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.

I would also make sure any social media accounts are fully private and locked down. Just with him being so aggressive and taking your name.

I'm sorry - nobody should have to put up with this!

Cross post sorry I've seen this was just suggested.

It’s not good at all to have your surname on show, it makes you extremely vulnerable in this environment.
I thought it was actually legally protected now across most work environments to not do this anymore?

You need a new name badge, you don’t have to have your surname on show at all.

This need raising immediately when you go back to work. Please take this above your direct manager.

That's absolutely shocking. However, the Dr had five minutes so he or she should have spoken to the patient imo. Also, if another patient was due in 5 mins, why couldn't that patient wait for 15 mins? The NHS usually has no compunction about keeping patients waiting and this oerson appears to be vulnerable and unwell in so many ways.

I think your working conditions are a health and safety issue and this needs to be raised with them. Front line staff shoukd only have first names on display.

This needs to be raised formally and so does the drs failure to take responsibility.

jelly I just had a look on the NHS England website on the identification section, and they have a sample name badge as an example. On it it says “Anne Other, Receptionist” so I think surnames are allowed.

‘ 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.’

I have had this so many times in retail also- it just used to make me think they were insanely stupid to be honest whilst I was sat there with their full name and address in front of me.

Morons and absolute scum of the earth.

I actually agree that the doctor could have spoken to the patient and told him he was too late to be seen. The irony being that the next patient DNA’d so the last patient could have been seen. I am going to ask manager that if in future a doctor cannot see a late patient, the doctor should tell the patient this and not the receptionist.

I can see why the other receptionists left. Safety of staff clearly isn't their top priority. There should be notes on the system which state whether the patient is a risk to staff. You need to decide whether it is safe for you to return to work given this patient's threats. You can get many many jobs in the future so put your welfare first.

Do you know the receptionists who’ve left personally? I’d be tempted to find out if he was one of the reasons they left. It would also help you to get a bit of backstory. If he’s a history of harassment, you’ve more to go on. Sorry this happened to 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.

Agree with @HappyHarlot, I would call the police as he has your full name. There is absolutely no need to have a full name visible for frontline staff. Definitely report this and swerve your manager in that report.

Yes you need to take clear action.

Make it bullet point.

Patient arrived at x time.
What you did.
Spoke to dr.
Passed on message.
Patients actions.
Then about patient returning.

Report both incidents to HR, boss and police. Cc yourself in so you have record of email being sent.

Also to the boss and Hr add at the end that you already raised verbally concerns about lack of glass and confidential paperwork being visible and in light of this you are requesting a full investigation into glass for staff safety and also confidentiality. State you want a reply.

You can tell I spent years in medical reception because this wouldn't faze me in the slightest, feels totally normal.

However, you should get support from management and definitely no full names on badges.

Not sure how it works with them changing your role.

But by then the doctor might be seeing another patient, so asking the patient to wait, only to be told to go away, would surely make things worse?

I'm really shocked that you are working on confidential files which a patient could grab or read. Surely there has to be something that could happen regarding that? Also your name tag: ask if you can have a second name tag just for reception. That would hardly cost anything, would it?

I reckon that bloke is all talk, though. I know it's natural to worry but I think he just wanted you to get as wound up as he was.

Unfortunately in the NHS staff get abused a lot like this particularly in roles like yours. There should be support in place, or at least a counselling service where you could talk about what happened and get a de-brief.

Just because he didn't physically strike you doesn't mean it's not assault.

The definition of common assault includes when you perceive that you are in immediate danger of being assaulted. Make sure you include that in any reports you make.

I agree with reporting to the police.

You are making this about you (understandably) but actually the person with the problem is the patient. You need to make a complaint about the patient. The Trust (or whatever) needs to inform the patient that they have a zero tolerance policy for staff harassment. The trust needs to protect you and show that they do not take such issues lightly.

While it is fresh in your mind, write down what happened, facts only.
If your trust use the Datix system you need to complete one, again keep it factual.
We’re there no colleagues around to support you?

I work in an NHS Trust hospital. We got new badges with our full names on so most of us Tippex'd or put tape over the surname bit. Aggressive, nasty patients are a daily occurrence and management wonder why we can't keep receptionists for longer than a few months! Reception is known as 'the trenches' here.

I’m sorry this has happened to you, no one should have to put up with that kind of behaviour.
I’d speak to your union in the morning about the incident and the extra addition to your duties.
I’m not sure how busy the reception desk is, but to take you away from what was presumably a full time role to cover a reception desk one day a week, for 5 surgery’s sounds unreasonable, not discounting the confidential nature of your work.
I’m not surprised the other receptionists have left it’s thats the mgrs attitude to that kind of behaviour.

Sorry to hear this
Sadly this is not uncommon but must be handled correctly.
Please ensure that an incident report is completed and familiarise yourself with the organisation’s Violence and aggression policy, the person should probably be sanctioned.
If you’re working for the NHS then please ignore all the your name badge should only have your first name on comments as all staff should be wearing photo Trust ID clearly displaying their full name and job title.

chesty No other staff around, there were doctors who were all in their clinic rooms. There used to be two receptionists on a Friday and three admin staff. There is now just me. It’s very stressful as I trying to do my actual job whilst sitting on a busy reception desk.

Part of the reason I’m beating myself up is as other posters have said, as former receptionists this wouldn’t have fazed them as they spent years doing the job. I however don’t have the necessary skills to deal with this situation. No training and very little experience.

Sorry you had to go through this op, I work in a similar role, we have patients who can be like this but also some lovely ones. Just remember someone like him is like that and not because of you even though it's horrible you did nothing wrong, it was his own fault he didn't show up on time

This sort of thing would have shaken me up too OP, I’m not the sort of person who can just shake things off, they play on my mind and make me very nervous so I understand why you feel the way you do.

I would go into work in the morning and ask to speak to your manager. Try to stay calm and explain that for reasons including the data protection issue you have raised and obviously because you don’t feel safe that you don’t want to work on the reception again. If your manager has a problem with this I would definitely take it up with HR. I would also insist on making a complaint about the patient, again going through the appropriate HR channels. As he took your name I would also consider logging this with the police.

I hope your manager takes this seriously, it’s absolutely disgusting that people are treated this way in roles like yours!

I'm so sorry this happened to,you it's fucking outrageous and frankly I'd be asking serious questions about criminality, if he was leaning over trying to grab you and threatening your personal safety and home life it's escalated from the workplace and your employers ought to be seriously shitting themselves.

Go to HR at the very least and ask why you have been allowed to be abused, it's clear why the previous receptionists left, it's not even your job ffs.

I know exactly how you feel. I had to leave that very job for the same reason. I was verbally abused just like you and they also threw a charity box at me. Well that was it for me. My manager was useless. I feel for you. Did you tell your manager. What has your manager done to sort it out. He should be thrown off.