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Diwali present for my doctor

Celeriac

Celeriac

Well-Known Member
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Type of diabetes
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Tablets (oral)
Fed up with constant criticism because I eat organic, because I have my food delivered and now I get criticism and questioned for wanting to buy a Diwali present.

Forget I even asked OK
 
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Always difficult if you are not of the same culture.
Do you know if they favour a particular deity? Do they have children? Are you a close friend of doctor?
Although it is the festival of light there is more to it than that.
Gifts of sweets, or food, or cards and games are also appropriate. Unless it was someone I was particularly close to I would probably not buy anything. But then I don't give Christmas cards to anyone at all, ever. I only give Christmas gifts to close family. I think too many religious festivals become a frenzy of comsumerism.

Edit: correct spelling
 
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Celeriac said:
My doctor is either Indian or British-born with Indian parents and celebrates Diwali, which this year falls on 15 November.

Last year I got him and his wife some glass tealight holders and some Yankee Candle candles to go in them, as it's the festival of lights.

I'm stuck for ideas this year !

Only ideas have been a rechargeable torch same make as his car but that was too expensive at £123 (light, geddit?) and organic ghee which seems too boring.

Any ideas welcome please !
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If the surgery has a chosen charity (mine supports the local air ambulance), if you feel you must do something, a charitable donation could be acceptable?

Obviously, I have no idea how this guy feels about things, but as a clinician, these sorts of gestures always felt very uncomfortable to me, and I would never accept any token to gratitude for doing my job. But, that's just me.
 
AndBreathe said:
If the surgery has a chosen charity (mine supports the local air ambulance), if you feel you must do something, a charitable donation could be acceptable?

Obviously, I have no idea how this guy feels about things, but as a clinician, these sorts of gestures always felt very uncomfortable to me, and I would never accept any token to gratitude for doing my job. But, that's just me.
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This sounds a good option.
Some teacher friends of mine have stipualated that they will not accept any gifts, as there was growing competition between parents as to who bought the most expensive 'bribe' to make sure their child was favoured.

Also, if I am not mistaken, I think all HCPs have to declare all gifts, even those from patients, under new legislation. (Sunshine rules) Could be a gift to doc is more trouble than it is worth to him.

Read More - Practice Management Magazine
practice-management.org.uk/.../gifts-from-patients-come-with-risk-gps-told

Edit: once again my spelling and grammar.
 
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Pipp said:
This sounds a good option.
Some teacher friends of mine have stipualated that they will not accept any gifts, as there was growing competition between parents as to who bought the most expensive 'bribe' to make sure their child was favoured.

Also, if I am not mistaken, I think all HCPs have to declare all gifts, even those from patients, under new legislation. (Sunshine rules) Could be a gift to doc is more trouble than it is worth to him.

Read More - Practice Management Magazine
practice-management.org.uk/.../gifts-from-patients-come-with-risk-gps-told

Edit: once again my spelling and grammar.
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The Bribery Act 2010 brought all sorts of implications to the table for all sorts of people and professionals. In my last couple of years in a proper job, I had to declare, in a register, everything I received over £100. Often this would be an invitation to a Conference, or a business dinner. It was an absolute pain, and tickets for Wimbledon, Ascot and so on became as much a pain as pleasure.
 
The Bribery Act was one of the dumbest pieces of legislation that went through parliament. It's not that the idea was bad, but that the implementation was terrible.
 
I always buy a tin of chocks for the girls on reception and the nurses at my Dr's for Christmas, as I appreciate all the hard work they do everyday, especially as they put up with me ringing up at the last moment if I've forgotten to order something on my script,

Mind I do the same for the girls on reception at my wonderful Vets too, its not bribery just a thank you.
 
AndBreathe said:
The Bribery Act 2010 brought all sorts of implications to the table for all sorts of people and professionals. In my last couple of years in a proper job, I had to declare, in a register, everything I received over £100. Often this would be an invitation to a Conference, or a business dinner. It was an absolute pain, and tickets for Wimbledon, Ascot and so on became as much a pain as pleasure.
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In my place of work, everything over £15 value must be declared. I think they may be over-interpreting the guidelines, but better safe than sorry.

In your place @Celeriac, i would avoid any present aimed specifically at your doc. Too open for questionable interpretation.

I would get a big box of biscuits, address it to all the practice staff, 'to show appreciation for all their hard work' and drop it off at reception.

Very often, the back office staff are the unsung heroes who enable the doc to do a good job, on lower incomes, and with just as much appreciation of a nice biscuit or posh choccy.
 
Unfortunately, as several posters have pointed out, the Bibery Act makes us all look as if we are toadying up to people for whom we just want to express gratitude.

I think the legislation is down to the enquiries following Shipman.

I do agree that the reception and other staff in surgeries are deserving of acknowledgement and recognition though.
 
Brunneria said:
In my place of work, everything over £15 value must be declared. I think they may be over-interpreting the guidelines, but better safe than sorry.

In your place @Celeriac, i would avoid any present aimed specifically at your doc. Too open for questionable interpretation.

I would get a big box of biscuits, address it to all the practice staff, 'to show appreciation for all their hard work' and drop it off at reception.

Very often, the back office staff are the unsung heroes who enable the doc to do a good job, on lower incomes, and with just as much appreciation of a nice biscuit or posh choccy.
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We started off lower than the £100, but the reporting, and associated admin (to the regulator) was a nightmare. The PAs were going bonkers over it all. It meant having a meeting at a third party office, where they provided coffee, biccies and maybe a sarnie for lunch became reportable.
 
I would never dream of giving my doctor a gift unless he were a special friend. After all, he is just doing her job, which he is paid handsomely for. A smile and a big thank you after an appointment is gratitude enough. If you really want to make a kind gesture, then a Diwali card seems to me to be more appropriate.
 
AndBreathe said:
We started off lower than the £100, but the reporting, and associated admin (to the regulator) was a nightmare. The PAs were going bonkers over it all. It meant having a meeting at a third party office, where they provided coffee, biccies and maybe a sarnie for lunch became reportable.
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I think they were a tad over the top.

I would be dubious that anything I partook of was reported, but I am very pleased I seem to have missed the 2010 legislation by a fair few years :)

Back on track though, oil lights, scented, are a reasonable gift, or even flowers.
 
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Chinese lanterns is an idea to consider...

Though, my Jap import car club let some lanterns go at a Stourport meet a number of years ago in memory of a deceased member & a West Midlands news paper reported UFO sightings the following week... :D
 
By the way, Diwali is a Hindu celebration not an Indian celebration.

Hopefully, you're not making any assumptions. That could be embarrassing.
 
The idea of giving a present to a doctor has never crossed my mind. I find the whole idea embarrassing and inappropriate. But maybe I'm just a cheapskate?
 
I have known my GP for about ten years, and used to be on the PPG. Since I'm on hugging terms with him and his wife, get to see his holiday photos and get a Christmas card from them, I don't feel that I'm being inappropriate.

I know that they celebrate Diwali because we had the conversation, it wasn't an assumption by me.

At Christmas, I buy something for all the staff and card and I just give my GP a card. I feel that giving him and wife a Diwali present means more somehow.

I don't buy anything really expensive but on the other hand, I don't have a budget for it. I just buy something that seems the right idea.

I didn't start this thread to get accused of bribing my GP or being culturally inappropriate. Nor am I remotely interested in the Bribery Act. Lighten up people it's just a little thank you.
 
Celeriac said:
Lighten up people it's just a little thank you.
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I'm glad you said that since it saves me from having to say it.
If I want to give something to a friend I (presumably) respect it will be something I value, an offering of myself as it were. A book? The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran, or a framed copy of the Desiderata. The latter is more straightforward; Gibran says a few awkward things.
 
Celeriac said:
I have known my GP for about ten years, and used to be on the PPG. Since I'm on hugging terms with him and his wife, get to see his holiday photos and get a Christmas card from them, I don't feel that I'm being inappropriate.

I know that they celebrate Diwali because we had the conversation, it wasn't an assumption by me.

At Christmas, I buy something for all the staff and card and I just give my GP a card. I feel that giving him and wife a Diwali present means more somehow.

I don't buy anything really expensive but on the other hand, I don't have a budget for it. I just buy something that seems the right idea.

I didn't start this thread to get accused of bribing my GP or being culturally inappropriate. Nor am I remotely interested in the Bribery Act. Lighten up people it's just a little thank you.
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From my part, any mention of the Bribery Act was to bring forward a potentially uncomfortable impact on him, the recipient, rather than something about you. (Of course, I wouldn't speak for the others.)
 
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