Do You Agree?

[lynbrown]

My dentist has banned access to the toilet in his surgery. Even though I offered to wipe it down ie handles/flush etc, she said I should make sure I go before I leave the house! But going to the dentist makes me anxious, I am 77 and take water tablets - quite a combination. I cant get another dentist, they are all full. Is this fair?

[calmck]

I think it is ridiculous

[Sqad]

No it doesn't seem fair.
However it is what it is, so don't take your water tablets on the day of your dental appointment.

[Vagus]

If you take water tablets in the morning then make your dental appointment in the afternoon, at whatever time is most acceptable to you.
Our dentist is the same, I too have toilet issues in the morning so it’s not just dentists I make afternoon appointments with.
It’s just the way it is at the moment.

[barry1010]

My dental practice has never had a patient’s toilet

[EdmundD]

I would say not fair.

My dentist's receptionist takes the patient's temperature and directs people to the toilet to wash their hands or to use the sanitiser.

If you want to use the toilet anyway you can.

[ummmm]

They must do Barry.

[burlyshirley]

I think it's ludicrous !

[Peter Pedant]

it doesnt look like they are obliged to supply them

Toilet facilities:
- Control patient and staff access to toilets (e.g. patients should request access)
so that environmental cleaning (including handles) can be performed after each use

control access doesnt look like free access ( you wouldnt control unless you coulld say no)

which is kinda odd - since sqad will know that if you say to sister on a ward, I am going to the bog, and she says - no toilets for patients, there would be....er an explosion - a flood of complaints

[DTCwordfan]

Just unload on the reception floor - what can they do?

[DTCwordfan]

And then sell your story to the Daily Mail......!

[New Judge]

My dentist does not have a toilet. Some years ago I used a dentist in Drury Lane, London and he didn't have one either.

This paranoia by business and services preventing people using facilities is simply ridiculous and needs to stop.

[eve1974]

That is crazy! People need the loo! Whatever next! I’d put the complaint I writing!

[eve1974]

This whole covid paranoia is out of control.

Yes covid is awful, it’s real but For Funks Sake .... ban on loo use??!!

[margarettom]

Unfortunately life isn’t fair, so the best thing is to try and find a possible solution.
1. As Sqad says don’t take your water tablets that day or, as Vagus says, get an afternoon appointment.
2. Go straight to your appointment from the house and straight home.
3. Perhaps try some Tena Lady pants to give you more confidence.

[barry1010]

Why must they, ummm? They don't provide refreshments nor ever have reason to ask for urine samples. There is no legal requirements for dentists to provide toilets as far as I know

[Mamyalynne]

Seems unfair to have a toilet on the premises and refuse the use of it, at the very least it should be available on request.

[david small]

Paranoid behaviour from the over anxious. Common sense, a rare thing nowadays.

[elliemay1]

I think it's very unfair. I was at the Library today and there was no access to a toilet there either.

[Atheist]

When we are in France, every supermarket has clean customer toilets; our local library has lovely loos; every town and most villages have public toilets - some of them only have holes in the floor, but that's better than nothing. It's difficult to get caught short there. French dentists, I don't know.

[Buenchico]

A need to go to the loo often counts as a disability. Businesses and service providers must, by law, make 'reasonable adjustments', wherever possible, to enable those with disabilities to have the same access to their services as people without disabilities do.

As I see it, simply ensuring that a loo is sanitised after a client has used it, would count as a 'reasonable adjustment' for a dental surgery to make.

Our local doctors' surgery has kept both of their loos available for use during Covid, with many people visiting the adjacent pharmacy (who aren't even using the surgery itself) often nipping in there for a pee. To the best of my knowledge, all supermarkets with loos have kept them open as well. I can't see where the difference is meant to be.