To think that 'take a break', 'pick-me-up' and 'chat' are stupid magazines to have in a hospital waiting room.

[beanieb]

I went to have an HSG in a small hospital today which specializes in fertility examinations and all they had in the waiting room was these magazines. They have stories like 'My ex slit my throat' and 'my babies were joined at the breastbone'! I am assuming that these are donated but, really, are they a good idea in a hospital!?

they're not a good idea anywhere, crap magazines, i started a thread a while back about these magazines.

Misery porn. They are awful.

Better than nothing to read or Anglers weekly (or whatever that fishing one is called!) that was in the hospital waiting room when i went in for an op recently. I was bored stiff!

They're crap but people like reading them. They are also cheap and it may well be a case of beggars can't be choosers tbh

That's awful, but it really is a minefield since there are so many crap mags, and people aren't necessarily in the mood to concentrate on "The Economist" in a hosp. waiting room. The ultrasound waiting room at my hospital is full of pregnancy and baby mags - fair enough, but what if you're there for an emergency scan because of bleeding etc? There is also a token copy of "What motorbike?" or some such, presumably aimed at accompanying fathers.

Perhaps you could donate some better alternatives, if you can find something suitable?

YABU the hospital arent obliged to supply you with your fav mag, and like you said they are probably donated

Take your own if you know you are in for a wait

They are stupid magazines.

Yeah, but as a cultural snob I'd never normally be seen dead reading them, so I rather enjoy them at the hospital. Take-a-break actually asked my sister to sell her story to them, but when she found she basically had to sign her life-story away to them she decided that selling her soul to the devil would be preferable.

They are full of people I'm not sure are completely human, Like a mag version of Jeremey kyle show.

It's depressing just looking at them, let alone reading about their miserable lives.

They are rubbish mags but I wouldn't expect a hospital waiting room to necessarily have the best mags. They are probably donated by staff and a lot of people like them. Take your own reading material if you don't like them. I actually quite like mags in waiting rooms - even rubbish ones - because I never buy them!

I was waiting for the hsg, knickerless underneath my gown and feeling a bit nervous, so I picked up a magazine and there was a story about a woman who's sister had died after turning to alcohol when she was told she couldn't have children. I know they can't scour every magazine for horrible content but Jeeze!

I love reading the handy hints or carboot bargains in TAB when I am at the Dr's. Some of them are a real tonic, just too silly for words.

I was particularly pleased to be told that if a handle falls off a mug, you can use it as a pen holder. Golly, I'd never think of that by myself.

They are donated by patients or brought in by staff, they don't come out of a facilities budget. Can you imagine a managerial meeting if they did:

"We need to dip into the budget for some new magazines for the waiting room. What does everyone think we should get?"

"Ooh let's get Tatler, She, Red, Vogue and Good Housekeeping."

"Hang on there's only £1.54 in the kitty, we'd better get 14 copies of 'Take a Chat whilst on Heat'."

Agree if you don't like them don't read them. Take a book. Most stuff in hospitals and surgeries is donated. Take a pile of your favourite mag down there if you're that bothered.

Now aside from Vanity Fair can anyone name a good magazine for me, I hate soaps, I know where my clitorus is, I am not a size 0 and I do not wear D&G!

I know where it is but can't spell it clitoris.

Staff don't check out the magazines. People come in with piles of them and we just say 'drop em on the table, thanks for thinking of us'.

One time I did check there were loads of copies of 'conspiracy' magazines. Articles like 'what the government is hiding from us' and 'the aliens are living amongst us' type stuff..

Not good really, given we are an acute psychiatric unit.

Yeah - I didn't read them to be honest. I saw the headline 'my ex slit my throat' on the cover of one and so just flicked trough a few without reading them, there was a marie Claire there so I read that instead but it was the only inoffensive on there. I know they can't read them but it's pretty obvious from the covers what kind of mags they are so I would have thought someone might think 'hmmmm, people having their throats slit, graphic images, perhaps these are a bit inappropriate'?

I'm not mortally offended though and I wasn't there long enough for a book to be useful bu t am sure there must be others who were.

maybe they should leave some copies of razzle about, I wouldn't have to read them if I took a book

themoon - LOL!

I hate women's magazines with a passion.

Got an antenatal appointment on friday - I'll try to remember to clear out the magazine rack and take in the stash of Private Eye / When Saturday Comes.

My last appointment had a 2 hour delay - good opportunity to catch up on my book club reading if I could only remember to take the damn book with me.