Why aren’t doctor’s receptionists more discrete?

Sury the care quality commission check that staff cannot be overhead at the front desk, that there is a room for a more private conversation and that personal information is kept as limited as possible in public areas? It was a thing when I was a practice manager in Dorset.

If they're 'just body parts', why don't GPs conduct consultations in the waiting room?

And your bank details? - theyre just numbers!

Geez are people really this dense 🙄

The one at my practice is often broken, you walk in and try to use it, then have to go back out and queue to tell the receptionist you have arrived for your appointment.

I think there could be a better system. It would be better if they could go to a closed room/cubicle, similar to how most pharmacies now do, to discuss personal information. My GP takes some inquiries in a separate office, more when you're discussing admin or test results than booking an appointment. I've been asked to step outside and ring them when they once wanted to discuss things, as they don't like to discuss at the counter.
Most people at mine use the tablet check-in, so I would imagine the receptionist could go into a separate room briefly if they needed to, as we don't have the long queues we used to have.

Of course he doesn't care. That is obvious.

The issue is talking about private medical details in a public place. I do not want some Tom, Dick or Harry knowing about what I want to see the doctor about.

Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity when it comes to their medical problems.

Yes I think there are better ways of doing things.
When they call you to discuss results or book a follow-up. They could say ‘morning this is the doctors surgery could you please confirm your name and DOB so that I can tell you your results.
My nans in hospital and if I ask questions they ask who I am etc but then discuss her medical issues with my mum in front of all the strangers on the ward.
As you’ve said OP, it isn’t discreet and it isn’t really acceptable, if I go to A&E I also have to discuss with a receptionist what the issue is, in front of a room full of people! I took my DD in 5 years ago in an absolute urgent state, handed her a letter from the doctors which stated what was wrong and that it was urgent, she didn’t either bother to read it and made me, a distressed parent explain the issue (which at the time I didn’t understand myself), the receptionist clearly didn’t have a clue either as put us in line to be seen in the order we’d arrived, whilst my DD was experiencing a life threatening condition the other kids were climbing over furniture and running around… clearly no that poorly.. and we sat listening to the receptionist telling the others how she’d had her hair cut recently and wasn’t happy with it… thankfully my best friend called the children’s ward and asked if my DD could be seen urgently and one of them called down to triage who came out and grabbed us… otherwise I dread to think how long we would have waited in that room… or if my DD would have even made it - her condition really was time critical !!
anyway I’ve spent many a time stood in either a doctors or pharmacy questioning why I’m giving out my name, DOB & address so publicly!
and while I’m fine telling the receptionist I have a UTI or need a HRT review etc… there are certain things I wouldn’t want to discuss openly. I believe our surgery has a room which is available on request.
But yes I also think some receptionists overstep… I phoned up once and asked to see a doctor as my DD had a rash across her stomach. The receptionist (who likely has no medical training) started saying it could be measles or mumps (can’t remember which) sent me into a panic!!! She was talking about putting us in an isolation room rather than the main waiting room…. THEN she asked if DD was up on her MMR vaccines, which she was, and then she said “oh you’re safe then!”… i was pretty annoyed…. The first thing she should’ve asked, or even looked up on the screen in front of her was whether my DD had her vaccines up to date!! Rather than distress a parent who was already worried enough to be calling the GP..

maybe they need to introduce a system where you collect a sheet, fill out your personal info and what you need and hand it to receptionist ..

They are just body parts.

Accept she doesn’t sound mentally capable to make those decisions at the moment.

Good for you. You do not have to tell a doctors receptionist what your issue is, it isn't a legal requirement they can enforce. Well done to you

It isnt a breach of GDPR if the patient chooses to come into a public waiting area and speak to a receptionist about their issues. They know its a public space - they chose to discuss their issues.

If two members of staff are talking about a patient in front of other patients - thats a breach of GDPR.

If a patient decides to come into the surgery to discuss their issues at reception they are fully aware that anyone can hear. A patient can ask to discuss something in a private space but may need to wait until a) a room is available or b) another member of staff comes along.

If its private - ring!

Good grief, how many times does this have to be said - noone is saying they "care". We are saying its a breach of GDPR. Either have GDPR rules or dont but it should be consistent. Some of us want our private stuff kept private and that is our legal fucking right.

I dont give a toss about your personal medical GP notes but I bet you arent going to send them to me (a complete stranger) to have a good old read of your private stuff are you?

🙄

Because British patients don’t get to select the person they are seeing. We don’t generally have our own GP, own gyno etc. We belong to a practice and they decide who is suitable for the issue at hand. Now, most GPs have online triage where you put it all into a form. I’m not sure why everyone is making appointments in person on this thread as I haven’t ever done that in 20 years. Nor have I made a phone appt but that varies by practice. But yeah, the triage team decides who you see not yourself.

Since childhood all I’ve done when I arrive at the GP is tell them my name and DOB. Now it’s even a touchscreen.

I'm so sorry that you had such a dreadful experience. Talk about insensitive - that was disgraceful behaviour, you should definitely report it.

I doubt that a man cares about your bladder and urinary tract.

Now they are doing the online forms it’s more private as fridge is on the form not in the go but at A and E I had a sprained, bleeding knee, triage was in front of the whole waiting room no curtain and she said let me see your knee. Of course I had no trousers that pulled up as went straight from accident and everyone would have seen my underwear so that was embarrassing!

Reminds me of when we returned from three years in Australia; went to my previous UK surgery to book a smear test.
In front of a very busy waiting area the receptionist asked very loudly "And are you still having periods?" ...

If more people complained to the Information commissioners office for breach of data protection ( divulging personal data) then something might be done. At the moment because no one complains,- and we all know NHS is stretched- nothing going to be done about it. The main alternative is to do most triaging and appointments on line on line, or at least over the phone.

Well firstly, there is always more than 1 receptionist in my doctors surgery. There are 3 so there goes your first point.

Secondly even if there were just one - why does there have to be a queue so you can hear what the person directly in front of you is saying? that isnt "helping" the sole receptionist either is it? people could queue over to the side or sit in the waiting room so only one person goes and speaks to the receptionist alone at a time with noone directly behind them - there you go- fixed that for you too. Thats an easy solution.

I love it when people try to create problems that are very easily solvable just because they want to appear "right".

Dont most surgeries have a screen you can input your info on arrival?

🤣

That did not happen …

In my area ALL GP surgeries have a screen to check in, all you need is your date of birth and there are language options, no need to talk to anyone. There are exceptions of course, if you're too early or if you're late you have to see the receptionist

I don’t understand why such information has to be discussed with the receptionist 🤷‍♀️ I’m in France. When I need to make a rdv with the doctor, I go online and select the date and time I want. The only info I have to give is whether it’s adult / child / gynaecological rdv. When I go to the rdv. I just tell the receptionist which dr I’m meeting and the time of the rdv. Then I wait in the waiting room (separate room) for the dr to call me. The dr deals with everything in the privacy of the consulting room whether it’s follow up rdv, blood tests, letters of referral etc.

At the pharmacy, most have dividers up to make individual cubicles, so there is a measure of privacy. Each customer is served before the next one is dealt with, so there’s no hanging around in the pharmacy until your order is ready - you stay at in your own cubicle until all your business is concluded. But that’s very French, there’s no expectation to speed things up for other customers, they deal with one person at a time.

Ai will take away their jobs