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.

It's not possible to limit to one companion, because some people will always be unsafe to leave in public even for the length of a toilet break. This should be obvious if you think about it for any length of time.

Okay, but the person I am talking about isn’t you, and her situation isn’t the same as yours.

No doubt her mum and mum’s friend or another random wil accompany her to her next smear test.

I think 5 is a bit much! But the parking is so bad at our hospital that when we accompany my parents! It’s because one person has to drive and find somewhere to park! Sometimes 20 minutes walk away! And one of us to stay with my parents who are nearly 90!
And the three times we have been to room has been changed and you are sent somewhere else than the person on reception doesn’t know! But the colleague does! Last time last like a comedy sketch!

And?

hospital cafes are intended to be used by the public as well as staff. You should mind your own business

I always think don't these people work?! Totally unnecessary

I had to be treated by a junior doctor who was verbally abusive to me throughout the appointment. I’d encourage anyone to take someone in with them after what I went through, it was horrific!

At the hospital were i work, we only allow 1 parent with the patient in paediatric outpatients. Siblings can come but you need to call a head. It got to a point were it would be both parents, siblings and grandparents. There was no room, no seats, loads of push chairs, and kids running riot. It was dangerous. We struggled to hear people at the check in desk and on the phone.

You could always politely ask one of the friends if you could have their seat as you
were actually there to see the doctor and were not feeling well. It would be very difficult for them to refuse.

Try working in primary care where you get an entire family ( spouse and 4 kids) who also wish to come in the room for a routine issue.
Not only is there not enough room, the kids either dont STFU OR are playing a tablet full blast.
Just wait outside FFS

It’s insane that you think this mysterious ‘them’ would wait for you? A&E is a war-zone, there is no ‘them’ to take on your preferences.

Sorry, quoted wrong post!

I guess I’m just grateful that hospital appointments aren’t a day out for me.

Boon companions?

As for the ''sitting on her arse'' thing, that's what waiting rooms are for: sitting and waiting to see someone!

However, I do agree that any more than 1, or 2 at the very most, but no more than that, as they do take up a lot of chairs that can be used for those who genuinely need to sit. But I personally have never witnessed any more than 1 companion in various doctors' surgeries and hospitals, unless the companion is medical or whatever.

realistically, do you expect the 6 children to stay at home alone?
Once you have kids, what do you want people to do with them?

Yanbu i was in a&e recently and patients where standing due to everyone's friends and families taking all the seats

realistically, do you expect the 6 children to stay at home alone?
Once you have kids, what do you want people to do with them?
One parent stays at home with the other kids.

People often need family support when in hospital or at appointments. Family might also need to be there.

Myself and my three adult DDs accompanied my DH in A & E and Resus in March this year. So four of us. We remained with him throughout the night and until halfway through the next day when he died.

I make no apologies for us all being there. We were support for DH and for each other. Yes, we occasionally had to go into the waiting room or family room. So you might have seen us and thought that there should be no reason why we should all be there. Again, I make no apologies. You wouldn't have known our circumstances and I wouldn't have told you either.

Where would you draw the line, and how do you know why all of those people are actually there? They won't go around advertising that they might be there to support a dying spouse, parent, grandparent, siblings etc. You just wouldn't know. So surely you wouldn't think they should just be barred or thrown out??

Both parents were there - one parent should really be at home with the other children.

Another variation of this is the mum and grandmother, with every single child from the household.

It seems to be beyond some people’s comprehension that one adult is more than capable of waiting in the waiting room, and that the other adult should really be at home with the other children, making sure they are fed, comfortable and often times, in their beds.

bit ironic when the poster was literally describing her own partner parking the car!

And no, I am not staying at home when my child is taken to A&E. I couldn't care less what you think, I am there

I was taken into hospital in a European country where is was strictly one person per patient. Any requests granted for more were max 1 extra for a short period of time.

It was the most restful hospital stay I’ve ever had.

At the very least A&E should be one person per patient with 2 allowed for children under 12 so the parent can go to the toilet or to get a drink etc or based on strict medical need - the vast majority of people are not so debilitated that they need more than one person and if they are then accommodation can be made. But as a standard rule….one companion.

The problem is that it doesn’t matter what rule is implemented, very little gets enforced here anymore.

why is it beyond comprehension that not everyone knows or can drive? And why is it beyond comprehension that it's absolutely fine for parents to be with their sick child.

I don't think this is what people mean, they mean crowding waiting rooms which you wouldn't be in, in this situation or this is certainly what I mean

They didn’t.

The problem is that it doesn’t matter what rule is implemented, very little gets enforced here anymore.

This is so true.

I was in A&E at the start of the year with my 3 week old baby, and there was a woman in with her teenager daughter who had CHICKENPOX.

No one asked them to leave until they were triaged.

One consultant had to come out, explain that the waiting time was excessive and asked all those with minor injuries to go home and either come back in the morning, it attend their local Minor Injuries Unit.

The number of people who brought children into A&E because they had “sprained” their wrist or ankle, was incredible.

I’ve been to A&E with my son and there was a full family there. Mum, dad, older child, and three smaller ones. I did think surly you can leave them home with the farther? Or even the older one (obviously that really depends on the child, but she looked old enough to hold the fort down).

I felt bad for the mum though, arm in a sling and having to deal with three small children while the dad seemingly did fuck all, it made me greatful my husband was at home with our other two because the thought of having to bring them was a nightmare.

Realistically I don’t think you could actually ban people from brining others - there’s always going to be someone who has a legit reason, but it should be discouraged and hospitals should be able to tell people to leave when they take the absolute piss.