I’m a GP receptionist and prepared to be honest about my job.

I have 2 issues with gp surgeries one is when gp receptionists triage patients, I have a rare condition so If I call for something that doesn't seem that urgent to an average person with my condition it can be quite significant the 2nd is I work a full time job where I can't have my phone on me so being told the dr will call me at some point between 9 and 6 doesn't help. Face to face you got an appointment time so why can't this be done with telephone appointments

My late Father had Alzheimer's, one day Mum and I came back from a brief trip out to be told the GP had phoned, obviously Dad couldn't remember what it was about. Mum phoned the surgery to be told by the receptionist that the appointment for my Dad to see GP about his Alzheimer's check up couldn't be discussed with anyone but Dad....who couldn't remember. I am sorry, but if people are so ill informed and bloody stupid that they have no knowledge of something as common as AD then they shouldn't be working for a GP surgery. Oh, and same practice, some years later, with Mum who needed to make follow up appointment; she would have to call at 8am, this wouldn't work as Mum by then had AD and wouldn't remember to call. Could I do it? No, patient confidentiality. Sorry, OP, you may be marvellous, but the receptionists at my late parents surgery were ill informed, badly trained and unsympathetic. Late middle aged ladies who had taken on a nice little part time job, who were IT illiterate and completely fucking incompetent.

@jacks11 - the thing is most professionals work 12-13 hour days if can cut the mustard. Lawyers do, accountants do, bankers do; farmers certainly do. Regrettably their work can dry up and they are redundant. Even academics do and the way HE funding is presently going some of them will be redundant soon too I imagine.

Just going back to titles, as a child I was expected to call my grandparents' staff and their spouses Mr and Mrs: farm labourers, grooms, etc., as was my mother. My children were expected to call the local shopkeeper Mr x, the lady in the park cafe Mrs y, my cleaner Mrs z. It is very sad that individuals who are so well educated have such poor manners.

Our old GP Surgery was very good. They answered the phones and you could get an appointment or a telephone consultation within a few hours. Small village life. My only complaint, ever, was that the receptionist once lost a test that was ordered by my GP. Think it was not sent off, and kept fobbing me off when I rang for the result.

Now we live in a bigger town, and I'm experiencing lack of appointments, even for scheduled ones they need to do for annual medicine review. And I nearly ran out of my repeat prescription because they didn't issue it, despite allowing them extra time.

I have always treated GPs receptionists as I would like to be treated. I respect their job can be nightmarish at times and speak to them with clarity and try to keep my requests as short as possible. I did have one some years ago, who could be a little difficult so when visiting the surgery I made an effort to ask how she was etc. After that she was totally different when I called in. Always ask their name and remember they are the gatekeeper to the doctor, so behave accordingly.

After a receptionist helpfully informed me that she felt my asthma was "psychological rather than medical" I avoid at all costs.

Severe asthma, diagnosed age 5. But she decided it was all in my head after a 5 minute phone call.

I am lucky and have decent receptionists at our surgery. One in particular is so lovely and I’m always pleased to get her on the phone. It makes so much difference, so thanks for being a great receptionist!
My question is are you seeing patients face to face more now? Since covid I think I’ve taken DS in twice. I personally haven’t seen a GP f2f. Dh recently had an issue where he waited 2 weeks for a phone appt then they asked him to come in as had to be examined. All seems v convoluted so he effectively had two appointments when one could’ve done.

@jacks11
I've no doubt that's the bottom end of the issue, not enough GPs.
Not enough appointments.
Reception staff trying to be the gate keeper of those appointments.

Stupid rules like phone one the day for appointments, don't respect patients have demands on their time too.

I might actually change practice as the phone on the day really does my head in you know by 8.15 all appointments are gone. So sod you if you've been trying to get through.

Why do I get reminders to make an appointment for a (non urgent) review .... yet If I am lucky enough to get through on the telephone I am told there are no appointments available? . I just ignore such messages now .... although I was a bit miffed after not having seen a doctor or nurse p for approx 5 years I got a text out of the blue saying I had been selected for a weight management course !

@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend - yes, you are right, I am sorry.
Very glad your DS is ok now.

With our appointment system you can only get same day appointment (which there is normally none) so you need to phone at 8am everyday to be put on hold for a few hrs to then be told there is no appointments and to try again tomorrow

You can also go through econsult, only thing with this is the nurse/gp will give you a call anytime between 8am and 6pm , this would be fine if you didn’t work full time or work in a secure building, so unable to have your mobile on your person.

On explaining this to the now special measures practice, you then get told to phone everyday…. I’m sure they are a special breed of fookwits!

It’s absolutely absurd and not everyone fits into a pigeon hole.

I’m a Dr, though not a GP. My best friend is a GP and I think they are getting hammered, quite often very unfairly. Most GP’s are not sitting twiddling their thumbs or out on the golf course whilst refusing to see patients. There will be some lazy GP’s, just as with any walk of life, but the vast majority are trying to do their best. Some practices could perhaps be organised differently/better and improvements could be made to appointment systems and so on.

That aside, in the vast majority of cases ARE seeing the same number of patients. Or more than they used to. The data regarding number of patient consults in general practice backs It’s just that demand increases year on year- many reasons for this. For a start, there is a current shortage of GP’s so some surgeries are working short staffed- locum’s are rarely available. We also have a shortage of practice nurses, which doesn’t help matters.

In addition, we have an ageing population with more complex health needs. There is a big backlog in secondary care with the extended waiting times meaning patients are attending their GO as their symptoms are worsening, treatment needing reviewed, because they want reassurance or because they are annoyed/upset/frustrated. Or because they want the GP to try and fast-track them (which they can only do if there is a clinical need).

Due to the pandemic there has also been an upsurge in mental health problems- without adequate resources to send them to so more appointments with GP’s, lots of anxious patients, long covid symptoms… the list goes on.

I shall give you an example. My GP friend- we are registered with their surgery and it’s only one in the area- is getting quite distressed at patient attitudes. Our surgery have been excellent- before and during the pandemic. Pre-pandemic you could usually get an appointment the next day and certainly within 48 hours- if it was urgent then same day. They do minor injuries and we could get home visits with ease. The waiting time for a routine appointment is now between 4-7 days, you can get an urgent appointment on the day still. I have heard quite a few patients complaining that they can’t be seen as quickly as they were before. I know, because of my friend, that the GP’s at our surgery have each added an extra hour- hour and a half of appointments per day, but with extra “urgents” added on it can be a lot longer. That wipes out their admin time- writing or dictating referrals, checking on and acting upon blood test results/consultant letters, writing reports, doing insurance forms, writing letters etc. So they end up working even later. My friend is in the surgery for 7:30 (they open at 8) and is doing 12-13 hours as standard. The reason for this change? Increase demand, for all the reasons mentioned above.

I also know the staff are getting a lot of sarky comments, anger and sometimes abuse about having to wait longer etc- “what ARE you all doing day”, “what has happened to this surgery, you used to be so good”. It’s demoralising for staff and I know some staff are considering leaving- not just the gp’s. My friend has been offered some work as a private GP, for instance. Given the local recruitment issues (2 nearest surgeries have been unable to recruit when partners retired or left), I doubt it will be easy to replace anyone that leaves. Which will place further stress on the system, and the vicious cycle will continue.

Last time I was at my local GP practice I heard the receptionists making fun of a teenage girl who had not wanted to disclose what she was there for at the desk, infront of the people in the waiting room. They were mocking her after she'd been called in and the whole room could hear them. Suffice to say my local surgery is one of the few with some unpleasant reception staff. The nurses there are absolute angels though!

I've been with the same doctors practice for over 20 years and seen receptionists come and go. Never had a bad one, always willing to listen and help. I'm very lucky that my surgery were still seeing patients through the pandemic. I'm ringing them tomorrow to book my b12 jab for next week- it won't be an issue.
It's also a training practice and I think the receptionists deal admirably with doctors not used to knowing how general practice works.
Some receptionists call me by my first name, same ones call the GPS by their first names too

I don't know when it became so unacceptable to want me called Mrs or Ms Name or whatever rather than just first name terms being automatic in professional circumstances. Annoys me. It doesn't mean you think you're grand or fancy, it's just manners. In public facing jobs I have always used titles for casual interactions as a mark of respect, and I appreciate getting it in return - though airlines seem to be one of the few places that consistently do. Those who think people who want this consider themselves superior to the person they're talking to - are you really young or something? I'm 35 and old enough to remember when this was a matter of course.

I was a GP receptionist myself and noted the majority of my colleagues took great pleasure in not being able to help patients and deliberately wind them up. I enjoyed working with the public and sending them away with a smile which was achieved simply by being sympathetic towards them and agreeing that system was a bit of a mess and often wasted their time instead of ‘well it's not my fault is it!’ that most of my colleagues responded with.

Funny thing to me was the irate patients when doctor was late to begin their shift and all their anger was directed at me with great vitriol. Then when the doctor appeared it was all ‘oh don’t worry about it doctor it's fine.’

My surgery are brilliant for urgent stuff or if you can be totally flexible and sit by the phone all day waiting for a call back. What I can't work out however is how to access more routine non urgent stuff. They don't seem to let you book in advance but same day appointments are for urgent care only???
Also... Telephone appointments. Why can't they give you a rough time?? A 30 minute window maybe?? To say just morning or afternoon is just crazy. I have a issue at the moment which I don't think is urgent but certainly isn't normal and would really like to chat through with a hcp. I missed the call, just couldn't get to my phone quick enough. Call surgery back to basically be told 'tough luck'. I had to beg to get it rebooked.

It's the system that's broken in some surgeries so if you get an unhelpful receptionist that can really tip you over the edge.

'They absolutely do address male patients by first name too, at my surgery at least. No idea why you think they wouldn't, not everything is about sexism.'

🙄

Well, for one thing, I said 'suspect' and that 'I may be wrong'.

For another, I know I've been called both 'LetHimHaveIt' and 'Miss LetHimHaveIt' but I'm pretty sure I've only ever heard men addressed as 'Mr'.

I wonder actually if it's because forenames, if overheard, are less identifying than surnames? Usually.

I can die from my illness within mins and I find it hard when I call and try to put across how sick I really am. One receptionist wouldn’t allow me to speak to a dr for a urine infection. Which can kill me. I ended up in tears after trying hysterically to explain it

Surely there’s something in notes? So when a patient rings in. They’ll see that whatever it is needs a dr to speak too.

I would say that 70% of the GP receptionists I've dealt with (I have multiple lifelong health problems and a child with SEN) have been fine. Of the other 30%, most have been cold, dismissive, patronising gatekeepers who have put me off seeking treatment, sometimes to the detriment of my or my child's wellbeing. Around 5% have been so actively cruel and unpleasant that I have ended up in tears, or made a complaint, or moved to a different surgery to avoid dealing with them again.

My gp receptionists are lovely. But I have found that receptionists at hospitals can be very rude without any provocation. Too many times I've approached a receptionist and received immediate rudeness for just daring to tell them I have an appointment, honestly sometimes even before I've spoken.

Many have been lovely too, but I do find more shitty receptionists in the NHS than I find elsewhere.