A stupid rule like this should be broken

What you did was kind and helpful, sb. In a public(?) waiting-room I don't really see why the crocheter couldn't have just kept an eye on the children too.

perhaps I shouldn't haven offered to help have given her a lecture on getting childcare for her grandchildren.

and there was plenty of room!

It was not clear on the letter and this lady had taken time off from her job as a nurse to keep her app. If you look at the stats for people who don't turn up for appointments esp cervical smears and breast screening we need to make child care easier not harder and as for doing her crochet well!!

What if one of the children had decided to take off from the mobile screening unit - what should the other radiographer have done in those circumstances? Run after the child - and the units are usually in car parks - and risked being accused of 'grabbing' him or her and then be suspended from work with an enquiry, or call for the grandmother who may have been in a state of undress?

It was kind of you to offer to look after them but she shouldn't have taken them with her. They should, however, make it clear on the appointment letters that children should not be brought to appointments.

It is so easy to re-arrange these appointments that there would have been no need for her to take the children. They even do them on Saturday mornings which is when I had mine after I had to change it at least 3 times for childcare and other reasons. There was absolutely no problem about changing it. Imagine if everyone took one or two children. The thin edge of the wedge !

Exactly harrigran, would not dawn on me to consider attending such an intimate appointment with children in tow. Its not like it could not be rearranged to suit either....a breast screening is such a regular occurrence. And if one was daft enough to take offence and not attend.....then is that not a silly case of cutting one's nose off to spite your face?

I am having mine tomorrow morning, nowhere on my letter does it state children can not attend, not that I would take them anyway.

Not a stupid rule for reasons stated by others but also for the fact that space and seating inside the unit is very limited. If another patient had arrived with a couple of children would subsequent patients be expected to wait outside ?

I agree that this is not a stupid rule. I wouldn't leave my gc with a stranger even for a few minutes. Sorry Sue.

I disagree that its a silly rule. All aspects of child care, whether for a few minutes or a few hours need to be transparent to ensure safety of the children and the carer. I was involved in pre-schools and Home Start and we always had to ensure all those in unsupervised contact were checked and also, just as importantly, carers did not lay themselves open to malicious accusations. These two children might well have been delightful on this occasion but what if a misunderstanding occurred and an unguarded comment was made? Its always best to be above board and official when unrelated children are involved. All this lady needed to have done was invite a friend she knew to accompany her if she was unable to leave them at home. Such appointments are usually of long standing and My sympathies are with the staff who were placed in an uncomfortable position.

Child safety is all our responsibilities and its been brought home to me only today. My daughter has begun a new job working with the police and in the last couple of days a colleague of hers has just dealt with a case where a member of the public has asked for a new family friend to be checked out under the 'Sara's Law' provisions. Within 24 hours the man was arrested for being a threat and in breach of previous rulings.

It does say quite clearly on the letter I receive that small children should not be brought as there is nowhere for them to be left while being scanned its unfortunate that the lady didn't know this before she arrived. Well done you for helping her out.

You were very nice to help out like this but I do have some sympathy for the rule. Does the letter make it clear that children can't be brought? My dgs2 had to have an MRI and the letter was clear about no children so I looked after dgs1. Not all children are well behaved, are they?

Sorry to disagree Sue but she knew in advance when the appointment was and should have taken steps to ensure there was someone able to look after the children.

I look after my GC on a regular basis, but for something as important as this I'd tell my own children that on this occasion they needed to make an alternate arrangement. Where there's a will....