Ask my anything - I’m a nhs gp receptionist

[Sunnydays999]

Thought this might help having seen the other thread !

[user1497787065]

Do you not feel that you are undervalued by the doctors you work for? Do you not consider that you
Are worth more than the national minimum wage for the job you do with the degree of responsibility you have?

[Sunnydays999]

@bookshop1 Thankyou !
Most people are lovely . And I shouldn’t say it but you get attached and it’s awful when people die .
My job is to try to get people supported - direct them to the right people. It’s not a perfect service . But better than a lot . When people made angry it’s normally fear

[bookshop1]

@sunnydays999 I can imagine it's very easy to mentally take your work home with you! I really struggle with that, wondering if patients are ok overnight etc

[Sunnydays999]

@user1497787065 a bit yes and I won’t stay for ever

[Sunnydays999]

@imlateagain they don’t . But then I can only offer them routine . I can’t push them to the front , I can’t send them to the admin gp that day . My hands are tied if they don’t . Usually When people don’t I sort of try to get round it and is it a new worrying symptom , ongoing pain etc - and if they say yes I have something to work with

[Sunnydays999]

@bookshop1 the worse is when you open email and see who’s on the rip email list . You often know the family. Very hard . Affects me more than I thought ever possible

[mootymoo]

If someone needs to see a gp/nurse it seems the reception team are just downright awkward, and it's pretty covid too - amazingly whenever I speak to the practice manager they get me an appointment at at a convenient time! Last week the practice manager even apologised for the way reception treated me as they have been told they can schedule smears with specific drs (female) up to a week ahead rather than what I was told my reception that I had to call each morning and hope I could get an emergency slot!

[bookshop1]

@bookshop1 I get emails like that too. I'm in paediatrics so often know the child or baby and their parents pretty well as they spend so long in hospital with us. Unfortunately in my line it's inevitable.

[Sunnydays999]

@mootymoo we have this a lot . Practice manager apologies to keep the peace and to stop a complaint/ lifts embargo’s we aren’t meant to . Nothing changes tho . It’s the one frustrating part of the job . But that’s life

[Sunnydays999]

@bookshop1 that must be very hard . Speaking to a hospice nurse last week and l absolutely couldn’t do that job

[JollyGreenGiantess]

@CarolVordermansBum

Did you need any qualifications to get the job? I notice your grammar is terrible, are you just being sloppy because its mumsnet or is this genuinely how you spell/type?

What a spectacularly nasty post. Would you walk up to your GP receptionist and ask that in person?

[Brefugee]

Do you think it's ridiculous that you have to pretty much decide, on the phone, what's serious and what isn't, when you have zero medical training?

Where i live (not UK) this kind of job is handled by someone who went through a 3 year apprenticeship to be a medical receptionist/assistant. Often they are also nurses. I find it shocking that i might need to make an appointment at a practice for, say, a recurring ear infection that we already know because the doctor has told us, will need antibiotics, and i might get a receptionist who is on their first day and does a "computer says no more appointments" number on me. It's baffling.

[Sunnydays999]

The ear infection scenario didn’t worry me but I absolutely did worry I would miss something serious. Someone sits With you at first, so you can check any concerns .
If we had 3 years of medical training they would have to pay us a lot more . The nhs can’t afford that .

[Sunnydays999]

When you start your prepped ( or I was ) what was concerning
Lumps
Pain down the side
Leg swelling
Slurred speech .
Tbh people who are very ill often down play and you have to insist they let you ring ambulance/ accept a home visit .

[Sunnydays999]

@JollyGreenGiantess everyone likes to have a snipe , it’s the nature of the role I’m afraid . What people don’t see is the turn over of new people because they can’t cope . We do care . It’s receptionists doing over time , working weekends for no over time rate to book covid jabs in. We get it in the neck from patients and doctors .

[Sunnydays999]

@Fieldofyellowflowers some people are rude and grumpy . Sorry you had that experience.
Some colleagues are finding the covid jab situation difficult. Patients are getting cross as the rules have changed when to have the second . I had a man who was very angry . He was worried and scared. I’m busy and stressed - you can see how that goes wrong . By the end of the conversation we were talking about hoping for better times .

[BlueTimes]

My GP surgery receptionists seem to be in the minority because whilst one is ever so grumpy, she does always do her best to get me an appointment (with plenty of heavy sighs). I can also honestly say that any time I have rung for one of my children they have been seen, even when I’ve been told all the appointments have gone so to arrive at the end of the GP’s morning session and be prepared to wait as s/he will fit us in once they’ve finished.

I do think the grumpy receptionist at mine hopes she will put people off bothering to ask her questions though.

[MissLucyEyelesbarrow]

As for the Sunnydays999 Is this just a goady thread as it seems like it? I told the receptionist at least 5 times that my epileptic brother had an ear infection and that this had brought on seizures before and he needed penicillin (I think) She point blank even let me speak to the doctor and surprise surprise, he had a seizure plus an agonisingly sore ear for days. Why do GP receptionists think they know best?

Why are you blaming the OP for something that is nothing to do with her? And why is it goady for her to be politely answering questions?

Some of the posts on here are a perfect illustration of why it's so hard being a GP receptionist. Some receptionists are rude, but some of the public are 1000 times worse.

[Sunnydays999]

@kale99 you could . But that should not be happening . I would personally report a colleague for that . Absolutely 100% inappropriate. We all deserve confidential care . You can ask to block members of staff

[MaryMashedThem]

@CarolVordermansBum Did you need any qualifications to get the job? I notice your grammar is terrible, are you just being sloppy because its mumsnet or is this genuinely how you spell/type?

I assume you meant:
"Did you need any qualifications to get the job? I notice your grammar is terrible; are you just being sloppy because it's mumsnet or is this genuinely how you spell/type?" Maybe you should brush up on your punctuation 🤔

OP I bet you're great at your job! You come across as calm, respectful and you don't rise to the bait. I don't know why GPs receptionists get such a hard time; there are good ones and bad ones, just like literally every profession out there

[Sunnydays999]

😂😂 bless her ! We have one like that - she sighs a lot but will come up with a solution for her .I bet she has worked there years !!

[Sunnydays999]

@MaryMashedThem Thankyou. I try. The aim is to remember people are angry because they are scared . That’s how I deal with it

[daisypond]

My GP practice has lovely receptionists. It seems to me that it’s easier now to talk or see a GP than before covid times, because of triaging by phone first - which surely must free up some time/slots. Do you think this system is here to stay?

[Sunnydays999]

@daisypond mixed feelings.mental health is difficult over zoom , you don’t pick up the clues to things going wrong .
A lot of elderly people like to come in and receptionist will see them even if they see a different doctor . So we sometimes pass messages saying Mrs x looked down , bit forgetful / I’m concerned . By not having people in the surgery you miss that security check really .
For some people it works /doctors can get through a lot quicker . I think after covid it should be a choice . A lot of issues such as dementia/ depression is picked up in passing not in consultations.

[Sunnydays999]

Relationships are built by coming into the surgery. We have a community board .Those links can easily be lost