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Original poster

Time off for medical appointments and treatment

11 replies

SwimmingDonuts · 19/01/2022 20:53

Where I work time off for routine medical appointments is no longer paid.

I have a hospital appointment coming up, where I anticipate that I will be referred for a month-long course of outpatient treatments. There is some flexibility with the timings of the treatments. I will do my best, but cannot guarantee they will be outside working hours. There is no flexibility with the first appointment.

Do these count as 'routine appointments'?

OP posts:

ChatterMonkey · 19/01/2022 20:55

Sounds like it would need to be something you manage with annual leave/unpaid leave.

Sideswiped · 19/01/2022 20:58

No, I don't think this comes under the umbrella of 'routine appointments'. Those would be GP or dentists.
You could ask your HR department if you have one.

EBearhug · 19/01/2022 21:02

Routine appointments to me are dental check-ups, optician check-up, smear tests, and other similar routine things.

We're meant to go for non-work time if possible, but are allowed to make up time otherwise (as the GP doesn't always have 08:30 appointments available.) But actual treatment doesn't count as routine.

Original poster

SwimmingDonuts · 19/01/2022 23:08

I can't take holiday or make up time. It's either paid leave or unpaid leave. Or does it count as sick leave?

OP posts:

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 20/01/2022 08:39

Appointments wouldn't count as sick leave in any workplace I've been at.

It would be unpaid leave or annual leave, though management have always been able to use discretion and may have paid you if the timing was unavoidable.

LIZS · 20/01/2022 08:43

I would say the procedure is sick leave. Depending how long the treatment goes on it may be covered by an absence policy as paid.

Gonnagetgoing · 20/01/2022 14:25

With me I had this recently only it was dental work - but much needed and fairly emergency too. The dentist who was going to undertake it are approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour away.

I tried to ensure I either had the appointments last thing or first thing - first thing I think was 9am and last thing 4.30pm.

My work said I should make the time up - so work late, through lunch breaks or start early which I've done so far apart from 1 appointment where I had to have the whole day off (I could've taken the afternoon only but decided to take whole day). Turned out I had an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic used whilst I was being operated on (I was violently sick) and they had to use another one, I'd had the same anaesthetic before and no issues so no idea why then! I also hadn't realised how serious the op was, I was very sensitive and numb with lots of stitches in my front tooth area and could only eat soft foods etc. I also had bleeding overnight after the op. The next day I felt awful, woozy and not with it and I took that as sick leave.

Before with dentists or doctors appointments at previous workplaces I've always not had to make the time up and presumably this would be sick leave, even for simple dental check ups. No quibbles about this either and was in permanent jobs. I did try and we were asked to take appointments either start of day or after work - or as near to those times as possible but of course sometimes you can't do that. Sometimes I'm sure I made time up by working extra.

I was going through a stage of having early morning doctor appointments (for a specific condition) plus blood tests and I was still in on time and then someone (colleague I think) complained when I was in slightly late due to train being delayed I said I'd have been late anyway as trains were delayed and I'd left the house earlier to go to the doctors really early (they had 7.30 appointments!) so I couldn't see why they were complaining! They shut up after that...

Gonnagetgoing · 20/01/2022 14:26

@SwimmingDonuts

I can't take holiday or make up time. It's either paid leave or unpaid leave. Or does it count as sick leave?

Refer to your HR department policy.

Gonnagetgoing · 20/01/2022 14:27

@SwimmingDonuts

I can't take holiday or make up time. It's either paid leave or unpaid leave. Or does it count as sick leave?

What you could do but you're supposed to have a standard is it 30 mins lunch anyway - why don't you suggest you take 30 mins lunch or start early? Can't see the issue there.

CurbsideProphet · 20/01/2022 14:32

I wouldn't say a course of hospital treatment was routine.

I get paid leave for medical appointments and treatment. For example I'm going through IVF and I get paid time off to attend my appointments and procedures. I wouldn't be expected to use leave to attend anything medical. It sounds like I'm very lucky indeed.

LauraJayne15 · 22/01/2022 15:35

I would recommend reading the HR leave and sickness policies and chatting to your union (if applicable).

My appointments for two medical conditions been paid and logged as medical appointments over the last year. I was needing to take time away during working hours and could not influence the timing at all. The HR policy was very wishywashy phrasing along the lines of medical appointments being outside of working hours but there was a phrase about ongoing medical conditions being paid time off with management approval.

With support of my manager and the union steward I got HR to agree to these appointment being paid. It’s made a huge difference - otherwise I would have used half my annual leave on visiting the hospital instead of relaxing!

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