Medical appointments when work in a school

[gracebros56]

I work in a school 8-3.30pm and we are not allowed time off for medical appointments -all appointments need to be booked after 3pm or in the holidays. We can't take leave as we get the holidays. I got a medical problem at the beginning of September (it would have been easier if was in August - I admit but the problem wasn't present then) I I need a blood test but my GP only do blood tests between 9 am and 11am so I need to wait till half term - under no circumstances are we allowed time off school. I sent an e consult about a related problem last week and the doctor needs to see me but no afternoon appointments available as last appointment they do is now 330pm and I won't make it in time. School Leadership team say I need to wait till half term - same rule for everyone - no appointments in working hours. I am not sure what to do. AIBU to ask again as I really don't want to wait till half term as is 3 weeks away still? In most normal jobs you can take annual leave for appointments but I can't do this in my role.

This kind of thing is what unions were invented for....

I'm a teacher, if my school were like this I'd phone in sick every time I needed an appointment. Health is wealth.

Maybe i am being naive because I’ve always had an understanding employer… but have you tried explaining to your seniors the situation you are in? Maybe if they understand that you don’t actually have any option to book an appointment in your specific circumstances (with, what sounds like, a very small GP surgery) they might allow it
just this once?

I have to swap my non class contact time if my hospital appointments for my condition land on a school day. I had to go down the route of flagging up my condition as a disability although I would never consider myself disabled.
Schools are fucking awful places to work. We are treated like morons and/or robots. A member of staff was badly bitten by a child...staff member asked to remain in school and go get checked out after school.
Another teacher tripped over in her classroom, clearly broke her wrist but the management seriously asked her to take some paracetamol and an ice pack until the end of the school day.
She refused and called her partner to collect her.

A friend of mine nearly didn't go to the doctor about a funny mark o her leg. As she was a teacher she was waiting for the holidays. Her husband insisted she went and it was a type of aggressive skin cancer. GP said her prognosis would be completely different had she waited.
Please make the appointment (speak to the union if necessary. Staff handbook does not trump your legal rights)

It's not unreasonable to ask staff to try not to book appointments during the school day but a total ban is crazy!

I'm a governor of a special school with a huge staff. We ask that, where possible, appointments are made outside school hours but understand that it isn't always possible or within a staff members control. Time off is allowed for appointments and staff do their best to minimise disruption to classes where there is a choice of appointment time.

Are you in a union?

Yes, at our surgery the bloods are
picked up at 11.30 to be taken to the hospital lab as they cannot stay in the fridge overnight. However, I’ve done late blood tests if the patient is able to take the bloods to the hospital lab and drop them off…. Maybe a way round it if you don’t get anywhere with the school.
Having said that I think it’s disgusting they will not allow you time off for this, I think I would be taking a sick day!!

When I book blood tests for mum, I get all the local options for about a 20 mile radius. Surely there is somewhere else that draws blood in the time you can get there?