Would two 12-hour GP receptionist shifts a week be manageable

[Team187]

Do you think working 8-8 as a GP receptionist 2 days a week would be manageable (this shift pattern obviously includes breaks)? This seems preferable to working 5 days a week for 5 hours a day, but I wonder if anyone with experience of the role would suggest otherwise.

100% especially as you have another adult who can take care of your son and the house while you work.

I loved working long shifts when I was a ward nurse. Two long days a week would be brilliant, just get it out the way and the rest of the time is yours. If it is a busy practice the day will fly in! I am by far more tired working five days a week now. It is like being trapped in a doom cycle 😂

I do 2 days, 12 hour shifts works perfectly for me as im a carer for my wife in other days. Really its much better than doing 5 days with less hours

Talking specifically about the role, it can be quite draining dealing with the public all day and of it's one of those days where everyone seems to have woken up and chosen violence or everything is actually urgent it can feel never ending. But when I did a longer shift in that role it was usually split so half would be patient facing and half would be admin work which was fine, especially when you are only doing a couple of days. I think it would be fine being only two days but a lot would depend on the patient population and how the job role was split as well.

Two long days will be fine. It gets them out the way & once you are there you might as well stay the extra 4 hours. You won’t be on your feet either. 8 pm isn’t to late so will give you time to wind down a bit before bed too.
A lot of my friends do long days and prefer it.

Such helpful replies, thanks so much for taking the time! My background is teaching but I'm moving on from that (hideous). I make the bulk of my wage from my buying and selling business, so having the other days to work on that does appeal!

Did you go to school ?
12 hours + 12 hours =

Yes. I used to do that in my office job half the time anyway. You’re sitting down it’s not that hard.

Yes do it. Much better to just get stuff out the way. Will take some adjustment and you might be tired first few weeks but will be fine. You will enjoy the days off!!

Op go for it. 5min commute.

I do think it's ridiculous that someone with any sort of responsibility in a job is being paid minimum wage.

I’ve done two consecutive 13 hour days - I used to work in a newsroom where full-time was three of them. Obviously you’d think that was lucky as it’s not quite 40 hours, but it was tiring. You never did the three in a row so for example you might work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. I quickly learned that the day in between was a total write-off, so if you do it, assume you will need to rest the following day, particularly at first. Also, you find you are off sick a bit more as viruses which you could power through an 8 hour day with, you realise a very long day is too much for.

That would work for me. All done and dusted in two days then 5 days off.

Oh phew! An entrepreneur as well? @GoneWithTHeWindJammers will be so relieved 😂

Yes, definitely go for it. I think it would probably be very interesting work.

My SIl was a GP receptionist it's a tough gig
You'll get shit from the Drs and untold shit from patients.

I work two 12 our shifts a week (8-8 or 10-10) when my DC is with their dad, I’ve been doing it for years. I’m tired after the second day in a row but it works for me. Make sure you take your breaks though (you’re entitled to an hour).

That’s one hell of a lot of hours!

Firstly your maths is shocking secondly if she did claim uc they would make her work more hours or get a 2nd job its not 20 years ago where you worked 16hrs to get uc thats not a thing anymore.

Where did she say she was on UC?

The only thing that might bother me about the role are

1. is it your own GP? How would you feel about someone who is a colleague knowing your medical history and/or having to complete some times intimate medical interventions?
2. if the GP is your husbands or son’s you may have access to their records which they maybe trying to keep to themselves
3. in a similar vein you may be made aware of friends or neighbours medical issues. How would you/they feel about that?

The hours themselves don’t seem an issue but as a HCP myself the whole confidentiality issue/living too close to those I care for has always prevented me working on my doorstep. I always wondered how Sonia from Eastenders worked as a nurse in the medical centre on Albert Square…..having a drink in the Vic with someone who, a few hours earlier, you performed a smear test on!!!

It’s the patients. There are absolutely easier jobs out there for minimum wage, and certainly easier jobs out there for more than minimum wage too! There’s the abuse you get from patients but also the emotional toll. There are calls from incredibly upset people desperate for appointments, drugs, help of any kind and there is nothing you can do to help them. Certain people have a thick skin and can deal with it and thank goodness, we all need GP receptionists, but I would be far too emotionally affected by it.

That would be much preferred over spreading the hours across 5 days. Working 2 days to get 5 days off a week is a no brainer. I'm used to long shifts though, if you haven't worked in a while then it might be a shock to the system.

Not in that role, but I used to work 7-7 3 days a week when my dc were small, with a commute. It was fine. I would imagine it’s quite fast paced and stressful though, much more so than my clinical research role.

Yound it's mnot all patient facing. You could have some admin time in that role repeat prescriptions, filing mail, there are lots of roles as a GP receptionist. It's quite diverse. The learning curve is very steep. Our receptionists even with all the training we're quite overwhelmed at the beginning but if the team is good it's a great job.

No wonder doctors receptionists are so shirty if they are working 12-hour shifts.BTW

If it’s a busy role which most gp surgeries are then the day will fly and you have most of the week off. I’d love it