Why are so many GP receptionists rude?

[Jenna2212]

I don't think I've ever heard of a surgery where people have positive things to say about the receptionists. At a time when people are most vulnerable and in need, why do GP surgeries tend to recruit such hostile people to greet sick people?

Have you had any bad experiences with your GP surgery? Feel free to post below. 💊

I didn't have a piece of paper with me and that's not really the point, is it? You shouldn't have to shout (and it really is shouting because of the glass) your personal business in front of everyone.

The receptionists at my surgery are very nice. It's just a pity that two of the three GPs are dreadful.

If you phone to book it then no one else in the surgery can hear. Our patients happily tell you everything sometimes too much information without prompting and in front of other patients.

We can't book appointments via the telephone anymore.... You have to go online...

Probably to stop the absure and secondly to stop the "I absolutely must see a DOCTOR no matter how small and trivial my issue is."

I have no idea. She had a rep and she shouldn’t be doing the job.

Mine aren't rude and I've never met any that were. I hear stories though.

It depends on the management of the practice and the culture there professionally I think.

I also know that sick people who are impatient are obviously often going to sometimes come off panicked, hysterical and possibly rude.

They get a lot of flack for lack of appointments and waiting times which are out of their control.

But nobody should ever be rude in a healthcare setting. Patient or staff.

During my professional life where I contacted gp surgery’s most shifts and my personal life I have never had any attitude off and surgery staff.

There are some good and some bad at my GP and I'd say the chances of getting someone nice are about 50/50. I rang for an appointment recently in a bit of a state and the receptionist was kindness itself to me and managed to get me in with the specialist doctor for my condition the same day! I was fairly flabbergasted tbf as they're not usually anywhere near that helpful or efficient, I made a point of mentioning the kind receptionist by name whilst filling in the patient survey in the hope they get her to show some of the others how it should be done

Source of mystery to many of us in the area.

A couple of months ago someone posted on the local fb page that they couldn't imagine why everyone complained about not being able to get an appointment. They'd been given one and they were the only patient in the surgery (and 6 doctors marked as in) that they saw, so obviously there wasn't a need for people to see a doctor...
A certain hilarity followed.

Our Dr's surgery have a few that ooze hostility,one in particular my heart sinks because I know what should be straight forward turns nasty very quickly so much so the practice manager got involved and what I was asking for was reasonable and doable no fuss.
It was just the receptionist hadn't done it before so therefore didn't exist 🤯

My mum used to be a GP’s receptionist, and one of her colleagues was particularly officious and told a young mum to take her unwell son home, and give him Calpol.

In the meantime, one of the GP’s came out into the waiting room, to call in his next patient.
Took one look at the little boy with a sky high fever, and told my mum to call an ambulance, cos he suspected the poor little boy had meningitis.

‘A Sea of Noise and Disease’ would make a brilliant goth band name.

Because they are stressed

I imagine they are. We all are in life. It doesn’t give you a pass to be exceptionally rude, give a diagnosis or opinion you’re not qualified to give or to embarrass the patients in front of a waiting room full of people.

Don't disagree, but the question is why are they so rude. I worked in the NHS 13 years, always the same with receptionists they have a lot to deal with and are generally v busy and quite often an older generation. I have no skin in the game just observations. Stress materialises in different ways for different people.

I'd love to hear the other side of this.

Your complaint did not get 4 people sacked at once, I know that much!

None of the receptionists at my surgery have ever been rude to me.

It was not possible to get through to these people on the phone. I tried every morning at 8 like they said, but could never get through.

Yes, I know some people don't care. I've seen old men going on about their 'waterworks' in front of everyone, but people pre-retirement age do care and it's really shitty to blame the patient for a system that is totally stacked against them.

They’re mostly all male at mine. From what my ex used to say, it was mostly males at the one he worked at too. 😅

Was I supposed to describe her as angelic and sweet and super anxious to please?
I described my experience EXACTLY as it happened.
Right back atcha, ma’am. 🙄

At my GPs they are efficient on the phone, I wouldn't say friendly. They just want the facts and there's no deviation from their script at all. Once I tried to ask a simple question at the end and she'd already hung up.

I've found that if I'm ringing about an enquiry I get much better treatment if I call in to the surgery. They're always so helpful and if unsure about something always ask someone else. It is so much easier dealing with them face to face. Our surgery is never actually physically busy, I think a lot of calls get triaged so people get dealt with over the phone rather than in person.

I wonder if there's a corelation between rude (overworked/stressed) receptionists and GP practices where you only get an appointment if you call dead on 8am.... as opposed to those where you can either book in advance or go through econsult. Our receptionists are polite and efficient when I've had to deal with them, but the majority of medical enquiries go through econsult so they can be triarged and appointment/call arranged as necessary, so if you call at 8am for a same day appt you always get through quickly.

Usually it's only GP consultations you need to ring for at 8am. Practice Nurse or other clinics they run you can book up to when the phone lines close at 6.30pm.

I hope your "shitty to blame" comment isn't being directed to me as I'm trying to offer solutions.

My formal complaint revealed a large number of other letters of complaint that the practice manager had kept to herself
The practice brought back a retired GP who used to work there to replace her as an interim manager, and yes, he fired all three receptionists on the same day
So what you think you know is incorrect

You're asking the patient to bring solutions so yes I think that's shitty.