Attending medical appointments with covid in household

[dollybird]

A friend told me yesterday that if someone in your household has covid, you can't go to medical appointments even if double jabbed or under 18. Is this true? I can't find anything online that says as much, but maybe I'm not looking hard enough!

Depends on what the setting say, there's no blanket rule.

Many are following that though because they can't afford to have staff get ill.

All our dentist appointments were cancelled in this circumstance - they said it was new NHS guidance for all medical situations.....

They may be asked if they have been in contact with a positive case and may not be seen if the answer is yes. The person going to the appointment should test beforehand. In Scotland contacts have to take a PCR before being released from isolation if double jabbed/under 18

I was asked whether we had anyone with Covid/symptoms when I went to the breast clinic last week. It makes sense to stop NHS staff catching it.

I also couldn't accompany my DS into the vaccination centre in the summer as i'd recently travelled back from a work trip overseas.

You need to ask the specific setting.

In general though, yes they take a more precautionary approach than those for the general population. And that is totally right, because of the increased likelihood of vulnerable people needing to attend

I would say it’s common sense to at least phone them first to ask what they think is best.

I agree it's common sense, and I wouldn't want to go if I was in that situation (depending on how important the appointment was I suppose). I just hadn't heard it was actual guidance/rules now.

Ignore your friend and wait and see if the clinic asks you if there’s anyone with symptoms in your house. If they don’t ask, I wouldn’t tell them, and would just take sensible precautions instead. Who knows how much longer you’d have to wait for your appointment otherwise?

@LethargicActress

Ignore your friend and wait and see if the clinic asks you if there’s anyone with symptoms in your house. If they don’t ask, I wouldn’t tell them, and would just take sensible precautions instead. Who knows how much longer you’d have to wait for your appointment otherwise?

I don't have an appointment, she does. I assume the clinic have already told her this.

I had a dentist, GP and booster appointment all when DS had covid, I rang ahead of my appointments asking their advice and was asked to rearrange, of course I could have not said anything at all and just turned up

My dd has an orthodontist appointment today and they sent a medical form in advance asking about contact with covid. I imagine if she'd answered yes to the questions we would have had to change the appointment especially as you need to take your mask off for it

And it sounds like common sense to me anyway

I’ve been at the dentist both last week and this week. I had to have a COVID screening call before I could attend my appointments. If I had any contact with someone who was positive then I would have had to cancel.

I actually thought this had stayed the same all the way through, in all medical settings.

I have had numerous hospital appointments at different hospitals over the past year and this has always been the case in my experience.

They have either phoned ahead and asked or asked before allowing entry to the hospital.

I had an urgent appt re cancer check and phoned the clinic the day before as my teenage ds had covid. They said fine to come in. I said were they sure as didnt want to travel 45 mins and be turned away. Said definitely ok. My husband was taking time off to take me and was sceptical so he rang too and they said it was absolutely fine for me to attend. When we arrived there was a big notice saying I needed to tell them if me or anyone in household had covid and if so I couldn't come in!

I work for the NHS and see outpatints. This is the rule where I work. The appointment letters we send out make this clear, and then patients are asked by reception again when they arrive.