VENT-Doctors Receptionists

PILES

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.

Judging by this the receptionist may have a point. Sorry but the doctor is for health issues not because someone is feeling a bit down. If I'm feeling a bit sad I dont think, "Oh I know I'll just pop down the surgery to have a chat with the doctor".

RosiPossum

PILES - GP is there for health, both mental and physical. They're the first port of call for mental health conditions, and often they can be managed by a GP.

I myself had to go to the GP once a week when in a bad time, and once every two weeks for medication. This was at the GP's request, not mine. The receptionists were great, I didn't have any problems. But I doubt the receptionists were told that the GP had told me to come in so often.

OP - any chance the sigh and 'oh god' were because the computer could have crashed or something?

poet123

RosiPossum wrote: »

PILES - GP is there for health, both mental and physical. They're the first port of call for mental health conditions, and often they can be managed by a GP.

I myself had to go to the GP once a week when in a bad time, and once every two weeks for medication. This was at the GP's request, not mine. The receptionists were great, I didn't have any problems. But I doubt the receptionists were told that the GP had told me to come in so often.

OP - any chance the sigh and 'oh god' were because the computer could have crashed or something?

Good point.

PILES

RosiPossum wrote: »

PILES - GP is there for health, both mental and physical. They're the first port of call for mental health conditions, and often they can be managed by a GP.

I myself had to go to the GP once a week when in a bad time, and once every two weeks for medication. This was at the GP's request, not mine. The receptionists were great, I didn't have any problems. But I doubt the receptionists were told that the GP had told me to come in so often.

OP - any chance the sigh and 'oh god' were because the computer could have crashed or something?

I did not distinguish between physical and mental. If you needed medication then presumably something was wrong with you, and not because you were a bit sad or lonely.

duchy

mightyroyals wrote: »

I did mention in my original post i do suffer from health anxiety and my gp has been superb he said to me if i ever need to go get an appointment don't leave it to bottle up so my gp is very supportive and i have been having cbt to help but it is not an instant cure.

Sorry but if you GP "is superb" why the heck are you moving practice with making any attempt to resolve the situation with the surgery management ?

mightyroyals

PILES wrote: »

I did not distinguish between physical and mental. If you needed medication then presumably something was wrong with you, and not because you were a bit sad or lonely.

I can assure you that i do not go because i am sad or lonely, I go because i believe there is some thing wrong with me and fear the worst will happen if i do not go,
I do not go for the fun of it believe you me i would much rather not feel like this but it is something i am trying to get through with cbt so i would appreciate it if you did not say i go because im sad or lonely because there is something wrong with me its health anxiety a mental health condition which is being treated by a cbt specialist and my gp.

mightyroyals

duchy wrote: »

Sorry but if you GP "is superb" why the heck are you moving practice with making any attempt to resolve the situation with the surgery management ?

Because if i cannot get in with my gp you are made to feel like you are wasting their time and then often come out feeling worse than when you went in.

At our surgery you do not see your gp you see who is available and my gp is normally booked up for over a month at a time. so i can only get to see my gp when i have my appointments booked with him or if he can fit me onto the end of his surgery.

bod1467

poet123 wrote: »

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;)

My Grandma was the same - even when I was a small child she was "dying" ... she out-lived all bar one of her own children!

(My Mum died in her late 40s from the Big C; my Dad died a year later, in his early 50s, also from the Big C. Grandma passed away a many many years later of old age). EDIT: Just re-read this - I make it sound like my Mum and Dad were brother and sister! :rotfl:

My brothers and me have "morbidity hurdles" ... ages to reach and surpass. 49 (to beat Mum's age) and 52 (to beat Dad's).

Soubrette

I used to work in a GPs surgery as a receptionist/administrator. I would recommend you complain to the practice manager. It may well be that the receptionist was looking at a screen of full appointments and struggling to fit you in or it may be that she was making a comment about you personally. Whichever one it was, she made you feel bad. That is not good customer service and she should be made aware even if it was unintentional.

One thing that really opened my eyes up after working in the surgery is that the receptionists are limited in what they can do - all they do is on the orders of their bosses which in the first instance is the practice manager but ultimately is the GPs themselves.

No receptionist will ask what the reason for your appointment is unless they have been told to do so by the GPs. We were asked to do so because the GPs then decided on the basis of the phone message how urgently the patient needed a call. No symptoms, it was assumed not particularly urgent. Again the best course of action is to complain to the practice manager, if enough people complain then the practice MAY change policy.

Having worked in a surgery I honestly believe that we should pay a nominal amount to see the GP - perhaps £10 (children and the elderly free). Obviously if you have a chronic condition then you will be affected by this (and I believe mental health issues are as serious as physical ones) but on the other hand you may be able to get appointments earlier and with your GP of choice because appointments haven't been taken by other less serious ailment sufferers.

Obviously I also see the disadvantage of once a Government sees a money making scheme, they can't help milk it for all its worth - so £10 today, £50 tomorrow £100 next month which is not at all what I would want to see.

I also think ambulances should charge for taking non emergencies to hospital - too many people know how to work the NHS system and the rest of us subsidise them as well as chronic sufferers getting a poorer service because a big chunk of it is hogged by those who know how to work it.

bod1467

Soubrette wrote: »

Having worked in a surgery I honestly believe that we should pay a nominal amount to see the GP - perhaps £10 (children and the elderly free).

So you're saying access to health care should be based on ability to pay?