To think people should be banned from taking someone with them to medical appointments unless they need assistance (and then just one person)

[CurdinHenry]

Sick of standing waiting for appointments while one girl sits on her arse with her five boon companions in the waiting room because people can't do anything by themselves.

100% agree, it's not a day out.

Could it be that obtaining a doctor's appointment is so difficult and unusual that their acquaintances come along to witness the rare sight of a doctor's waiting room, and stand around in wondrous amazement - rather like being in the Sistine Chapel?

It depends.

Before my mum died it took both me and my sister to get her to her appointments because she used a mobility scooter, oxygen and occasionally had a catheter bag.

When you check in at the desk a generic coloured wrist band could be issued to the patient so that it's obvious when selfish idiots accompanying are taking seats leaving patients standing (and no of course I don't mean old and infirm or pregnant chaperones).

and that she had not other issue? the staff gave you the full medical information about another patient? Of course they did 😂

Do you actually understand just how contagious chickenpox is, and how dangerous it is for babies? I attended with a newborn, of course they told me. They had to tell people. You can’t just knowingly expose children, babies and pregnant women to chickenpox - the girl and her mum were sitting isolated in the waiting room, no one was permitted to sit next to them. It’s so irresponsible to take a child with chickenpox into A&E.

but unless it has been established that it IS a minor injury, then responsible parents will keep having their child checked, but thank you.

Most parents can determine what is a minor injury by themselves. It’s really not difficult.

And unless you are a medically trained professional, you have no idea what could or couldn't be treated at home, Dr Google.

Really? No wonder the NHS is so overstretched, and why A&E waiting times are so long.

Generally, it can be important for someone to accompany people to a hospital or GP appointment.
At the GPs, I can assure that at my surgery it is ALWAYS empty these days, and there would not be any reason for there to be a shortage of seats.
(still hard to get an appointment, tho)
At a hospital it could be more important to have someone with you, in case the patient is so busy listening to the first bit of information, they forget to listen to the next bit. Hospitals often actually request someone to be with them.

AGAIN

yes I know what chickenpox is, but it's the hospital responsibility to manage isolation!

Not the patient!

It’s so irresponsible to take a child with chickenpox into A&E.
if a child needs medical treatment, of course they MUST go to A&E. AGAIN, isolation is managed there.

What is irresponsible is pretending you are banned from hospital.

We get it, she had chickenpox. You do not have the slightest clue what her medical history is, and if she needed to be seen or not. You simply don't know.

If you wanted a private waiting room, go to a private hospital next time?

Most parents can determine what is a minor injury by themselves. It’s really not difficult.
Yeah right. Somehow you still managed to take your own baby (as you should) to hospital when needed. As parents do.

No one cares about the opinion of a random on hospital triage, we trust the medical staff.

I think Op had a point - I think one person is fine but there should always be lots of big signs saying that supporters must vacate seats for actual patients if there’s a shortage (unless supporter is disabled in some way etc)

Especially in waiting rooms for maternity appointments, where men seem to totally lose all manners and lounge around taking up seats whilst pregnant women stand.

My dd17 has been more than capable of attending various hospital appointments this last week for example, so I’m sure adults can (I was unwell and then working, but actually what would have been the need for a companion?)

Interesting that you don't manage to provide any reason why it's a good idea.

If you read my other posts, I have indeed attended medical appointments with more than one family member. Because I (apparently unlike a number of posters on this thread) know what it's like to have a loved one who isn't safe in public alone for any period of time, even a bog break, and who's more likely to stay mollified for what could be a period of many hours with more than one person with them.

The existence of such people is proof in itself that OPs proposal is stupid. If you don't believe me, try a hospital appointment with someone who has severe dementia and only one person with them.

I had to take both my teenage sons with me when one needed to go to A&E for sepsis because he deteriorated so quickly he couldn't stand unaided and he is too big for me to manage alone. He should have gone by ambulance, but the ambulance service told me there was a 5 hour wait and strongly advised me to drive him myself. I needed help getting him in and out of the car and I also needed someone to stay with him in A&E while I moved the car from right by the entrance where I had transferred him. Once there my healthy son had to wait with us while his sick brother was triaged and quickly sent into resus- he was too young to drive and there was no other way for him to get home.

Best friends in modern language.

There is a huge difference between genuine emergency and family day out at A&E

Hope he recovered swiftly, this must’ve been terrifying 😢

A good friend.

It was very frightening, but luckily he did make a full recovery. He was in my opinion discharged too quickly after surgery for a burst appendix, which lead to the situation I described.

How about instead of belittling people for wanting family support we actually cut waste and build hospitals capable of handling friends and family.

It’s harsh but if we are going to start who can have who with them why not start by looking at if they are expected to end up in hospital and the type of injury vs illness.

kids broken arm - 1 parent it’s a minor injury
old person with typical diseases of age - no one to stay in the planned acute setting, 1 person in A&E and 2hours visiting per day if admitted.
Child with a medical problem - parents plus siblings allowed in A&E with atleast one parent able to stay but accommodation for two
Adult with a new acute illness - partner plus parents/adult children if wanted in A&E. Option for spouse to stay over until severity is established then chargeable if a none life threatening/changing issue and spouse can stay at all times during cancer admissions.
Adult with an non life threatening injury - erm as the spouse I’ll pay you to keep him thanks

it’s throws single sex accommodation on the head but actually could reduce the burden on ward staff with sufficient push back as beds etc could be the accompanying adults responsibility. Also a potential source of income for the trust I.e you come alone or it’s X for your spouse to stay for the duration. I know the credit card would be getting tapped in this house.

I've gone in for hospital appointments with my 94 year old dad and brought DH along too. Dad's in a wheelchair pushed by me, and I don't drive so DH is the taxi driver. Dad wants someone else there. DH hasn't always gone in to see the doctor and wouldn't care if I was the only one allowed in. My father isn't taking up a chair, obviously. I do think whole families present is ridiculous and usually no more than one other should go in the consulting room.⁹

HCP here, especially for the first appointment a lot of people find it really helpful having someone with them. Emotional support, and extra pair of ears, there so much information to take in it's really helpful. Even someone to drive you in to reduce the stress of finding a parking space.
Adult with no additional needs going for routine check ups, no need at all for extra people.
I think sometimes we just need more chairs!!

Um, who exactly do you think the hospital cafeteria is for? 😭 I had SCAD two mohs ago and I get a coffee at the hospital cafeteria after every time I go to cardiac rehab, although apparently enjoying a drink while I’m already there means I have no life and have mistaken my local hospital for an all-inclusive resort. Like God forbid a woman get an MRI and then has lunch with her mom, someone call the authorities!!

I wouldn't think twice about having a meal in the hospital cafeteria. I wish more people would do that rather than sitting in waiting rooms!

Staff and patients?

I usually pick up a coffee from the hospital cafeteria if I have an appointment, perhaps a bite to eat, but I certainly don’t invite others to join me for lunch there. And then come along to my appointment too.

And to be clear - I completely understand why in some instances, people may need others to accompany them. But everytime I’ve had an appointment, which is for something that is minor in the grand scheme of hospital appointments - ENT, fracture clinic, x-ray, maternity services - it’s just waiting rooms full of extended family members.

I think some people just enjoy the drama of being at the hospital, to be honest.

I’m not even going to start on A&E again. It’s a fucking joke. You certainly don’t see this kind of thing going on at the dentist.

I had to take both kids to a n e once because DH was away for a week and there wasn't anyone I could leave the older one with. The doctors and nurses kept asking me if my older DC (6 or 7) could go stay with someone in spite of me telling them repeatedly that I didn't have anyone to look after them. It was a busy night but even then i could have done without the added stress of having to find a place for older DC when I was so worried about younger DC.

I’ve spent a total of 12 nights in hospital over the past five years, first for MS, then sepsis, and then two months ago for a heart attack caused by SCAD. I’ve personally never eaten in the hospital cafeteria, because I’m American and here they actually feed you when you’re admitted, but my husband and son certainly have while they were there visiting and supporting me.

The absolutely bizarre thing about your post is assuming that because your appointments have been minor, you somehow know why everyone else in the waiting room is there, what they’re dealing with, or why they have family with them. Hospitals treat seriously ill people and their families still need to eat.

So if you see a family having lunch in a hospital cafeteria and your immediate thought is that they must be enjoying the “drama” of being at the hospital rather than perhaps supporting someone who is sick you are just being heartless, ignorant, and profoundly cruel.

The absolutely bizarre thing about your post is assuming that because your appointments have been minor, you somehow know why everyone else in the waiting room is there, what they’re dealing with, or why they have family with them.

Is it really that bizarre? I highly doubt that I’m the outlier at an outpatient ENT clinic, and that everyone else in the waiting room to be seen at the same ENT clinic is seriously ill.

Except you weren’t just talking about your ENT waiting room, were you? You were judging people in the hospital cafeteria and deciding they “enjoy the drama.” Sure, you knew the one person in your example. What about everyone else? You have no fucking idea why they’re there, yet you’re perfectly happy making nasty little judgments about complete strangers. And now you’re doubling down and rewriting your argument rather than admitting it was shitty. Embarrassing.