VENT-Doctors Receptionists

Heamol

How do the receptionists know what aliments people are seeing the doctor about?

I thought it was all supposed to be confidential? We don't have to give details when we book an appointment- just say whether it's urgent or whether it can wait a couple of days for a regular appointment.

Poppie68

From what i understand the receptionist never actually said those words....the OP says she 'sighed' and the rest is what the OP has percieved from that sigh.

Paully232000

They are fully trained in the art of getting peoples backs up....its in the job description.

In my surgery you phone for an appointment and they get the practice nurse to phone you back (usually 5 minutes later) and ask you all sorts of questions. This is fine by me as they know what they are talking about and actually have a medical qualification.

mightyroyals

Poppie68 wrote: »

From what i understand the receptionist never actually said those words....the OP says she 'sighed' and the rest is what the OP has percieved from that sigh.

No they did say what i put!!!

poet123

fluffnutter wrote: »

I expect there are. It's no secret that many appointments simply aren't necessary. But people go to the doctors for all sorts of reasons - because they're sad, they're lonely, they're frightened, they have mental health issues. I don't doubt receptionists get weary of seeing the same old faces, but it's upsetting enough visiting the doctor without having to suffer the sighs and tuts of the receptionist who can barely conceal the fact that she thinks you're a time-waster.

This isn't aimed at your friend, poet. But this kind of attitude is pervasive and leads to the kind of treatment that the OP has encountered. Whether or not he or she should be there is something the receptionist needs to try not to have an opinion on.

I agree that they should not ever show their opinion but I don't agree they are not entitled to have one.

This is a similar issue to patients rolling up at A&E with minor complaints and that is actually a campaign to get people to realise that they can and should deal with some health issues themselves. I don't see there is a real difference here.

bluekp wrote: »

I'm sure you are right that there have been times when the op has had appointments where in reality there probably was "nothing" wrong. Unfortunately with health anxiety the illness is not a physical one, thus the op would need to go to the GP for the reassurance they need in order to move on.

I suffered from health anxiety for years too, and I asked for help and went for stress control classes (these didn't work for me), then for one-on-one counselling. This appears to have worked, but I still have the occasional wobble so can understand how the op feels.

I personally would be furious if I received that response from a receptionist - health anxiety IS a health issue.

Health Anxiety is also known as Hypochondria according to the dictionary but that is a less user friendly diagnosis so the new term was coined. I am at the other end of the scale here and almost never, ever set foot in the surgery, I am, if you like, Doctor Phobic, working off the rationale that most things will pass, and largely they do. This approach can be as big a problem as Hypochondria and I recognise that. I am aware those of us who are this way are judged just as much by those who work in the system as those who are there at the drop of a hat. They send us constant appointments for health clinics that we ignore, yet still they try.

There has to be a happy medium, and those of us who fall either side of that will be looked at askance by those who have no issues and those who work in the field. Such is life.

LimeLight

Our receptionists are lovely and do a good job of calming me down when I'm in a panic.

Poppie68

mightyroyals wrote: »

No they did say what i put!!!

If that was actually said, you need to phone the surgery back and ask to speak to the practice manager, hopefully your surgery records calls, all it will take is for the PM to listen to the call and deal with it, and hopefully this incident will not cause you anymore anxiety.

bluekp

poet123 - I don't disagree with you. There are those of us who go to the doctors more than is necessary, and those of us who won't go at all. Neither is right, neither is wrong. Each time I called the doctors wanting an appointment (which really wasn't that often), I still felt guilty for taking up an appointment for something which I was sure would turn out to be nothing, but only the doctors reassurance could quell that nasty voice in my head that said "but what if......"

I think what we should consider is that for some there is a particular event or events which triggers these things off (health anxiety/Hypochondria).

For me watching someone I love battle the big "C" (and very sadly lose) for 5 years is what triggered mine off. When you watch some you love suffer, and see that every ache or pain leads to something worse, it's hard not to be affected psychologically.

mightyroyals

bluekp wrote: »

poet123 - I don't disagree with you. There are those of us who go to the doctors more than is necessary, and those of us who won't go at all. Neither is right, neither is wrong. Each time I called the doctors wanting an appointment (which really wasn't that often), I still felt guilty for taking up an appointment for something which I was sure would turn out to be nothing, but only the doctors reassurance could quell that nasty voice in my head that said "but what if......"

I think what we should consider is that for some there is a particular event or events which triggers these things off (health anxiety/Hypochondria).


For me watching someone I love battle the big "C" (and very sadly lose) for 5 years is what triggered mine off. When you watch some you love suffer, and see that every ache or pain leads to something worse, it's hard not to be affected psychologically.

This is exactly how my health anxiety started.

poet123

bluekp wrote: »

poet123 - I don't disagree with you. There are those of us who go to the doctors more than is necessary, and those of us who won't go at all. Neither is right, neither is wrong. Each time I called the doctors wanting an appointment (which really wasn't that often), I still felt guilty for taking up an appointment for something which I was sure would turn out to be nothing, but only the doctors reassurance could quell that nasty voice in my head that said "but what if......"

I think what we should consider is that for some there is a particular event or events which triggers these things off (health anxiety/Hypochondria). We don't know the op's whole story so who are we to judge.

For me watching someone I love battle the big "C" (and very sadly lose) for 5 years is what triggered mine off. When you watch some you love suffer, and see that every ache or pain leads to something worse, it's hard not to be affected psychologically.

We are strange complex beings aren't we? I know my issues stem from living with my mother who always had a brain tumour rather than a simple headache;)....and then, much later, I had several experiences such as you describe in your last para and reacted in completely the opposite way to you.

My MIL is a Hypochondriac who has had every test, op and drug known to man, and I have a friend with Munchhausen. So I have had varied exposure in this area!!

All of which has made me strive to give my kids medical balance and not give them these issues to deal with. I am happy to say it looks as if I have succeeded, or perhaps their dad has, as he, despite his mothers issues, seems to be relatively normal in this area.:D