AIBU to report racist comments made by a couple the GP waiting room?

[rhomb]

At the GP practice this morning. The practice has screens around the waiting areas which come up with name of patient, medical staff and room number when called up.

I was sitting behind a couple who did a running commentary between them. They used racist terms on the foreign sounding names. Then when a name came up such as John Pearson “ooh a proper name”.

I moved seats as I got fed up with the racism. They decided to move (unsure why) next to me. Then carried on. I was in two minds whether to report them. The couple would know it was me that reported them.

I am sick of racist people.

But there’s no proof because OP didn’t say anything at the time.

No doubt the receptionist heard. Why do you think people should get away with racism?

I don’t. The point is no one is going to ban anyone on one person’s say so.

Screen with names on it? Eh? What is next? Mrs Simpson, your syphilis appointment, like in that John Cleese show? Where is patient confidentiality?

Absolutely report them.

@rhomb I think you'd be right to report it to the Practice Manager and lead GP. If people can't adhere to the rules of the GP practice and there should be zero tolerance policy towards racism and abuse, then healthcare professionals should be allowed to ask them to leave even if it's before they've been seen by a doctor. However, even if patients are silent, it doesn't mean racist thoughts don't enter the mind which is why attitudes and behaviour towards people throughout the world should be discussed in education. What I'm about to say won't change attitudes but there is an issue over disclosing people's names to those who don't need to know that information. Given laws and regulations re: managing personal data, confidentiality, privacy and data sharing, why can't patients be issued with a number on arrival then the number appears on the large screen?

Yup.
Well done OP for not being racist!! Is that what you wanted? 😂

Are you for real?! It's racist pure and simple. It's people like these that need to get deported.

That’s what mine has.

Plus they call your name as they walk out into the reception. Your name isn’t actually confidential info!

Since when are words said aloud thoughts?

Effective?! Ha ha. Hilarious.

Agree. So we should challenge it and try and stamp it out. If the couple had started mocking traditionally Jewish surnames and then said, ‘oh now at last we have a normal non-Jewish one’, do you think they should’ve been challenged? I do.

You can tell reform wining in so many areas has given people confidence in their racism eh.

Where exactly would English people be deported to? <boggles>

No, my name is not confidential. What is confidential is my health status - and my name on the board of a GP practice is an announcement I require medical attention. I do not want my neighbours, friends (local, same GP) to know I have been to my GP.

I don’t understand why on Mumsnet so many people are justifiably challenging the widespread antisemitism, but don’t seem to be concerned about other forms of racism? I have seen people who are rightly very quick to stamp down on antisemitism, yet are drawn to anti-immigrant threads like a moth to a flame. Why is that do you think?

This sounds so extremely true, we all believe you. You are totally credible. You can’t report me for saying you are telling the truth. It’s definitely true, what you’re saying. All our experience tells us so.

I voted YANBU as who can stand people like that, but YABU as who can you report these toxic morons to? It makes sense that you moved away and made it plain that you are not complicit with their obnoxiousness, but what else you can do in this particular circumstance I’ve no idea (assuming there were no people there that weren’t white and it was aimed at. In which case speaking out would’ve been the right thing to do).

Not much you could do apart from confront them about it at the time

If they were audible to reception or clinical staff and they heard clearly, something may have got said to them…as for a patient warning letter it would depend on the practice policy

Unfortunately these kind of people walk among us

The board is only seen by the other members of the surgery waiting room, who can also see you sitting there in person 😆
It’s not broadcast on the 10 o’clock news.

This will be the next step, surely, no? Deportation of the English....

Yes, I agree with this

Staff at a GP practice will not just tolerate this kind of behaviour- along with bad language, violent or threatening behaviour

In fact, the front staff probably know these patients esp if they’ve displayed arsehole behaviour in the past…and there will be a warning on their medical notes (visible to staff)

Their behaviour is hideous but who are you going to report them to?

I put you are being unreasonable as you should have told them yourself - as you didn’t you were keeping quiet about openly racist behaviour

I'm puzzled that you find the racist comments of your fellow patients sufficiently offensive that you post on MN, but not sufficiently offensive that you didn't speak up at the time. All you needed to say was 'I find your comments offensive. Please stop making them in a public place about people who have as much right to medical care as and shouldn't have to listen to you insulting them.'

Racism is on the rise. We all have the power to make a difference by challenging racism whenever we witness it.