Actually at my surgery they're now called "care navigators" which I'm sure they didn't choose for themselves!
The system we have is that the care navigators decide who is the most appropriate person for you to see, which means since my initial request to see a GP in February, I have seen the nurse 3 times, had a telephone appointment with a nurse practioner, taken a course of antibiotics "just in case", despite no evidence of infection and now I'm told I need to see a GP, face to face but there's no appointment for 3 weeks. So four months to get what I asked for in Feb.
None of which is the receptionists fault, I expect they're just as frustrated with the system as I am. However, as soon as I challenge anything about the system, they get snappy and aggressive. I honestly try to be polite, but I am in pain and very frustrated. I'm told there's nothing they can do to help me, but they refuse to put me through to someone more senior so I can talk to someone who might be able to help/should at least listen to my concerns.
Again, not their fault, but should people's who's job it is to deal with people who are worried/ill/in pain, have better training in how to deal with people who are stressed and frustrated without going on the attack and escalating the situation?
For example, yesterday I was told "you're just going round in circles" which was true, but how was that ever going to soothe a stressed patient?
I completely understand that dealing with heightened members of the public all day can't be any fun, but as that is their job, shouldn't they be hmbwttwr equipped to do it. Again not their fault, but their employer's duty to make sure they have the skills needed? When you ill and worried, dealing with the people supposed to help you shouldn't be adding to your stress surely?