Receptionist attitude should I complain

I suspect that poster is one of the bullying types of receptionists or similar.

Hope you get a reply?

If it were me, I'd make sure I got a reply and keep writing/emailing/phoning the practice manager until I did!!

Yes report it. Ive come across several very rude receptionists in NHS. It is absolutely not acceptable that ppl should be spoken to rudely when they are at their most vulnerable. Thia has been creeping up slowly in recent years and needs to be stamped out. Rude, impatient, nasty. incompetent or bitchy people should never be employed as receptionists in NHS. Receprion is the first point of contact for moat peoplw, ans they ahould always be treated with dignity ans respect. I urge anyone who encointets this sort of thing to ALWAYS report it.

Report it. I’ve just officially complained about my doctors receptionists after it took three phone calls and I was fobbed off by three different receptionists when all I wanted was my repeat prescription for my HRT patches. Luckily for me the calls are recorded because the second receptionist told me that I could phone the following afternoon and check if my prescription was ready so when I did there was no record of me phoning and no prescription. I never complain because I work in a customer facing job myself but they have to recognise that they are playing god with peoples health when they don’t have the qualifications to decide if it’s right to do so.

This isn't true. I try to help as much as possible and have often been told I'm very kind and helpful but I know what you mean. There is a stereotype that some live up to, sadly.
A lot of our job is to triage and ensure that patients are signposted to the correct clinician, whether than be refering to the chemist, the doctor, or indeed A&E. You wouldn't believe the number of people who want to see the doctor with a sore throat (that they've had for one day,)....rather than resting for a couple of days and/or using over the counter remedies to see waiting to see if it resolves itself (which it most probably will). So there are a lot of time wasters our there. I'm sorry you've had that experience personally. I would complain if I were you. Your surgery need to do better/treat you better x

Trouble is that some receptionists apply the assumption of "time waster" to those who really do need to consult a GP urgently. My DH has had cancer for 8 years and needs things stamping on at the earliest opportunity, i.e. potential infections, etc., as "waiting" to see if it resolves itself risks an infection getting worse and ultimately a hospital admission (chemotherapy causes low immunity and higher risk of infections). Having to explain that countless times to obstructive receptionists gets quite annoying, and even when you've explained it, they still trot out the "wait and see" or "go to the pharmacist" which is plain wrong advice.

Likewise when he's been told by a hospital consultant that he needs to get his GP to prescribe something, like an extra strength iron tablet, or extra strenth vitamin D, etc., results in a Spanish inquisition as to why, "you can get iron tablets over the counter at the chemist", "we don't issue prescriptions for over the counter medicines" etc. When he points out the hospital consultant told him to contact the GP, you then get, "well the consultant should have prescribed it himself" etc etc.

Far too many take it upon themselves to make "signposting" advice without them actually knowing enough about it themselves. You really shouldn't have to be the one to "educate" a receptionist that someone on chemotherapy is at higher risk of inflections and is immuno-compromised and can't week a few weeks for a GP consultation. It should be part of their training and they should be trained to look on their screen for diagnosed health conditions to help them realise that someone on chemotherapy is highly unlikely to be a "time waster!".

Good.

There's a guy on hospital reception at Hartlepool hospital. He's so friendly it's unreal. Been there years. No excuse to be rude. Bullies imo.

🤪🤪🤪
I don’t need it, I’m more than happy with my GP and their lovely reception staff. Maybe stop paying for school fees - after all, you’re already contributing to every other child’s State school education via your taxes…

Oops, you’re right 🤪🤪🤪
just kidding…

Very well put. They should not be triaging / gatekeeping or attempting to disgnose or decide who is worthy and who isnt. During the pandemic I had a receptionist tell me to ' eat ginger' when I said I was having stomach pains and feeling unwell. When I did eventually get past her and finally get a face to face appointment and had it investigated, turned out I had a hiatal hernia and inflammation and needed proper medication. These types of receptionists should not be working in NHS.

Why on earth do you think people want to read your bitchy comments?

The comments weren't itchy. They were true.

Complain Annonymously.
Be prepared to Register Elsewhere.
Go to CQC..
Complain by Paper Letter ( untraceable) and threaten CQC.
Te last solution usually works miraculously ( just mentioning CQC)

Was this in a well-known commuter town in Berkshire?!?

In all seriousness, there must be a complaints procedure or mechanism to email the practice manager or managing partner. I would do this, factually stating what you saw with date and time and that you feel it was an unacceptable way to speak to patients.

The receptionist at my parents’ former GP was a byword for rudeness and many patients moved surgeries.

Hmm..whilst of course receptionists are not medically trained, many of us are graduates, so not stupid. The best receptionists of course are those with lots of common sense, experience and a big dollop of empathy and compassion.

I was also very concerned (when I first started) that as receptionists we are asked to triage - I didn't want that responsibility on my shoulders given the fact that I am not medically trained. I mean, I've got A Level Biology and a First Aid qualification, but I'm not a doctor ha ha. My biggest fear was that I might not pick up on the fact that somebody may need emergency treatment. However, we are asked to follow strict guidelines (using the Prezi app) to ask pertinent questions relating to the symptoms presented so that we can signpost the patient to the correct department/clinician. If a patient presents with stomach pains there are a number of questions we must ask to determine whether the patient needs a pharmacy referral or a face to face doctor's appointment. As long as the receptionist you saw was following the guidelines as set out, she may well have been doing her job correctly. As receptionists, we are pulled up if we arrange a doctor's appointment for someone whose symptoms are highly likely to resolve themselves after a couple of days with rest or an over the counter medicine. If we gave every person an appointment that had a mild illness, there would be no appointment slots for those patients that have a more pressing need. So it's a balancing act (hence the need for the guidelines for us non-medics to help us determine the best course of action). The fact that you had a hiatus hernia was unfortunate but 99 times out of 100, your stomach pains may well have simply resolved themselves...with the help of an over the counter medication. Its not the receptionist's fault if she's just following the guidelines set out for her by the doctors.

I'm sorry you've had this experience. The system absolutely has its failings and can be very frustrating.

Yes I totally agree that there is a lack of training in this particular regard.....as it does sound like the experience you have had is simply your receptionists following the guidelines that are set out. Unfortunately, you do need to point this out and educate the receptionist you are making the booking with, if s/he is unaware of this. S/he is not medically trained and would not necessarily know this. This is where the difficulties lie. Get cross with the doctors for not providing adequate training. Make a complaint to them - not the poor receptionist who is just following the guidelines that s/he has (on her minimum wage job). However, I have zero sympathy for a receptionist that still won't book an appointment for your DH even after you've pointed out his history and why he's a vulnerable patient needing an urgent appointment. That's appalling. I'm sorry you've had that experience. I'd have given your DH an appointment like a shot :)
At our surgery we offer 'same day' appointments so you would've got one on that very same day.

With regard to the extra strength iron and/or Vit D tablets, it is correct that we cannot issue a prescription once the patient's iron or vit D levels have returned to "normal". We ask the patient to them buy their own if they wish to keep their levels topped up. However, if this is a suggestion by the patient's consultant then as long as we have that in writing from the consultant's secretary, then we can issue a prescription.

Nurse here. I am glad you have reported this. When they get back to you ask to speak to the practice manager and suggest they may need to look at retraining staff (that are a big part of their service) and updating communication and compassionate skills. I would want my patients to be able to ask for results/ appointments etc without fear of being spoken down to. It does sound like the receptionist may have been very stressed/ busy etc, but they are still front door faces for our health services

I think you've just proved my point.

Not sure I follow...
We are bound by rules and protocols - as set out by the doctors.
No system is 100% foolproof....but that's not the receptionists fault per se.
If the Prezi system says you should be referred to the chemist for over the counter meds first (having described your symptoms) then that's all the receptionst can do. S/he is limited by the information given to her on the system.
Blame the Prezi system/the lack of training/the doctors, not the receptionist. She's just doing her job in the way the doctors have asked her to do it.

Of course I disagree with the 'ginger' suggestion though lol.

It sounds like you were just very unlucky that your stomach ache turned out to be something more serious, but the receptionist wasn't to know that. If you were indeed referred to the pharmacy (as advised via Prezi), the pharmacist should have asked the relevant medical questions and if they deemed your symptoms could not be treated by over the counter meds, they would have referred you back to the GP - and then the receptionist could make you an appointment. Unfortunately "thems are the rules" lol.....whether I agree to them or not.

(To be honest I'm a bit of a rule breaker and a soft touch and tend to give patients appointments over sending them to the chemist where at all possible).

I'm glad you contacted them.
I had a similar thing at my GP surgery. I had a terrible phonecall with a receptionist and I just couldn't let it go without reporting it to the practice manager. I had also been sat in the waiting room on other occasions and felt awkward, embarrassed and concerned about this staff members tone, approach and lack of privacy or dignity whilst dealing face to face and on the phone.
The response I had from the practice was quite generic about them not seeing an issue but thanks for the feedback ya ya ya... but something must have happened as the particular receptionist doesn't answer the phone half as much now and has been placed away from the front desk each time I've visited.
We really need to invest in our health and having these sorts of issues in primary care settings is the reason people end up going into to secondary care and clogging up hospitals. If they can't approach their own GP and be treated with respect and as an actual human being, of course you're going to go elsewhere.

After reading that nasty little diatribe I really want the receptionists at your surgery to be rude to you and refuse you an appointment next time you go...

And that would be a super use of patient time. Come now, we are asked to respect the rime of doctors ad infinitum - they and their staff need also to see that this works in reverse. Let's not forget that the NHSystem (I feel it no longer warrants the word Service) is only free at the point of delivery.

Vive La Revolution!

I agree - what a vile person, with a superiority complex.
The job is way harder than she realises.
I'm also a graduate and (part time) GCSE Maths teacher and that job is easier than the reception role!!