GP receptionists?

I’m sorry you’re feeling poorly op. I hope you get seen soon.

I have to say the receptionists at my GP are excellent. One even rang me back last week to see how I was.

Yup, my OH has cancer and regularly gets referred back to his GP by the oncologist, but it's a sodding nightmare to get past the receptionists who often argue that it's the oncologist's job to arrange a scan/x-ray or a different drug to be prescribed - as if a receptionist knows better than an oncologist! When he finally gets a message "pinged" to the GP, it's usually dealt with quickly as mostly he doesn't need an appointment (neither phone nor in person) and all the GP has to do is a few minutes setting up the new prescription or a few key strokes for the referral and then ping a message to OH to say he's done it, but by God, OH has a very hard job getting past the receptionists who just don't listen.

I need regular appointments due to ongoing treatment post cancer.
I dutifully ring at 4 seconds to 8 and get through to find I am number 13/14/15 in the queue.
How the fuck has that happened?
Request a call back( place in queue is kept)
Call back comes at 8.50.
No appointments or phone appointments left.
No point in ringing earlier as you just get a message saying the practice is closed.
I honestly think that if I was to throw myself dramatically on the floor in reception that the receptionists would just step over me.
Having met with the practice manager on several occasions( and referring to the personal letter I received from the practice stating that they would do everything they could do to help re my diagnosis) , when I finally met the Dr he was great.
Just wish it wasn't such a battle to get there!
And the annoying message on the phone- " due to an unprecedented number of calls we are exceptionally busy" should be banned!

111 have an algorithm via computer software for assessing urgent needs

GP surgeries do not have this

That is the main difference

The software isn’t isn’t suitable for a GP surgery as primary care is not an emergency service (believe it or not)

111 and the GP surgery do interact with a crossover but their systems are completely different

NHS England mandated primary care to take a small number of 111 calls ‘in hours’ because so many people ring 111 when it’s not an emergency (ie not appropriate for 111)

If you get through to a GP receptionist who is simply looking at the computer and reading the message that there are no more same day appointments available, they won't consult with the Duty GP and will continue to decline the patient no matter what the problem is. That patient can(should) phone 111 and they will be assessed in more depth and depending on the problem, if the duty clinician feels that patient needs to be seen, they will contact the patient's GP surgery and advise that. 111 could also choose to call an ambulance, or advise another pathway such as a non urgent GP appointment or pharmacy. The thing is, if the GP receptionist who hasn't got the skills or experience to work out that there's a high possibility that someone needs to be seen, they won't consult with the Duty GP, the GP will not know. Sorry if this is waffly 🙃

When is the last time any doctor did house calls. I remember one with my ex but that was 1992.

No! Of course they don't use ceefax or teletext - do those even still exist?! They never got an answer phone because they didn't want people bothering them! They are rural country folk and don't do technology.
I appreciate they're at a disadvantage but they think it's the devil's work.
For some reason once you hit 70 you can do whatever the hell you please, or so it would appear in my parents' world! They appear to to have reverted back to toddlerdom and if they don't like it they just won't do it! And the naughty step just won't work on them!
They live a very basic life, living off the land, think "the Good Life" , kind of life! Maybe it's just my parents....

This doesn’t really land well. I don’t want to do lots of things but you do them for your own good, actively choosing not to is choosing to disadvantage yourself. People born in the 1940’s and 1950’s were not even over 60 when technology came into our lives from the 1990’s onwards, they have had 20 years to adapt with the times it’s not happened overnight. My relatives are in their 70’s and I think it’s reasonable they can help themselves by using tech where possible. They might not have the most up to date tech but they can manage the basics. They all managed to use bloody teletext and cefax didn’t they? They can read? Use a TV?

It’s a small minority of people who are financially disadvantaged, cannot afford WiFi or a mobile phone, those with physical disabilities such as sight or hearing loss or a learning difficulty who need help and support. Saying ‘I just don’t want to’ isn’t really acceptable.

Why? Because they don't do technology. Just because I do doesn't mean I want them mithering me to do it for them! I live hundreds of miles away, have a family of my own and work. I know plenty of 80 year olds with tablets etc - doesn't mean they know how to use them! I'll order the odd thing for them off Amazon (as it's free postage and ndd) but can't be arranging all their appointments for them!
I think GPS etc need to recognise some older people are stubborn and old skool and the only way they can contact them is via phone or face to face.

I get that. But if someone is ill enough to need medical attention then they will be referred back to the GP if they've called 111 because the GP has a duty of care to see their patient if they are open. This thread is about receptionists triaging patients isn't it? Not having enough clinical staff is a different conversation.

Plenty of people. 🤷‍♀️

Well, sometimes they're full.... How are they supposed to magically create another emergency appointment?

So why couldn't you have helped him? Why did nobody in his life do something like take their mobile phone to his house and sort it out?

I have a relative with such severe mental health illness that she is confused doesn’t know what day it is and won’t remember appointments unless written down.

The idea that she could use an app mobile phone or internet is ridiculous. After 5 years our dr surgery are just about accepting that.

Once a receptionist asked her to describe her symptoms so she could fill in a form and my relative said she was nutty.

My elderly father who moved house and had to wait 6 weeks for Virgin Media to install his WiFi. The GP surgery point blank refused to accept hard copy forms for him to join the surgery. He was unable to be seen despite having diabetes, heart problems and such severe insomnia he was suicidal. All because of no internet.

This is interesting though. I do not want to negate your experience, as on both occasions it sounds like it has really not been great, however I would argue that neither of these examples are the receptionists fault.

On the first occasion it was the GP who had marked the bloods incorrectly and not let you know. This is obviously terrible but it sounds like your anger is directed at the wrong person?

The second occasion demonstrates a massive systemic problem in the NHS - why does your tertiary doctor require a GP referral when you are clearly already known to them and they want to see you? Again I’m not sure this is the receptionists fault.

I think GP receptionists are the most accessible and public facing part of primary care and therefore get burdened with all of our anger every issue - not just the ones involving them.

No. Not at all.

And sometimes it's very obvious that a patient does need a GP or to be seen same day by a clinician but some receptionists don't have the skills to work out the difference and use a blanket "all slots are full" to absolutely everybody.

If you have having problems with the "gatekeepers" (urgh...so many of them seem to think that they are GPs - I am sorry) then call 111 and ask for help - they can get you an appointment with a GP if your symptoms warrant one.

Of course if you are really having trouble and feeling like self care is not helping then you can always go to A&E.

Lavenderflower yes the senior staff should triage. That was the way it worked in mental health but no idea if it still does. It worked very well so it's probably been changed 😆

No it's not insane.

Sometimes you get through to a receptionist who understands what the patient is saying and will consult with duty GP if all urgent slots have gone. Other times it's a receptionist who can not see past the "all slots are full" computer message and whatever the issue is they will stick like a limpet on a rock to the "all slots are full " mantra. I have had both but always end up being seen by GP in the end because 111 refer me straight back to the GP unless it's out of hours. The receptionists who cannot grasp that seeing past their instructions to decline everybody who hasn't managed to a slot in the 8.30 stampede and realise that empathy and flexibility are good skills to have in a health care job, are not doing the practice or the patients any favours.

They might take you as an out of catchment patient.

I’m still registered with my old practice as out of catchment. They only change is that they won’t do house calls.