Ask my anything - I’m a nhs gp receptionist

[Sunnydays999]

Thought this might help having seen the other thread !

[HettyBettyConfetti]

I understand that gp receptionist are a go between and have to deal with some patients who do test their patience.
my one experience that I can't forget is, I was waiting on a 2 week referral for cancer. I phoned up after 3 weeks to check and the receptionist told me if I couldn't be bothered to wait then I should go private.
I couldn't afford to go private and I was seen a week later.
It turns out I did have cancer.

[Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople]

@HettyBettyConfetti

I understand that gp receptionist are a go between and have to deal with some patients who do test their patience.
my one experience that I can't forget is, I was waiting on a 2 week referral for cancer. I phoned up after 3 weeks to check and the receptionist told me if I couldn't be bothered to wait then I should go private.
I couldn't afford to go private and I was seen a week later.
It turns out I did have cancer.

I’m so sorry.
I agree there are good and bad ways of handling things. Up thread OP you said to someone “go private then”. I don’t think that’s okay to say honestly.
We get you can’t personally fix underfunding in the NHS but we are scared, sick and don’t feel listened to. It would be better to at least empathise “I’m sorry we can’t move this sooner, it must be really frightening. I promise we will see you as soon as we can and the doctors are very good once you get your appointment through” or similar...
saying “go private” is a bit like saying “fuck off” and patients will receive it like that.

[RosesAndHellebores]

Absolutely @Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople and the fact of the matter, so often forgotten, is that the NHS is free at the point of delivery only and the majority of patients are actually paying to attend the GP. This fact is conveniently forgotten throughout the UK.

[TroysMammy]

HettyBettyConfetti that's awful. If you rang me I would have immediately given the message to our Secretary who would have chased it up with the hospital. That is not something the Receptionists at my surgery do and would definitely not speak to someone waiting for something so worrying and important like that.

When I worked on customer service telephony for a High Street bank we had training and monitoring of our phone calls on how we spoke and dealt with people. We had a mantra "smile when you dial", it made a difference to how you dealt with the call. It's sadly lacking in my now line of work.

I've cringed listening to colleagues deal with people over the phone, one persistently uses the word love. They haven't been nasty nor unpleasant but just lacking in telephone skills.

[Sunnydays999]

@Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople no none at all . I’m very interested in mental health as I have cptsd . Iv tried encouraging work to look at mental health first aid course ( Iv done this but at home )but there isn’t the time . We legally have to do certain courses but mental health isn’t one of them

[Sunnydays999]

@RosesAndHellebores the gps in our surgery decide what the priority is . They also don’t ring and say I will be 20 minutes late . We can see where they are on the screen but the patient in front of you could take an hour

[Sunnydays999]

@HettyBettyConfetti I’m surprised that happened . We are chasing it up before the end of the 2 week is up . That’s awful .i hope your treatment wasn’t delayed

[Sunnydays999]

@TroysMammy we have a few staff members who have been there years and talk like that . One calls people duck 🦆

[HildegardNightingale]

@TroysMammy think you are correct, a rose by any other name. Still the same selfish and hectoring manner.

[TroysMammy]

HildegardNightingale even though I'm 53 my memory and recall are really good. Out of 150 people who attended our vaccination clinic last Saturday I knew 145 of them by sight and name even though they were wearing masks.

Sunnydays999 I didn't need to, not that I do, call anyone love

[Sunnydays999]

@TroysMammy what about duck 🦆

[Hellothere19999]

Just commenting to say, sounds like all GP receptionists are getting a right slagging off. I love mine, so cheerful and helpful and I can often get a same day app. And I live in a busy town 🤷🏻‍♀️

[3boyshere]

I would like to say that the GP receptionist at my doctors is lovely. She does have to ask what the issue is but does it with great sensitivity c

[TroysMammy]

Sunnydays999 we don't have ducks in Wales

[Sunnydays999]

@TroysMammy lucky you - I cringe when I hear it

[Sunnydays999]

I think the problem we get a bad name is the nhs struggles to keep up with need and we are front line . But I’m glad you have both had good experiences

[HettyBettyConfetti]

@Sunnydays999
I can assure you that is what she said.
It didnt delay further treatment but obviously was not the 2 week wait that is required for a cancer referral.
Two operations later ( nhs staff were amazing) and with covid my 3 monthly checks up have been a bit of a nightmare but it's a very different world at the moment.
I did want to report what she said but with the upheaval of having the diagnosis I didn't.
I honestly don't think all Gp receptionists are awful. I think they have their off days but they are in contact with people who may be at their most vulnerable and they just can't bring their problems to work.

[HettyBettyConfetti]

Thank you @TroysMammy @Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople.
@Sunnydays999 you sound like a lovely receptionist and I know there are many more like you

[JanewaysBun]

I've attended many different surgeries across the country and never had any problem. In fact the ones at mine go above and beyond to help me out, there's one in particular who has chased up referrals/called a doctor down when I came in with DS bleeding and me crying.

[Houseofvelour]

My gps receptionists are lovely and have sorted things for me when the dr has failed to.

[Bubblemonkey]

@Sunnydays999

Bit of an older post but I'd appreciate it if I could get a bit of feedback 2 different receptionists have said I'm able to send an email across prior to an appointment for my mental health. What do you think the chances of them reading it is, if they've said to send it as "FAO Dr X"? I have literally spilled everything in it & don't particularly want the entire world to know my business yet find it ridiculously difficult to find the words to actually speak. I'm probably slightly paranoid, hah.

TIA

[ValancyRedfern]

@Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople

Do receptionists get any mental health first aid training, do you think they should?
The reason I ask is when my sister had PND she almost went out and took an overdose because a GP receptionist wouldn’t give her an appointment and was very abrasive (saying she didn’t need an urgent appointment). I get chills thinking about what could have been sometimes. The GP receptionist would probably have no idea how serious their ‘professional’ lack of compassion almost was.

I had a similar experience. I was near suicidal when a Dr's receptionist told me 'we have 1000s of patients you know' when I was desperate to get a referral for newborn dd who wasn't feeding.

[whosappleman]

Do you enjoy not being able to help?

I've been at 3 surgeries and each receptionist has seemed to delight in telling me this or that isn't possible. Then when a workaround is suggested as turns out to be feasible it's like they resent being able to help.

[NotTheOriginalFeargalSharkey]

Where did my teen ds go? My surgery have "lost" him. They tell me he does not exist.

When I am standing, talking to you (pre covid), and I give you an empty tablet box, with my name and other details on, why do you call me a liar and tell me I have never had this medicine, which I have been taking for 2 years?

[northernsquirrel]

Sunny days, just wanted to thank you for the job you're doing at present and comment on how genuine and caring you sound.