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Magazines at the Doctor's surgery

I've just been doctors. Why are the magazines always years old? I picked one up and it featured Lady Diana's funeral. How long has she been dead? I should have nicked them and put em on the Antique roadshow!


Created By on 17/10/2016

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Suzy123
6th Sep 2019 02:59:19
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I had taken my mother to her pulmonary doctor last fall and actually saw a woman reading one of the office magazines when the woman sneezed...covering her mouth with the magazine. I couldn't help but think of all the people with colds, flu, etc., touching the magazines. I'm by no means a clean freak, but now my mother and I wear masks when we go to the doctor. My mother's white blood count is very low and she is more susceptible to colds, viruses and other illnesses. I wear a mask to prevent taking something home that will make all of us sick.
GlynysH
20th Jan 2018 18:06:10 (Last activity: 27th Mar 2019 13:30:08)
1
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I never read magazines at the doctors as I want to go into see the GP and leave.
Response from ElisabethR made on 27th Mar 2019 13:30:08
You are lucky if you have never had a wait!
ElisabethR
3rd Mar 2019 10:17:21 (Last activity: 3rd Mar 2019 13:08:32)
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No more magazines at my doctor's surgery. Took a bunch of month old mags in,thought they would love them. Whoops the infection thing came up! Excuse me but I had no idea people had been dying in droves from reading magazines in doctor's surgeries! Hadn't noticed they had gone. Always carry a book with me in case of long waits etc. Good when I go in for a coffee too, so many people sit alone staring into space.
Response from jeanmark made on 3rd Mar 2019 13:08:32
ElizabethR, it is related to the risk of magazines carrying various infections because they are handled by so many people. The risk may be small, considering any surface such as door handles etc. will be contaminated, but it is still there and any small step to prevent cross-contamination is considered good practice. Having said that my surgery has no such problem as they have considered research and carried out appropriate risk assessments. Interestingly, no one appears to have the same problem handling money and look how that changes hands, whether washed or not!
Polly
10th Feb 2018 14:28:26 (Last activity: 10th Feb 2018 14:54:02)
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Magazines can transfer infection from patient to patient
Response from jeanmark made on 10th Feb 2018 14:54:02
The interesting things is so can doorhandles etc. Any surface touched by one person can transfer viruses and bacteria to another and I'm not sure handling a magazine increases the risk.
wynw
25th May 2017 20:27:25 (Last activity: 10th Feb 2018 14:20:48)
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I agree I did ask some time ago if I could bring some mags that I had but was told NO , so now there only about 2 mags there,
Response from Polly made on 10th Feb 2018 14:20:48
I used to work in my local hospital in the outpatient department and the reasons why we had to refuse offers of magazines was that because so many people handled them they would transfer infections ect from patient to patient and for as much as we’d like to think people washed their hands after going to the toilet many just don’t......hence no mags.
My advice would be take your own magazine/paper/book
ArchieUK
17th Oct 2016 09:44:56 (Last activity: 15th Nov 2017 12:34:43)
4
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When I have to go to the doctors I go because I am not well, not to read the magazines, if you are that concerned why not go to the local newsagent buy a few copies of up to date magazines and donate them to the surgery.
Response from britishtea made on 15th Nov 2017 12:34:43
That is an idea
britishtea
15th Nov 2017 12:19:03
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Jennyed
28th Jul 2017 16:06:33
1
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cloudless13
2nd Feb 2017 14:34:34
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You have kind of just answered the question you have posed..... People nick them, if its current they take them home with them.....
happystar
28th Oct 2016 15:25:39 (Last activity: 6th Nov 2016 12:11:36)
1
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I don't bother with waiting room magazines, I always take a book, a flask of coffee, and a pillow, last time I went to see the doc I read War and Peace, had a nap and then a reviving cup of coffee while I waited my turn.
Response from Ariadne made on 6th Nov 2016 12:11:36
Well H.P sounds as though you didn't have an appointment !!!! or,,, got there a tad early.
Ariadne
6th Nov 2016 09:11:22 (Last activity: 6th Nov 2016 12:05:21)
1
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Ah yes ,, surgery magazines ,,, If I find that all the crosswords have been done,,,, I know that I am in for a looooooong wait
Response from Georgie Girl made on 6th Nov 2016 10:03:42
Ha Ha Ariadne, bear in mind though the magazines will no doubt be second hand and crosswords done prior to leaving them in the surgery.
Response from Ariadne made on 6th Nov 2016 12:05:21
I "FLIP " in hope G.G
jeanmark
17th Oct 2016 15:31:50 (Last activity: 6th Nov 2016 11:32:16)
2
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They are there to offer health care not entertainment and would you rather they divert essential funding to such things? Why not donate a magazine yourself to try and help. My practice also runs a book exchange to help raise funds, books are donated by patients etc. and people can leave a small donation when they take one. This has been well received by everyone attending particularly as there is a wide selection of topics, fiction and non-fiction. Funds raised are then donated to a variety of charities and also help provide magazines for the surgery.
Response from Ariadne made on 6th Nov 2016 09:21:18
WHY NOT JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER,,!!!!! whilst you wait ???
Response from jeanmark made on 6th Nov 2016 11:32:16
Talk, I shudder at the thought!!!
Andre
28th Oct 2016 13:18:35 (Last activity: 6th Nov 2016 09:15:03)
1
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Goodness knows how many germs we are picking up when we look at these magazines!
Response from jeanmark made on 28th Oct 2016 13:52:06
And how many when we handle money, door handles, items on a supermarket shelf? We could go on and on. We do not live in a sterile world, thus standing in a bus queue and just being in public is as high a risk as magazines in a doctors surgery
Response from jeanmark made on 28th Oct 2016 13:56:14
But LittleMinx I hadn't realised we should wear them whenever we go out in public!
Response from jeanmark made on 28th Oct 2016 15:07:30
Sorry, I'm all out of ideas but will there be patterned as well as coloured suits?
Response from happystar made on 28th Oct 2016 16:13:15
Nein, zair vill be only yellow, you vill vear ze yellow, or for you ze var on germs vill be over!
Response from Ariadne made on 6th Nov 2016 09:15:03
No Andrew,,,,, we take our germs with us,,, for other patients to pick up...
anf
29th Oct 2016 17:43:04 (Last activity: 6th Nov 2016 09:13:37)
0
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My doctors do not have magazines of any sort. If you leave any they throw them away It is much cleaner and tidier. I always take my own.
Response from Ariadne made on 6th Nov 2016 09:13:37
Maybe ,one day we will just go and stand in a queue,, ...that will be so much cleaner,,
Georgie Girl
28th Oct 2016 17:53:01
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Well now Hammers, how about taking a couple of magazines into the surgery for others next time you go, which is hopefully not often!
[deleted]
22nd Oct 2016 19:23:23 (Last activity: 23rd Oct 2016 14:05:00)
0
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[deleted]
Response from jeanmark made on 23rd Oct 2016 13:30:39
I don't think I have ever been in Zen mode and have decided that being a grumpy old woman has its benefits, particularly when shopping. Talking about cannabis, many years ago the mother of one of my patients used to bake him a 'cannabis' cake and bring it in for him. We were just told not to try it, not sure all my staff obeyed!
Response from jeanmark made on 23rd Oct 2016 14:05:00
I spent my fortieth birthday in bed with the worst migraine I had ever suffered so don't want a repeat of that. Do I feel my age, no I feel my sisters and she is three years older! I tried meditation many years ago, it wasn't really for me, I didn't want to find my inner self, had enough problems finding my outer one. Each to their own.

Unfortunately I saw the negative side of people using cannabis but maybe that is why your nurses were laughing all night. However, having worked as a night sister for eleven years it was more likely hysterics!
[deleted]
21st Oct 2016 21:51:14 (Last activity: 22nd Oct 2016 18:24:32)
1
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[deleted]
Response from jeanmark made on 22nd Oct 2016 15:19:03
No, you're being lighthearted LittleMinx and that is healthy but maybe you have found a gap in the market. Would they come in different colours?
Response from jeanmark made on 22nd Oct 2016 18:24:32
I think we are all like that, the problem is as I get older I find more and more things irritate me!

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