Fucking gp receptionist....

[Hellbentwellwent]

I’m livid.

Just called in the surgery to get a repeat prescription and while I was there thought I’d ask if my blood results had come back. So I asked the receptionist.... for clarity there is a desk in the waiting room which is the only place to speak to the receptionist. There were other patients sitting waiting, easily in earshot, 8 foot away, and it was quiet. All I wanted to know was if I had to speak to the gp or if there was nothing to note on the results. Instead however the receptionist thought it was appropriate to announce to us all in the waiting room that my hormone profile was in line with a hysterectomy. Thanks very fucking much, I’ve just had a hugely traumatic surgery, very recently, I’m in my mid thirties so young to have had it done and feeling pretty bloody emotional over the whole thing in the first place and this this silly bint decides to share it with a room full of patients.

I said thank you, she smiled and said you’re welcome, then I said, no, thank you for sharing that with everyone, and the smile melted of her face as I looked around at a room full of people looking at us.

I walked out on the verge of tears. Just got home furious.

What the fuck ever happened to patient confidentiality???

I shall be emailing the practice manager after a glass of wine to complain.

That's awful. Our reception has a back door sort of entrance which leads to the hallway where the doctors rooms are
Anything private they can pop out that door, you go through from the waiting area to hallway and they talk to you there
I had a horrendous time once and just turned up at the desk silently crying, I didn't even say anything and they whisked me through, made me a cup of tea and found me a doctor

You asked the question.. She told you the results. If you didn't want anyone else hearing it might have been better to phone.

YABU
You asked her to give you the info about your blood and she did. Obviously, if your bloods are in line with the levels expected for someone who has had a hysterectomy, you don't need to see the doctor. If you didn't want to discuss it publically you shouldn't have asked in front of the whole waiting room. I think you are being rather unfair on the receptionist who was actually trying to help you with your request. This kind of reaction is probably why receptionist actike the KGB when you are trying to get basic info or a repeat prescription. If you are sensitive about your medical history, don't ask in a public place.

my friend heard what two gp receptionists said after a pAtient left....yanbu.. put a complaint in but they dont care. I work for the nhs (community) and shocked re gp sugeries...my patients given up and just go to a&e.

It bugs me when they are on phone discussing confidential stuff and the waiting room can hear and you don't even know who they are talking to.

It would be better if you did know?

Thanks for all the lovely messages, feeling a bit less horrified now after decompressing a bit.

To those saying I asked a question and she answered it. She’s didn’t answer the question that I asked... I asked if the results were back in, and she very much didn’t have to answer in the way that she did. Anyway, regardless the compliant has been sent and I’m glad at least that I voiced it.

Not ideal but I think you’re projecting your anger about having to have had a hysterectomy at such a young age into the receptionist.

Agree with the pp who said, you asked and she told you? Sorry about your hysterectomy.

At my surgery you can't have test results at the desk only by phone. However the one I work in we can if the patient requests them. We only tell them "Doctor says they are ok, you need to see the Doctor (appointment) or speak to the Doctor (telephone consultation). If patients don't want anyone else to know then they telephone.

The Receptionist was way out of order though.

I can see why you’re pissed off OP. It’s inappropriate to read out test results in front of other patients. Sorry to hear about your operation too, hope you are recovering well (physically, at least).

This is probably why gp receptionists have a reputation of being twats. They’re sick of official complaints being made against them for trying to be helpful

I can totally understand where you're coming from, OP.
I had a hysterectomy and got thrush after needing antibiotics. I had a complete jobsworth at the local supermarket pharmacy insist I describe my symptoms in detail - saying I knew I had thrush and giving brief details wasn't enough apparently. I ended up in tears and complained to a manager. The member of staff still refused to sell the medication to me....
I got back in my car, drove to a pharmacy down the road, and was able to get what I needed with far less fuss.
I'm sorry for your experience - it's not what you need when you're feeling very vulnerable anyway, is it?
Sympathies.... and yes, you were absolutely right. All GP receptionists need to be able to exercise a bit of tact and understanding.

@BrendasUmbrella haha! no I don't need to know they should pass those calls to someone out back who cant be overheard. I don't think reception is the place for it at all if you can the see the patient or not

You did right to complain, OP. There’s no reason the receptionist couldn’t have scribbled that down on a piece of paper for you, or simply paraphrased the last bit so that your hysterectomy wasn’t mentioned.

I think there was a misunderstanding here. You asked if the blood results were back. She reasonably thought you were asking for the results so told you

I agreed but I still think it's good that you complained, OP.

I think the receptionist did assume that you meant, "Are my results back and, if so, can you tell me what they are?", even though that is not what you said. I also agree that she probably did not think of your result as particularly sensitive, compared to many of the results that GP practices handle (I'm a GP myself). But, having said all that, it would still be much better if she had double-checked and asked if you were happy for her to read them out before doing so. By complaining, hopefully the practice will re-assess how it handles this situation in the future.

I think, you asked her, she told you. It’s not ideal but the nhs is under pressure

What utter tripe !

I work in the NHS (Clinician) and the only thing I'd ask a patient in the waiting room is their name , if they have an appointment and what time or for their appointment card .
I won't even ask DoB unless they come into the surgery and certainly not address or medical.

No matter how under pressure I am.

Patient Confidentiality.
Caldicott

I didn’t explicitly ask for an apology, but I sure as hell expect one along with an assurance that the receptionist will be given more training in data handling.

Then I'd lower your expectations OP, you're not going to get one. The receptionist sounds like she was trying to be helpful. You sound like you're projecting your anger at her. But yeh, I'm glad you've made yourself feel better by ensuring someone else's day is made worse

asked for a response as to how the complaint will be handled

If you're complaining about your privacy being breached asking for details about results of a staff member's disciplinary procedures is a bit rich.

GP receptionists are the worst for this shit! Well done for putting in a complaint!

I’m NHS staff. It wasn’t good enough. She could have shown you the paper or said all fine - no action or doctor would like to speak to you.

everpessimistic Not ideal but I think you’re projecting your anger about having to have had a hysterectomy at such a young age into the receptionist. bullshit, I’m pissed about having to have surgery but that has nothing to do with the receptionist, Jesus, talk about invalidating someone! To use someone else example from up thread, if I’d come in for std results and she’s said something stupid like your herpes results have come back clear, rather than just saying your results are all clear, would you tell me I was projecting my anger at my unfaithful partner on the receptionist for being pissed?

She’s didn’t answer the question that I asked

As I said in my previous post, my sympathies are with you, but..

It is perfectly normal to respond to the implication in a question, and not just answer it literally. If you went into the dry-cleaners, for example, and said, "Are my clothes back?", would you expect them just to answer 'Yes' and stand there, so that you then had to say, "Well can I have them please?", or would you expect them to go and get them because that's what your question implied? Or, if you are in a restaurant and say to the waiter, "Have you got a menu?", do you expect him to say "yes" and leave it at that, or do you expect him to go and get you one because the implication of the question is that you want it?

Now, of course I'm not saying that getting dry-cleaning or a menu is the same as getting blood results, but my point is that we often ask for things by implication, not directly. I think the receptionist genuinely assumed that you wanted to be told the result, and it was not unreasonable for her to think so. But she should still have double-checked before reading them out.

Ah well. I’m sure they’ll now be looking to fill her low salary place with someone else who won’t get any training either

@rottiemunm88 see I see it differently, if that’s the way she’s been handling lots of patients I’m hopefully stopping her from continuing this treatment and ruining countless other patients days with her ineptitude by ensuring she thinks twice before speaking! Might ruin her day, might save plenty of other patients feeling exposed and vulnerable.

The receptionist made a mistake and breached your privacy

She obviously needs more training

I think your anger is way disproportionate to what actually happened

I think your unhappiness about the bloods result played a part in your (over) reaction

I hope the receptionist doesnt get into a lot of trouble because of you

After all - she simply needs more training.