People not masked in my Doctors' Surgery

Sadly Lyn, the government does not give a jot about people like us. They could sent an example of wearing face masks in Parliament but do not. Therefore I am not surprised at the lack of support from your local Conservative MP.
Anyway, my husband and I had our flu jab a week ago and thankfully most of the patients at the surgery this time wore masks, although the nurse only wore a face visor. Perhaps older folk are more sensible in wearing masks, since previously as mentioned, people in the waiting room at my surgery did not wear them at all whilst waiting to see the doctor.
I have to go next Friday for an MRI scan and hope I will be safe. My GP sent me to a private facility, so do not know if the staff there from receptionist to technicians, etc. are fully vaccinated. I believe NHS staff must be fully vaccinated as well as nursing home staff, but wonder about those who working are in private medicine. This makes me nervous. Have not been in any for of transport since about Jan/Feb 2020! How odd all this seems. Actually more concerned about catching Covid than finding out what is wrong with my neck and shoulder blades from the scan!
I still have not heard about getting my 3rd Covid jab or is it a booster - should be from 28th October anyway, being 6th month after my 2nd vaccination. Take your pick from any of the following: (1) my surgery website said I would be contacted OR (2) I should contact them the beginning of November OR (3) Do not call about appointments, according to the website OR (4) I will receive a text about an appointment (despite not having a mobile phone)!!!

1 Like

Been to both PCN vaccination centre and GP surgery and everyone except receptionist in GP surgery wore masks for which I am duly grateful. It is appalling that a Drs surgery should have such a lax attitude if they think it is OK try the PCN complaints or perhaps a letter in the local rag not criticising but saying how surprised you were would generate local pressure? Trouble is according to my neighbour who works at the GP practice in nearby town there is little the Drs can do if a member of staff point blank refuses to wear a mask as according to our beloved leaders they are perfectly entitled to do. At my neighbours surgery they had a couple of receptionists mask refuseniks (both also vaccine refusers) so they solved the problem with giant perspex panels which cut them off from public however as for the non mask wearing doctor seeing a blood cancer patient well I’d say he has broken the Hypocratic oath “first do no harm” what a bad example he sets.

2 Likes

Hi @Ismo, good ideas for @Lulu999 to try, it’s an unbelievable scandal that this surgery is so lax. It takes a lot for people to go against the crowd which I imagine is some of the problem in establishments.

We don’t have to wait for the Government to tell us to implement plan B, many individual thinkers are already taking this on themselves, particularly people in Bath who now have the unenviable position of having the most Covid infections in the country. The false negative test results from the lab in Wolverhampton being the main cause. I understand that they were given a £119 million contract for that shocking failure that had been going on for months. Organisations like this should take responsibility for the illness and no doubt deaths they have caused but I doubt anyone will be held responsible…

1 Like

Sorry to hear your surgery is so lax - at my countryside practice mask wearing is still required by everyone - to be honest i think it’s a good thing regardless of Covid - many times in the past I’ve asked to sit in a little side room waiting to go in as couldn’t see the point of sitting in a room filled with people coughing and sneezing - we have to make appointments now (previously we could just go and wait) and there’s never more than 5 or 6 in waiting room with chairs spaced out - i feel way more comfortable now

2 Likes

Hi Lulu999
My gp surgery has a sign on the door saying - ‘Masks need not be worn when attending appointments unless you have a cough’
I despair of this and still wear one and will continue to do so, should I have to go again.
That said, I am due to go for my 6 monthly bloods at The Cancer Centre at my local hospital next Tuesday and wonder what will happen there.

1 Like

I will always wear a mask - a FFP3 - when attending medical appointments. I also request that the person I am seeing wears one as well and if possible, the window is open. I also wear plastic gloves as well, as you just never know.

Do not fear - although the immunosuppressed are invisible to the general population, we have the right to be safe. If you are friendly and explain things to people and that you are vulnerable, most people will understand, especially medical staff. Good luck with your appointment. You may also want to sit away from other patients or even in a hallway. Sadly people just do not understand our situation.

3 Likes

Hi @Lulu999,our Surgery still requires mask wearing(Scotland) although when we went for our boosters in the Village Hall some were not wearing masks and they qerent exempt,its a strange one ,im keeping on with it .Stay safe .

1 Like

You stay safe as well.

By the way, I will do what I feel is safe for me, not what the government says as I have little faith. Their messages are often confusing to say the least. If you need advice, you are better off calling Blood Cancer UK or other cancer charities. I trust medical or scientific people more than politicians!!

2 Likes

The cancer unit at my hospital still asks that everyone wears masks and sanitise hands
Walking through the hospital no one is wearing them or in pharmacy
The walk in flu centre didn’t wear masks either and it was for vulnerable people
Thankfully I wore my shielding badge from blood cancer uk and given distance apart from the nurse giving the injection without a mask

I asked at my drs surgery if they could wear a mask when I went to have my flu jab and they said it’s a choice and they can’t enforce their staff to wear one

1 Like

When I had to go to two different A & Es, people were not wearing masks at all. The staff were, but just say you are vulnerable and ask medical personnel to wear this if they do not have it on when you have medical visits. When I was in A & E twice over the last month, I insisted somebody find me an individual seat, not those stuck together, so I could sit separately. Hospital staff did this for me, when I explained my situation. You have to look after no. 1 as nobody else will. People live in their own little world and it is not in our world, that of the immunosuppressed.

Take care.

2 Likes