Why aren’t doctor’s receptionists more discrete?

Surely it wouldn’t be that hard for a receptionist to be in an office just off the waiting room.

I completely disagree with you, and quite frankly, as someone who used to work in the NHS, I am sick and tired of hearing this nonsense about “poor” NHS workers. Guess what? They applied for the job. NHS workers are not conscripted, and if they find themselves in a position where they are actively upsetting patients then they need to find another job.

In no other industry would people think it’s okay to cut corners due to difficult working conditions, yet when it’s the NHS the expectation seems to be that we just put up and shut up.

I absolutely do think people with certain character traits go for certain types of roles (this happens in all industries), and the overwhelming character trait I have witnessed when it comes to GP receptionists is an inflated sense of self importance that often manifests itself in bullying behaviour.

Surely they could have a system that can be used on an iPad or similar now? My opticians turn the screen round with all your details and ask you to just confirm if they are correct. The physio I saw recently showed my info on an iPad and again, asked me to confirm correct details.

No need for me to share anything aloud. No need for extra rooms, extra staff etc.

Same in the pharmacy where they ask you to confirm your address...why not something that isnt a risk...last 4 digits of NHS number or something?

Agree with this. There are solutions if people are willing to find them. I reckon that poster you quoted thinks people should just put up and shut up, judging by their other responses.

Both the independent chemists where I live have a small room for private consultations.

I only found out when I went to one of them to get something for a wasp sting on my thigh that had gone all manky. The pharmacist asked if she could have a look at it and I was about to hoick my skirt up to show her, but she looked mildly shocked and said "Oh, please, in the consulting room" and pointed to a door which I had previously thought was a cupboard or something.

Yes, exactly. The receptionist should have the sense/training to realise when people are giving away sensitive info because they're not thinking straight, and either find a private room or find a doctor immediately.

Some are - and I wonder if the job wares their compassion down - but honestly saying everyone in a certain profession is a bully is obvious nonsense.

They are doing a job - often in poor set up with sick upset people who often aren't always very clear communictors - there usually being prompted by computer systems to ask questions - systems they haven't designed. I really don't think most are out to upset patients - they just care about getting to next bit of the job.

Yes I've met some who triage wrongly or being very rude for no obvious reasons or given on complete wrong information - and I have complained to practise manger where appropiate - I've also met one who went above and beyond to get things sorted.

If your GP receptionist are bullies out to getpatients complain - I had a practise for a while where the receptionist were absolutely bloody awful everyone hated dealing with them locally enough complaints went in that they were re-trained and some left - and that experience stopped happening.

Current one at now GP pratcise are fine but there is a lack of privavcy - no rooms to go to but they do try.

Except meningitis develops extremely quickly so you are fine in the morning and seriously ill in the evening.

Triage via computer? you submit a request to see the doctor online so you dont have to verbalise it out loud then you simply say your surname and they can bring up what you've written on the computer

Triage in a more private space?- eg no queues allowed. People wait in a completely different area whilst patients are called up one by one in a screened off area thats private (much like they do at pharmacies currently when you need to speak to the pharmacist privately)

Fuck me, this is hardly rocket science is it? we have sent people to the bloody moon, are you really suggesting there is no earthly solution to this? 🙄

There was a time when this triage did not happen.
You were able to get an appointment with a fully qualified GP. Your conversation was with them.
I have witnessed this at my surgery. Some poor woman had to explain she was having a mental illness episode. And yes, everyone then knew her name, what her problem was etc. It must I think, break some sort of data protection policy somewhere. It feels quite wrong.
The people responsible are the practice managers. And GPs. They set the process and systems the staff work to. Rarely, if ever seen proactively managing. And leave the receptionists to follow the required steps. And GP’s do not have enough appointments available. And not enough of them. Too many work part time. And paying for more eats into the surgeries profits.

The receptionists are not medically trained. It is an issue.

@BakedPotatoBeansCheeseColeslaw
Rather than think about discretion - I am feeling really bad for the receptionist. I can't imagine how stressful her job must be - managing the flow of people, and being the first contract point.
It it not her fault that there is no private room for intake of new patient's information. It is not easy to multitask under pressure and deal with mentally instable patients - and it is also not always safe. The receptionist has no medical degree and most likely has no special training for these situations.

Personally - I think she is doing the best she can in the situation that is not in her control. She is speaking as loud as she needs to in order to do her job - which is to get the information required to get this poor woman the help she needs.

That is awful, horrible for you to hear and truly terrible for that poor woman.

Clue is in the job title..

Surely you don’t believe that the receptionists ‘decide’ … They take details, send it to a medic who then actually triages.

Well if you called the surgery for an appointment for a headache that you haven't had for long, haven't tried taking a paracetamol for and is 'just a bit of a headache' then you'd be a bit of a silly billy wouldn't you...

If you explained that you've had persistent or recurring headaches that haven't responded to painkillers, or other concerning symptoms, then of course you'd be offered an appointment.

Same at mine, you have to give name, DOB and full address including postcode, it is a small area and always packed. I just have to trust that everyone else is like me and just wants to collect their medication and get out and isn't taking in anybody's personal info to use for nefarious purposes!

I've long suspected that the real purpose of GP receptionists is to discourage people from coming at all and they deliberately engage to most unpleasant and least competent people they can find. At least, that's my experience. There's very few ailments I can think of that are worse that dealing with the receptionists at my GP surgery.

During Covid my GP's surgery installed Perspex screens, and they've kept them. So, it's nearly impossible to hear the receptionists speaking, and you have to shout confidential information through the screens.

Worse, for some time they've also had local radio blaring out on the speakers, so it's impossible to hear the announcements - and the announcement system is very poor quality and so its difficult to hear your name being called.

The layout of the surgery is a long 'J' shape, with the reception at one end, and so the receptionists can't see you once you have been sent to your allocated waiting zone, and it's a decent walk back to the reception desk.

The whole practice is organised around the needs of the staff, it seems.

When I went to speak to the receptionist at local GP practice about a very private issue, she bellowed the questions very loudly. Being asked the date of your last period in front of a room of strangers wasn’t great. I actually told the GP about her behaviour when I had my appointment. The GP apologised and the receptionist was never seen again. I guess I wasn’t the first to object to her manner. (Still no idea why she asked about my period!)

I find it so odd in all this data protection era and don’t give your details to anyone that you still have your name flash up on the board and have to be shouting your business through a sheet of glass!

I went to pick up a prescription for DH, this caused a bit of a ho-ha as they wanted to prove who i was. I know the lady shouted, through the glass, tell me what your last drs appointment was for. As it happened i couldn’t remember as fortunately it’d been a while since I’ve needed a Dr but I felt like shouting back something embarrassing! I know lots of people wouldn't be happy saying what the last appointment was for in a room full of strangers, or maybe even worse people you know!

Yes this. I was once next to a patient being told her treatment wasn't working and there was nothing else that could be done. She was weeping loudly, inches away from me.

her medications should be on file already, no need to ask that

we tell our patients we’re not clinical so cannot ask or answer clinical questions. the doctor I work with speaks so low when he’s giving me follow up I can hardly hear him I have to try and read his lips 😆

The receptionist might not "give a f*k personally but other people do care about their privacy and have a right to for that to be recognised.

Just saying "it's her job" is not the shut down you might think it is.

I had this with my dh. He suffers from serious mental health issues, including psychosis. I am his full time carer and when I asked if I could accompany him to see the doctor, receptionist started to say no. There was a long queue behind us, all listening as I tried to quietly explain about the Psychosis and that he needed me with him. She started shouting "is he having a psychotic episode now? If he isn't having a psychotic episode he should be able to go in alone". She couldn't have shouted out the word psychotic more if she'd tried! I turned round and everyone in the queue was looking at us, we felt so humiliated. When we both, finally, went in to see the Doctor, I told him what had happened and he said there was no problem at all with me accompanying dh and she was wrong to challenge us.