To leave instead of waiting until my appointment

[Kate8889]

Context: US healthcare

I made an appointment the other day for cold symptoms with my doctor, they said I needed to show up 45 minutes early to get swabbed to test for flu/COVID etc.

I get there and they swab me, 40 minutes until my appointment. I go to leave and come back later (my house is very close by) and the nurse stops me and says I need to stay in that particular seat until the doctor is ready to see me. 40 minutes out of my day for no reason. I asked why I needed to wait exactly and she told me this was protocol but could give no reason.

I left and came back for my appointment and everything worked out fine. Was I out of line?

Well, why try to cooperate?

You’re seeing a doctor about symptoms of a cold?!

YABU for booking a Dr appointment for a cold!

A doctor for a cold is overkill, surely.

Paracetamol and a box of tissues surely?

Also confused about the cold symptoms.

I would've sat and read a book for 40 minutes, just in case they had a no show and were able to see me sooner.

What do you think the doctor is going to do for cold symptoms that you couldn’t do yourself?

This was 4 weeks with a sinus infection and it's been affecting my sleep and daily life

~What did you do with those 40 minutes instead of waiting at the doctors?

Went home and worked

I was prescribed Prednisone which solved the issue

This is a UK site - instead of exorbitant medical insurance costs, we wait. A 45 minute wait is nothing.

For me taking off a half day is a big loss

A visit to the pharmacy would have sufficed.

The pharmacy needed a doctor prescription to give me a steroid

You went home for what 30 minutes? What was the loss of staying?

4 minute drive

I'm confused. How did you get the prednisone if you went home and worked?

Not sure what the issue is. You were told the protocol, chose to ignore the protocol and went home anyway, then came back and was seen for your appointment. If you’d left and found they’d cancelled your appointment I could understand you posting, or if you hadn’t left and wanted opinions for the future maybe.

Do you just want a “well done, you showed them”?

Can’t believe you’re actually giving this complete non-event the headspace!

I came back for my appointment and picked up the prescription right after

They said in the op they went home, worked and came back for their appointment. Literally a complete non-issue.