Something happened at work and its ruined my weekend

[user1475002412]

I work for the NHS in an admin capacity. However due to all our reception staff leaving I was told by my manager that I now have to do all my work whilst working on reception one day a week. So there I was on Friday, on reception.

A man approached. I smiled, said good morning and asked if he had an appointment. He said yes but didn’t know who the appointment was with. The reception area is for about 5 different clinics. I asked his name. I didn’t catch it, i asked again and he replied but again it wasn’t clear. So I asked his date of birth. I managed to find him on the list and saw straightaway he was 15 mins late. I told him to please take a seat while I checked whether the doctor could see him. Knocked on doctors door, explained patient had arrived. Doctor said no way was he seeing patient as patient late and he was due another patient in 5 minutes.

I went out to reception and told the patient doctor unable to see him because he was late. Patient became aggressive, shouting, leaning over the desk trying to grab my name badge, screaming that now he knew my name he was going to make trouble for me as it was my fault the doctor wouldn’t see him. I explained it was the doctors decision not mine. Eventually he left.

He then came back an hour later and started verbally abusing me. Again saying it was my fault and it shouldn’t matter that he was late, that he knows who I am and not to think I’ve “got away with it”. He swore at me and basically humiliated me.

I can’t stop thinking about it. Keep going over it in my head, can’t sleep, worried he may do something ie find out where I live. I just feel shaken up. I feel angry that I just sat there and let a man scream and swear at me.

I know it’s extreme but I don’t think I can do the job anymore. I am a very shy person and there’s no way I would ever have applied to be a NHS receptionist (2 of our receptionists left due to stress from dealing with angry patients). And yet through no choice of my own I find myself having to do this.

they will just gloss over the fact he was late and somehow blame me. I’m not sure if I can go into work tomorrow.

But this was the doctor's decision, not yours - he / she will confirm that the patient was too late to be seen.

I think if you go in tomorrow and discuss it with HR etc you will feel better because they will reassure you that you were not at fault.

I am aghast at the manager allowing confidential patient records to be dealt with at reception without the use of a screen - you say he is more worried about a complaint being made, well I think a person whose privacy is compromised in this way would be more likely to make a complaint that this patient.

I wouldn't be surprised if nothing comes of this - sounds like the all bluster type of person to me. Even if he does, he hasn't got a leg to stand on.

It is really important that you complete an incident report as this will be seen ny senior management and they will need to be seen to address the risk. They have a duty of care to address risks to staff and patients , so completing an incident report (datix) will mean they will need to document what actions are taken regarding this incident. There will be a Health & Safety person that you can contact to ask for support in making your workplace safer, you should be able to find their contact details on your intranet. They can make recommendations that your managers have to act on. Ask about having a panic alarm button fitted as minimum. You can get members of the public barred from your premises. If you aren't satisfied with theircactions you could put in a formal complaint via HR and seek help with union rep

I would also report to Health & Safety as they can record incidents of verbal abuse and it's likely they will be more use than HR.

Detail it exactly as it happened on the patient record and go to your HR if your manager doesn't back you. I'm also NHS admin/reception and it beggars belief how rude people are.

This is a big deal OP and I can understand why you are upset and frightened. Your Trust has an incident reporting procedure: this is a violence/aggression incident against a member of staff and needs to be reported.

If you can, you need to ask your manager whether this has been reported already; if it hasn’t you need to say you want to report it. In my Trust any member of staff can initiate a report via the Trust’s intranet.

If you can’t discuss it with your manager and/or can’t make the report independently the union, the HR department or the Health and Safety department will help.

My Trust also has a confidential staff counselling helpline. This may also be a good source of support and may help you make a decision about how you want to proceed.

Sorry this happened to you. I’d be making an official health and safety report via hr and reporting this to the police. Are you a union member? If so report it and if not maybe consider joining. This sounds like a significant change to your t&c’s. I was involved in a similar incident at work in October. It’s really shitty. hope you feel better soon.

You need to take it higher than your manager. There is a zero abuse policy for all of you nhs staff. Your manager is shit.

All your advice is helping, Thankyou so much. I told the doctor what happened and he was very sympathetic. There will be a record that he was too late to be seen.

Just to say no way should you be asked to work at reception with confidential patient records where people might see them. This is a complete data breach and you should flag that in writing with the practice manager. We use exactly this example for data security training in my organisation!

Also your name badge should only have your first name on.
I hope this is the case?

What an unpleasant man!! Disgraceful that your manager doesn't take steps to ensure he doesn't get away with this behaviour. Was he blaming you because it took a while to find him on the system? Obviously not 15 minutes!! Try not to take it personally, he would have been just the same with anyone else but definitely go above the manager's head to get this looked into and the man contacted about his behaviour.

Doesn't your employer have a duty of care as to your physical and emotional safety at work? You have raised concerns about the possibility of such an event occurring in the past, and your concerns have been ignored. Your sensible and entirely possible suggestion as to how the risk could be mitigated, has been ignored.

Potentially, could your employer be found to have been negligent, and breached their duty of care to their employee?

If your full name is on your badge please stop wearing it.
It can really make you vulnerable. If someone really wanted to find out more about you, knowing your full name can really open up that avenue to them.

When I've been the doctor in that situation, I've gone and told the patient myself.
I've also offered a telephone consultation (how soon would depend on my judgement but within the next working week) since I would refuse to see them then.

I wouldn't have expected a receptionist to tell someone they wouldn't be seen and, if the patient was that aggressive, I'd have called security.

You have not done anything wrong and have nothing to fear.Its people like you who are keeping the NHS going.

Potentially, could your employer be found to have been negligent, and breached their duty of care to their employee?

Yes, absolutely.

My name badge has my full name. All receptionists had their full name on their badge too. Do some trusts just have first name on display then?

If it happens again call the manager to reception or call the doctor out to tell the patient themselves. I dare say you are not getting paid enough to put up with such shite. I worked in banking and customers could be very aggressive. I would just get a manager to deal with them.

If your manger is worried about a patient complaint tell her you are escalating the incident yourself with your own complaint to HR.

He was typing my name into his phone. One of the reasons I feel shaken up.

Datix it. And formally contact your manager and HR to complain. They can't ignore it that way.

Hi OP what a shitty thing to happen. You seem worried about repercussions, but anyone can see that the patient was in the wrong. You were simply passing on the doctor's decision. So what if he does complain? You did absolutely nothing wrong.

Definitely take the advice you've had here about speaking with HR and union. You should feel safe at work, they are failing you.

"He was typing my name into his phone. One of the reasons I feel shaken up."

Inlight of this, call the police. and tell your HR and manager that you have done so.

Lock down all your social media too.

This Datix it. And formally contact your manager and HR to complain. They can't ignore it that way.

It sounds as though a simple complaint to management is likely to be brushed aside!

First of all you need to complete a significant event form or what ever you call it in your organisation so it is recorded and had to be discussed and an outcome agreed.

I do exactly the same job as you by the sound of it and there is no way you can do your work on reception. Your work will have to be left for one day. You can not compromise on confidentiality under any circumstances.

Speak to your manager and explain the situation. If they insist you have to do your share of reception then go and see your own gp and maybe get a fitnote for light duties as it's affecting your heath.

The patient should be written to and removed (if you are a gp practice) straight away.

It really is horrible when someone is aggressive to you.

I work in the nhs as a manager and this sounds fairly normal unfortunately! Angry patients ruin the job for my reception staff and me. I just give the patient a fair explanation and if warranted an apology and then draw a line under it. If they want to take it further I let them, it's often easily to deal with once it becomes an official complaint. There's is no complaint if everyone has done as they should have. I used to feel sick with nerves at the thought of an angry patient I now find it easy to detach and let it go. I have been threaten soo many times,,told someone would be waiting for me, my car would be set a light. It has never happened and I feel they just say what they can to gauge a reaction. If there's a threat of violence advise them you will log it with the police. I really wouldn't worry about it, your manager should support you. If they don't and you are pulled up you can report the facts, patient was late and doctor would not see them! Make a note on the patient file that the dr refused to see them. There's no more to it than that.