricks! 😂

@cavalier it was a curtain… not some sort of impenetrable force field!!

Totally awful. Not only would I complain to the practice but also to the Health Ombudsman (or whoever it is these days) and maybe even your MP!

I'm pretty sure all my friends with pricks would be equally unhappy at being walked in on if they were having a prostate exam - or just any consultation, even if it's an early infection or something.

I worked in a GP surgery for 23 years, and no way should that have happened. Another clinician might come in (though not without knocking) but not a patient.
If the reception staff accidentally sent them to the wrong room then they should be making a grovelling apology to you, the nurse, and the other patients (who may also have been embarrassed)

@Over40Overdating This is totally unacceptable! Just curious, Ive read all your posts, OP, but not quite sure how you knew one patient was a man...did you see him through an opening in the curtain or did you hear his voice?
It doesn't matter which sex either was, of course.

I'm appalled at the cavalier attitude of the staff...who's to say that it wouldn't be 'random man' just having a nosey around? Could have even been a maintenance person...
This violation of your trust and privacy is ridiculous!
And, actually, I imagine the 2 intruders were a bit embarrassed, also...I have been quite embarrassed when opening the opposite sex public toilet door and not even seeing a person..just a urinal on the wall.

@Sweetpea1532 both people who walked in argued the toss with the nurse when she shouted at them to leave the room as she was with a patient so their voices were very clear.
They were adamant they had been sent to this room and expected to be treated. The man was particularly pissed off so would have given reception an earful when he was sent back to them telling them it was the wrong room. Yet they still sent someone else not long after who was also pretty pissed off at being told to get out.

I was grudgingly given a generic email to send my complaint to. I checked this morning that they had received it and was told very curtly not to ring or email again and someone will be in touch ‘when we have investigated your claim’.
I won’t hold my breath at a speedy reply or resolution!

Honestly if they don’t deal
with your complaint to your satisfaction then you should go above them to the ombudsman .. it’s disgusting. There is no
reason for the doors not to be locked!
the doors are designed to open from inside just by pushing the handle down, but just can’t be accessed from outside… but with a minimum of 3 people in the room there will never be a circumstance where at least one person isn’t able to open the door from inside!

@Over40Overdating
Something about this whole situation you've been through just doesnt seem right...how can the reception desk be allowed to hold so much power over the patients and the other staff? I am so, so sorry that this has happened to you.
Not only once, but then again, and now they are fobbing you off with a generic email address to lodge a complaint? Highly unprofessional.. What on earth was the receptionist doing that she was so distracted? And then to treat you so unprofessionally and rudely when dealing with your complaint instead of profusely apologising like @Madcatlady58 said. Hopefully you will get some satisfaction from the Ombudsman. and BTW, I just wonder who is in charge of the investigation of your claim...highly suspect!

Wow there is no way I would let that slide. I’d be sending the letter then working out how I escalate it more centrally - is pals just for hospitals? To say they refused to give you contact details or to update you or give you any indication of timing and were consistently rude. They would regret this!

@Sweetpea1532 I had a letter in reply to my emailed complaint, acknowledging my email and asking me not to contact them until they have completed their investigations which they will do ‘on our timeline’.

The tone is very defensive & makes me feel as if I’ve been bombarding them when all I’ve done is ask for an address and then check receipt! I actually think now that I under-reacted.

They do give details of the ombudsman if I feel they are not dealing with my complaint in the proper manner, so might just do that because I suspect they are hoping that by dragging it out, I’ll get bored and drop it.

The more I speak about it, the angrier I get.

What ? Are you serious ?
how dare you …
im 60 years old and had many cervical smear tests etc and other docs knocking on door and curtain around
you’re the one who has the problem and your rudeness is irrational quiet honestly