Rude gps

I've more found them a bit brusque rather than outright rude. Luckily our GP has a good online booking system and I can do most appointments via phone these days so I don't talk to the receptionist much anyway.

But how do they know who to book your appointment with if you don’t tell them what it’s for?

All GPs cover ‘general’ but many of them also have specialties. Our practice has one in skincare, one gynae, plus if it’s something a practice nurse can do, you can sometimes get an earlier appointment

Agree they should not be rude, but asking questions to get you in with the right person is their job!

Well there you go then. We found a common denominator.
Not once did it occur to you that receptionist have been given instructions from a medical professional to ask you these questions in order to book you in with the right person. You think everyone should bend over backwards for you when you refuse to give them basic details about your needs.

Honestly, I’ll sound depressing but there’s a very large number of people, it appears, that can’t be bothered with or are simply rubbish at their jobs.

If by "triage" you mean they ask you what you need to see a GP for then unfortunately they very much do need to do that to make sure you see the right person. I was not asked once and was booked in with a GP who wasn't trained to perform a specific procedure I needed. That's wasted appointment for someone else, not to mention waste of my time.
There are some conditions for which you are better off seeing a nurse or an AHP. And yes, a receptionist will be given guidance for this from a medically-trained professional.

I am quite often rude to my GPS

Ive had generally very pleasant ones tbf and ive moved around London my whole adult life.

Usually if it's multiple people then it's not those people who are the problem.

I definitely wouldn't put that past mine - I can hear her gritting her teeth if I decide not to follow an instruction.

😆

Ours are all quite nice and helpful mind you a lot of them have been there for years so it may same something. They always say can I ask you what your appointment is about. I never mind telling them.

I misread this as rude GPS. At first, I thought you were complaining about being told to do a U turn when the other road is closed 😀.

I had a receptionist tell me the other day that I couldn't ask for the GP to ring me regarding an issue with a sick note they had issued. They agreed to pass on a message and surprise surprise the GP realized they needed to call me. I don't think the receptionists should talk in definites when it isn't there decision to make. I have a very rare condition that GPS tend to understand really well which impresses me but which means receptionists are not likely to understand why something is a problem for me

😞So disappointed. Was waiting with bated breath to find out which gps system told you to go fuck yourself when you wanted to take a particular route.

They are often not just receptionists but are care navigators. They are trained to triage you to the most appropriate care.

You may think you need a GP but often problems can be seen by nurses, physios or pharmacists. There are just not enough GPs to see everyone.

So they are not asking questions to be rude. They are asking questions to signpost and prioritise.

I do think we also need to be sympathetic to the reasons why they are rude or more likely robust has our gp surgery never has appointments so they must spend all day every day t tellingg people there are no appointments which must be an utterly grim job

There are 3 at my local one and they’re all so rude as well. Even at my last GP before I moved there were a handful of rude ones but some nice.
It makes me dread calling for an appointment sometimes. Luckily the doctors and nurses make up for it and are lovely!

They're not all like that though. It's unfair to brand an entire profession containing tens of thousands of people as being rude.

The one at your place is rude.

Why is the thread called rude GPs when it's about receptionists?

I've experienced the stereotypical dragon receptionists at previous practices but thankfully the ones at my current practice are ok. They do ignore you for ages before acknowledging your presence but that's minor rudeness I can let slide.

Receptionists at my surgery went through a spell of being bloody awful, essentially telling you that you didn’t need to see a doctor and if you pushed back they got rude, but hated getting it thrown back at them, which I enjoyed.

They were getting absolutely slated on social media and reviews.

Not one of the receptionists there now are the original lot, they got rid and started again and it shows. Never have a problem getting an appointment.

In recent years most have been great. One was a bit eye rolly with the elderly chap in front which I wasn't impressed with, other than that all good.

Years ago we had a v rude unhelpful one. The practice sent out a survey asking for patient opinion on all aspects of the gp surgery. I completed it and returned it.
That receptionist was gone after that. No idea if the 2 things were linked but in my mind they are...