Doctor's receptionists!

louise1234_2

Basically I was concerned I had chest infection/something more serious and called doctors to make an appt, as you do.

The receptionist then grilled me as to why I wished to see the Doctor. I described to her all the symptoms of pnemonia, but as I said cough as my first symptom - she would not give me an appt, saying i had to do this new scheme at chemist (obviously for colds etc.)

She would not believe me when I said I thought it was something more serious, and I only got an appt (5 days away) as I needed to see the doctor about something else. As she was dragon like, this was the best way around.

She then had to 'check' it would be laright for me to see GP about this as well!! 10 minutes of grilling when I was ill - cheers!

Anyway, after getting worse, and diagnosing myself on net with pnemonia, I called NHS Direct - who OTT made me go by Ambulance to A&E.

Casualty's diagnosis was either pnemonia (more likely) or possibly foreign body in lung.

I think it is terrible that a medical decision is made by someone, who only has a medical qualifications to spell the words!! Or none at all.

I am appalled I gave all the symptoms (definite & additional) of pnemonia & just because I said cough first, she would not let me see Doctor regarding this.

Thinking about complaining, suggesting reception staff do medical course (other than spelling) before restricting access to GP's.

Anyone else have stories of evil receptionists??

sunflower_2

thats a shocking story !!

my doc's receptionists arent so much evil - but i just feel embarrassed having to explain my ailments to them

whats it got to do with them?

Magentasue

I hate all this pretence that people are being 'qualified' to do jobs that just need experience and people skills. Medical Reception is one - my GP had two receptionists that knew me by name and knew my family. They never asked why I needed to see or speak to my doctor but were happy to take a message if that's what I wanted. Now we have a new surgery with partners and a pack of receptionists who are wannabe nurses. I just say 'I'm not prepared to discuss that with you' but they don't like it - when I mentioned it to my GP, he laughed and said 'You're braver than I am, they scare me to death!'

Glad

that's awful Louise

receptionists shouldn't be making medical decisions and the oppertunity of having a same day emergency appointment should always be offered,
see nhs.uk for how to complain about NHS treatment,

your first course of action is a local complaint to the surgery, write aletter to the practise manager outlining your complaint and set a date when you expect a response by, ask for acknowledgement of the letter and keep all correspondence.

SnowyOwl_2

Used to belong to a surgery in Harrow Wealdstone where if you called up to make an appointment they would put you on hold - held once for over an hour from work! Woman I worked for was v.understanding when I told her what I was doing. She even phoned the surgery and explained that her employee was on the other line for over an hour and that she wanted me to get back to work. Did they pick the phone up and speak to me...did they hell! Can't remember now how long I continued to hold but it was a long time and in the end I just put the phone down and registered elsewhere.

Had a friend who went to the same surgery. On one occasion when she called to make an appointment she got the male receptionist who wanted to know what was wrong with her. Answer was bad period pain to which he commented that wasn't very serious, and take some paracetamol. She had actually been advised, at 24, to consider a hysterectomy as she was having major problems. The !!!!!! on the phone made her feel like a stupid whinging child/woman and humiliated her on this very personal problem.

Have had the receptionists at other surgerys make me spell out what was wrong as well. It's so embarrassing, and as the other posters on here have indicated it's none of their business. They are not qualified to make any decision or comment about a patient's health, they are administrators and should stick to doing admin. GPs should be ashamed of themselves that their patients are allowed to be treated and patronised in this way.

SammyPops

GP's are under a very heavy workload. It is the receptionists job to find out the nature of the call and divert it accordingly. They do have medical training for the job and are there to do more than 'just admin'.

People ring up demanding to speak to the doctor for trivial things like the results of a blood test, which the receptionist can give over the phone. People may ring up wanting a smear which can be dealt with by a practice nurse rather than the doctor. They might have an illness which can be self treated by seeing the pharmacist and buying over the counter medicines. Some cases may just need reassurance which the doctor can do with a quick telephone call rather than booking out a whole appointment.

I agree some are dragons, but they do need to know what is wrong with you, so they can recommend the best course of action. As with any services sometimes they do get it wrong, as with OP's post, but generally they do help ease the workload on the doctor which is better for all of us.

We all have experienced long waits to see a GP. By not telling the receptionist why you are ringing and demanding an appointment, you could be wasting GP time and adding to the wait for others.

mini

I usually ring NHS Direct first 0845 4647 I find their advice & questions informative & reassuring, if they recommend seeing a doctor I feel 'armed' to ring surgery & always say NHS Direct have said for me to ring. I have also found NHS Direct give an indication of how urgent they view your problem. For my daughter I was told she had to see a doctor within an hour then they rang back to check I had acted on their advice:) Other times they have said see a doctor today.

mini

SammyPops

Do ring and book an appointment with your surgery after NHS Direct advise seeing your GP. Don't just turn up at the surgery.

My aunt is a GP's receptionist and was working in the baby clinic, when a young woman arrived at the desk. She had been diagnosed with mumps over the phone and NHS Direct had said she must go to her GP's ASAP.

The surgery were quite annoyed about this, as they had a waiting room full of tiny babies, some of which have not been immunised yet, and this highly infectious woman walked right through the middle of them.

My aunt immediately removed her from the waiting room, and stuck her in the staff common room, and she had to wait till another GP came back from house calls to see her. If only she had rang in advance, they would have given her an appointment for evening surgery and made sure she was not putting other patients at risk.

mini

Just to clarify NHS direct have always told me to ring, not turn up at the doctors, or ask for a doctor to visit. We are lucky to have super helpful local GP's - once you get past the receptionist;)

Bossyboots

We only get asked what is wrong if we are trying to make an emergency appointment so that the receptionist can assess if it is truly an emergency. So far I have never been asked what is wrong when booking a routine appointment. Like others here, I would not tell them even if they did ask.

I can understand why they ask for emergency appointments but they do need to be more discreet. A lady rang while I was there one evening saying she needed to see the doctor that night as her leg was really painful and she couldn't put her weight on it. All the other patients knew that information because the receptionist rang the doctor and asked him about it. The patient was asked whether she could get to the morning surgery and she said she couldn't because she was going to work. Not surprisingly she was asked to make a routine appointment as it clearly wasn't that bad. If that lady had been seen though we would all have known when she came in what was wrong with her. Imagine if it had been something personal.

Poppy9

I rarely ring to see my GP luckily but when I do I always refuse to tell them why I want to see a doctor. I had trouble getting a non urgent appointment for my daughter and myself outside school/office hours. They simply refused to give me one as their appointment system was between 9am and 3pm. Before 9am emergencies only after 3pm turn up and wait. Having previously turned up and waited 2 hours before being seen I was not prepared to do that. I asked to speak to practice manager who informed me they were incorrect and should have issued me with an appointment. I am not allowed time off for medical appointments unless I can make back the time. Difficult if you have school age children and are limited when you can work.

I have also avoided going to the doctor because we are constantly by the Health Service told there is nothing they can do for a sore throat etc. and to just go to the pharmist. However on one occassion the infection spread from my throat to my sinuses and ears and when I did eventually go to the doctor they told me I should have come a week earlier as my condition was now serious.

Not all receptionist are awful - my fathers surgery was brilliant. The surgery building itself had been condemed as it was 100 year old mid terrace house that had never been updated. Rooms with no windows or air conditioning has simply been built using plywood. Yet amongst all this was an angel - the receptionist. I had turned up there for the first time ever to collect a repeat prescription for my father. I joined a lengthy queue and noticed that the receptionist knew them all by name and asked after them and their family. As they were predominently elderly this meant a lot to them. I was warmly greeted and when she gave me the prescription she asked after my father etc. She was working in sh*t conditions, the waiting room was packed and she simply had a desk amongst them yet there was a lovely atmostphere in the room. Contrast to my modern surgery with a receptionist who took delight in telling you to redial for prescription on another number, not the one listed in the phone book, she would then put down the phone and pick the one next to it up when it rang for a prescription. She would smirk at waiting patients. Else she would loudly ask you in front of the waiting room "When is your next period" if you needed to book in for a smear