Nelson Were GP / Doctor Bag
My husband bought the Nelson Were GP / Doctors Bag as a gift for me when I completed my GP training. He followed a link on a doctors’ group on facebook where it was being advertised by one of Nelson Were's friends who is a doctor and said hers was great. It cost almost £1000.
The bag is poorly manufactured and poorly designed.
I had to send it back soon after receiving it because the hinges on the bag kept falling out. The clasp on the bag opens itself when you pick the bag up by the handle if there is any weight in the bag. I had assumed the clasp would work once the hinges were replaced, but unfortunately this is not the case, so the clasp is also faulty. The doctor who advertised it on social media did not mention the faulty hinges or clasp, so I can only assume that because she is their personal friend they took a lot more care manufacturing hers.
I mentioned the clasp to the company and they told me I could try using the key supplied with the bag to lock it when in use. I have no idea what they are talking about because no key came with this bag when it was delivered.
There is an insert with compartments inside the bag which takes up almost the entire space. I found that I could not stand anything like a pocket otoscope or dip sticks in the compartments because the bag is not tall enough and would not close if I did so. In order to have the space to put normal GP equipment like a stethoscope or a sphygmomanometer in the bag I had to take out the insert, making the insert redundant. The shoulder strap is flimsy and I was always worried it would snap when bearing the weight of a loaded GP bag. The clasp kept opening when I picked it up by the handle, so I had to carry it under my arm like a clutch purse when going about my business.
I tried my hardest to use this bag for its stated purpose, but it was infuriating trying to use it so I had to admit defeat and give up. It was a humiliating experience for my husband to realise that something he had spent so much money on as a special gift is in fact worthless junk.
This company has a very colourful instagram site and web page. If you take a look you will see that they make lots of leather belts and purses shaped like mice. The quality of their work is probably fine if you’re buying a novelty purse, but they evidently do not have the skills to make something practical and hard wearing like a doctor’s bag.