AIBU to think you should get dressed for a medical appointment

[Ducksbehindthesofa]

Following on from the PJs on a plane post earlier today, curious to hear the consensus on this.

I had the misfortune of winding up in A&E on New Year's Day and was amazed by the number of people in grubby nightwear, dressing gowns, and slippers in the waiting room. There was an enormous amount of groaning, coughing, sniffing and sneezing going on by most of the wearers, so I guess there was a lot of the winter lurgy going on.

And last week, whilst at my GP practice (small village surgery where nobody would live more than a few minutes away), there was a woman in the waiting room wearing a dressing gown and Ugg boots, accessorised with a washing-up bowl on her knee. She did have some make-up on though, so a point was added for effort.

It's just yeuch, isn't it? If you're well enough to drag yourself to a doctor or hospital, you're well enough to at least throw some clothes on.

And I know it's none of my business and it doesn't matter one jot to me really, but I don't have to like it!

I clearly stated in my post that I don’t care what people wear. I also stated that procedures differ between different hospitals, and that was in response to a poster making fun of her ‘not knowing that people from ambulances go to the waiting room’ and there’s no special treatment for people arriving in the van.
I’m not even saying I agree with the OP. I agreed with a poster who said she was getting a hard time, and that people had misunderstood the post.
The problem with the written word is that the tone is not easily judged, and people take it different ways. I took it as lighthearted, with the people ordering takeaways etc. Not as for critically ill people.
Not one of us can claim that we don’t judge people for whatever reason. It’s a natural human trait, and that’s absolutely fine. It can be for good or bad reasons. There are none of us perfect. When it becomes wrong is when it influences how you treat people, or you try to get others to match your feelings to cause harm.
Anyway, I wish you well on your journey to recovery 💐

i went to A&E once in my pyjamas. I did manage to throw a jumper over the top and put shoes on but to my absolute disgrace the bottoms were clearly bedwear. The pain I was in made me pale and very quiet, I probably could’ve been taken for a scruff who likes hanging around in hospitals with a cold. I had a ruptured ectopic needing emergency surgery.

I've got used to people driving to the vets and sitting in the waiting room with their animals whilst still wearing their nightwear. To be honest, they are more covered by the time they have PJs. dressing gown and sliders so I no longer care. You see it in supermarkets and Mums drive their kids to school in dressing gowns and slippers around here too.

Last time I was in A & E I was covered in oil, shavings, straw and cow shit. I didn't have my nightie on though.

@OchreReader 💐

Being a cancer patient doesnt give you or op the right to judge others

Noone should be sitting in a&e judging others, they should be minding their own business . If you are well enough to judge others maybe you don't need to be in a&e.

I have a serious lifelong rare neurological condition. It has no visible symptoms. I can be quite unwell and need urgent ICU care but no casual observer would know.

WTF are you on about……

Please see my reply above. I clearly stated I don’t care what people wear. I was agreeing with another poster who felt the original post was misunderstood.

Imagine seeing obviously ill people not looking their best in A&E and at their GP practice.. how awful & shocking that must’ve been for you 💐

Get a grip, OP. I tend to dress well for outpatient medical appointments as it helps to be taken seriously - in some situations (eg: acute illness) this obviously isn’t possible and as HCPs we understand this.

Judge yourself before you judge others. Where does this preoccupation with looking presentable come from? Looking perfect at all times? Maintaining a strong stiff upper lip?

Routine appointment then yes, get dressed but emergency no not bothered. I ended up in A&E a couple of years ago after falling in tap class. I came in in complete dance kit including tap shoes until DH was able to put my trainers on for me.

But I feel you seem to think being a cancer patient means you can judge others….

as a cancer patient I think you and OP are very wrong.

How was it misunderstood? When it was followed up
by another patient had time to put her make up, but not dress up to OPs standards?

Awful attitude IMO!

I thought this would be about the doctor dressing up rather than the patient. I don’t care if the doctor is in a smart dress, scrubs or a negligée, as long as it was a competent doctor who could help with whatever issue I had.

I’ve seen so many doctors on my journey, the only thing I would say is

I must always attend on bring your sons and daughters to work days, and I’ve seen the sons and daughters ,,,,,

They’re so young! (Which means actually I’m so old!)

But seriously I’m seen scrubs, skinny jeans, smart, casual, blah blah

But each and everyone so kind, dedicated and wonderful.

I’ve got every faith that I’m going to be fine, as they’ve told me and I’ve been treated with the best care and respect ever!

I ❤️ you NHS!

Some people are so unwell and possibly rang for an ambulance. Due to the ambulance service being overstretched,, many times it can be 6 + hours before they can get anyone to you, people then decide to go to A&E by car. When you are very unwell you don't give a toss what you are wearing , what you look like, or who you offfend.

A couple of days post C-section I had to go into hospital at short notice, I was wearing pyjamas, I stayed in pyjamas. It’s so hard moving around post op, changing is painful, and I wanted to be comfortable. People may have invisible health conditions that would make dressing very difficult/uncomfortable/painful. Of all the places, I would say a hospital/GPs is the most appropriate to be dressed in PJs. Though that doctors surgery should be ashamed of their infection control unless they knew that woman was vomiting due to a non-contagious condition.

Fuck me OP, I'm so sorry that the two times I've been blue-lighted to hospital by ambulance early in the mornings that I was wearing nightclothes. I had no idea that I was causing people like you such great offence. Next time, even whilst in an emergency, I will endeavour to put outdoor clothing on (to then lay in a hospital bed in).

What was the woman supposed to do?

Not get the help she needed by staying at home?

Please, show me where I said anything even remotely like that?

Going to the surgery to get prescriptions or have the doctor examining me for my cough and throatache, yes, I will be clean and dressed. Wheeled into an ambulance or stumbling into the ER you might catch me in whatever I was wearing just before, be it gardening clothes, my swimsuit or my nightie.

I just don't judge this at all, for any reason. The vast, vast, vast, vast majority of people get dressed no matter where they're going. Some people don't or can't at various times for various reasons and it's none of my business. Whether it's someone in a medical waiting room, or the woman along the road from me with three young children managing to get her two eldest to school by driving on her pyjamas, they are an exception, not the norm. So just give people a bit of grace.

Well if you've had to drag yourself out of bed because the doctor can't or won't do a home visit, it is understandable.

I honestly couldn’t tell you what I wore when I went to a&e with hypothermia. The state of my clothing didn’t even cross my mind. I needed help to get clothes on my body so we could leave for the hospital and I definitely didn’t have the ability to worry about what clothing I was putting on.

It depends if they are too unwell to get dressed or have a disability, or for example elderly and taken to hospital from bed in their nightwear.

If it’s just laziness then I agree with you, but you can’t necessarily tell by looking.

This absolutely must be rage bait surely. Pjs in supermarkets/ at school gates= absolutely heinous. Someone vomiting so much they they need a sick bowl yet manages to drag themselves to gp; or someone who gets themself into A&E despite possibly being sick enough to require an ambulance … really?! Count yourself fortunate that you’ve never felt so ill that you simply need urgent help and don’t give a monkeys about what you are wearing. You sound a truly smug, judgy and horrible person - you do realise people wear pyjamas in hospital?!! It isn’t a fashion show!