Why tell the receptionist why I'm seeing the doctor

Yeah I didn't realise I was really impressed

From the dentist. You're kind of proving my point

They do receive training - they aren’t just random people being nosy! Why would you not tell them? How would they know who to book you in with?

It’s their job to triage calls, they are trained by their bosses, the GP surgery to follow the process to handle calls.

I see one of 2 GPs at my GP surgery, but after a recent call to them they gave me an appointment with a different GP who is better placed to deal with my issue. I wouldn’t normally see this GP but I’m happy that I’m going straight to the right Dr straight away rather than a Dr who may have to “get advice” or book me in again.

You can give vague descriptions of personal details, you don’t have to go into everything. These people are professionals, they would have heard everything and are not allowed reveal what you tell them.

Except when they don’t…

Like when I went to see a nurse for persistent daily headaches. The best person apparently .
Except I have a complex health history and it actually ended up with me seeing my cardiologist instead….

Some times, patients know their body and their history best. Better than the nurse in that case. And certainly better than the receptionist who refused to book me with the GP…..

They triage and assess your credibility/situation/emergency.

I only called for babies having rash and pretty sure already of what they had. I was asked pictures. Didn’t even go there. Is it mad? Yes!!! Is it great? Well my kids are still ok but if you happen to disagree with the diagnostic…might be more tricky.

Good to know they can prescribe for sinusitis now.

To assess the severity I guess. I don't mind saying bit of it's anything embarrassing I would be general or say personal.

MOST people are better seeing someone else than a GP.

😂😂
You’re pretty lucky to not have to face seeing a nurse and then being told you should see a GP anyway
Seeing a physio that gives up and sends you back to GP etc..
All of which would have been avoided if you had seen the GP in the first place,

Seriously, it’s so hard to see a GP that I think most people will see a nurse etc… before at the very least to be seen quickly.

Those unqualified jumped up receptionists are usually just doing their job as directed by their bosses, the doctors. I can assure you as a past medical receptionist, I don’t want to know your business any more than you want to tell it.

I make less urgent appointments online now. You can leave the box explaining why you need an appointment blank or just write issue with knee etc. I didn't want to announce the reason and they had no problem — the Dr just asked me when I arrived.

The Receptionist is trained to signposts patients to the correct person - this might not be a GP.

Wow. That jumped up receptionist has obviously wasted her time being trained to make appointments with the appropriate member of the medical team.

How would the receptionists know which treatment you needed without medical training? They can’t signpost without training it’s risky and a slippery slope - My son presented with tonsillitis symptoms got fobbed off with seeing a clinician who missed the diagnosis of sepsis - son hospitalised for 3 days very unwell.

No it isn’t it’s supposed to be a GP

Similar to the hospital when they triage you. The receptionist ask, so they can decide which health care practitioner would be best seeing you, Dr, nurse, etc, not every ailment needs a GP. Most receptionist hate asking, but they have to as part of their role. (I was a GP HR manager, that's what they did at my surgery).

It’s not efficient at ours and many other surgeries. It’s just the same but online and worse as they switch the system off as soon as it’s full which is pdq.

Most surgeries got rid of the 8am phone call wait/ malarkey quite, a few years ago. You can contact them online via their website...systemconnectnhs
Very efficiient. The triage doctor logs on and sorts out appointments/follow ups accordingly

GP's cannot prescribe meds for a dental issue. You have to get them from the dentist. You might get some painkillers if you were lucky but many wont touch it.

The dentist. Who are contracted to look after dental issues. GP’s are not

I'm a GP Receptionist. It really is to put you with the right person. We have GP's that specialise in certain areas like Female or Male health, Dermatology, MSK, Geriatric, Paediatrics etc. You're quite within your right to not disclose why you want an appointment but you risk not seeing the best GP for your issue. For example if you wanted to extend your HRT to cover something that would improve your sex drive like testosterone you would def have to see a GP that has a special interest in female health to obtain it.

And how would they have got antibiotics otherwise?

No, it’s because it’s their job to triage patients.

Who do you think should decide whether and when you should have an appointment?

Because they're being nosy. 😂 Seriously,I think it's so they can try and fob you off with going to see a pharmacist if they don't think it warrants a doctor's appointment. This does annoy me as they are not medically qualified to judge what is serious or not, and indeed I have heard some awful stories resulting in people being taken seriously ill or even dying because of this.