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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that Doctors receptionists shouldn't have a medical opinion?!

109 replies

jazz412 · 21/01/2011 20:52

Now I am making a HUGE generalisation and I'm sure that not all doctors receptionists are opinionated and rude BUT.. any I've ever come across are!

For example, my first visit to our local practice, I asked to see the doctor and she (receptionist) asked why! Now I did think that medical information was confidential however I chose to tell her "I'm pregnant and would like an appointment :)" she asked how far along I was and when I told her 6 weeks she announced that he wouldn't want to see me because I wasn't over 8 weeks and there wasn't any point.

hmm I did think people went to the doctors if they were pregnant... oh well I will have to wait oh just remembered please could I have the flu injection?

to which she scoffed and told me I couldn't until I'd seen the doctor/midwife (!!) I said ooo catch 22 really isn't it... so what I've read about pregnant women being at risk and to get a flu jab if they can (1st baby so perhaps irrational at this point) is all a load of rubbish? I moaned that as there is a lot of flu around me at the moment I might just get it and DIE. (I was pointedly hanging around waiting for her to book me with someone by now!)
she then rang the nurse for a "second opinion" (I would call it a first opinion as I wasn't aware of her medical training... ) and said " you can't give a flu jab to a pregnant one who hasn't seen m/w can you?" The nurse obviously replied to the contrary as I was asked grudgingly to wait for 5 minutes and she would give me a jab

Now am I being unreasonable or was this in fact none of her business and the doctors/nurses opinion is the one I wanted not the receptionist?! (I'm not putting down receptionists as a whole - I was one!)

Rant over :o

OP posts:

troisgarcons · 21/01/2011 21:11

Doctors are meant for people who are ill - not people who are having a normal bodiy function like .... ohhh being pregnant.

Exactly what did you want? confirmation that the stick you piddled on actually turned blue? A certificate for free prescriptions?

You don't need to see a doctor at 6 weeks unless you are having problems such as spotting - common enough and needs no intervention at that stage.

Now if you'd booked a flu jab rather than announcing to the whole world you have an egg collection that you feel makes you immeidately vunerable - tho one would suggest that you booked it waaaaaaaaaay back when people normally have them in Sept/Oct and stocks were plentiful - you would be protected and not having a foot stamping hissy fit.

usernamechanged345 · 21/01/2011 21:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CrapBag · 21/01/2011 21:20

YANBU.

I get fed up of the receptionists asking about my medical history/problems. They are not trained medical professionals, I also don't like it when they go through my blood test results with me.

In future I would not discuss what you want to go for and just say you would like an appointment. If they ask, say its private.

I hate it when you have to book in for a smear test and tell them what you are booking in for.

ChezzaB · 21/01/2011 21:25

YANBU When I was pregnant with both my DS I was not able to book an appointment with the MW until after I had seen the doctor, so I can see why you would need to book to see doctor.

As for the receptionist, the only time I have ever been asked to disclose what was wrong was when I've asked for an emergency appointment and that was just to ascertain if it was actually an emergency. Receptionists have no right to ask what is wrong with you or give out medical advise as surely this is then putting you at risk if you take a non qualified persons "diagnosis" .

Ahardmanisgoodtofind · 21/01/2011 21:34

YANBU. i had to make an app with my doc when i was 6 weeks for a referral to MW.
the receptionist at my doctors would always ask what was wrong and if i said it was private then she would tell me i HAD to tell her so she could asses whether i need a doc or nurse (because apparently i cant decide for my self what kind of medical attention i need). now i get my dp to ring for me and when they ask why he says for my "hormones...you know for the sex change". every time i go they openly gawp, esp if i take my baby. it's hilarious

GreenEyesandHam · 21/01/2011 21:42

I think Dr's receptionists get a bad rap- they have a job to do, I truly doubt they're actually really interested in someone's fungal toenail infection or shock horror that an adult female is due for a smear test..

Maybe I'm biased, ours are lovely

RailwayChild · 21/01/2011 21:47

When I was a teenager my recptionist asked a member of my family (my God fearing upright churchgoing family) if I could pop in and sign the family planning form

I do find their confidentiality very lax....they are quite happy to use your name over the phone in full earshot of the waiting room and discuss anything.

I was at the surgery the other day and heard them talking to Mrs xxxxx about her high vaginal swab result (as did the other people in the waiting room)

Original poster

jazz412 · 21/01/2011 22:43

troisgarcons yes that's fair enough perhaps I didn't need to see a doctor but I didn't know this! I (and as proved by the next comment) assumed that when you think you're pregnant you go to the doctors and they advise you on your next steps I was also told that they do a blood test to confirm it so that "pregnant" can go on your medical record should anything else occur. I felt as thought I was being told I couldn't have a doctors appointment. Also didn't announce it to the whole world... I don't think quietly telling the receptionist in a waiting room constitutes telling the whole world - bad daytroisgarcons ?
oh and I wouldn't have been able to get a flu jab in sept as I wasn't pregnant then and wouldn't have been considered a candidate.

mrspickles I now know you don't need a doctors app - I hadn't before :)

I also thought (like others) that to go to mw you had to have a referral from the doctors - now I know my GP doesn't do it this way!

It was more the attitude that annoyed me, it was almost as thought the receptionist decided who was worthy of medical attention/advice.

OP posts:

missmehalia · 21/01/2011 22:50

Agree with you, YANBU. I've had some really snotty doctors' receptionists (had a stage in life where I moved around a lot) and some of them were just awful. Particularly with the announcing test results thing.

I do appreciate that they can get you in to see the nurse more quickly sometimes for something minor, but I think there are kinder ways of asking people than what I've experienced. There are some people who go power crazy behind a desk..

Pterosaur · 21/01/2011 22:52

I think your general point is fair enough.

I've sometimes volunteered information which I hope will get me an early appointment, but I don't think I've ever been asked.

I also went to the docs to proudly announce my first pregnancy. She was very happy for me.

PonceyMcPonce · 21/01/2011 22:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PigValentine · 21/01/2011 23:06

All Dr's are different. At ours, you can't see the midwife until you've seen the Dr. Also because it takes ages for the 12 week scan appointment to come through,, they send off the booking card before 8 weeks if poss. So it's unfair to pick on why the OP was at the Dr in the first place! And there are many reasons you might need to see a Dr as soon as you know you are pregnant anyway - medication is an excellent example of this.

Original poster

jazz412 · 21/01/2011 23:10

thank you! (I would like - well not really as then there would be something wrong with me, to say that there was a medication problem or something to have the moral high ground however it was purely a mistake of thinking I needed to go to the doctor first! honesty is the best policy :) ) I just didn't like the receptionist having a medical opinion on whether I could have the flu jab or not and veetoing (sp??) who could see the Dr and who couldn't!

OP posts:

littleducks · 21/01/2011 23:14

Agree with Valentineall drs surgerys have different systems, when i was pg with dd i was booked in with mws redicolously early like 5 weeks pg (so that 12 week scans could be arranged), when i was pg with ds you didnt see dr you booked in with mw at about 8 weeks

pooka · 21/01/2011 23:14

At our surgery also - see GP first. Get referred to midwives after. So GP at about 6 - 8 weeks or whenever you find out. Midwife booking in at 10 weeks. Scan at 12+3. And so on.

Troisgarcons - nice attitude What a ridiculously aggro post. And wrong too - as evidenced by all the other posters who have also had to see the GP in order to get the ante-natal care rolling.

Ladyofthehousespeaking · 21/01/2011 23:20

Receptionist at my clinic 'diagnosed' from my blood test results that I needed no further appt-
it turned out I was seriously aneamic, seriously deficient in vits D and had very high levels of protein in my blood.

She was obviously wrong, cue phonecall a week later from my GP checking if I was alright!

Dick.

Original poster

jazz412 · 21/01/2011 23:28

hope you're ok now! - I don't think we'll be listening to the medical advice from the receptionist again! They may have seen a lot and experienced a lot of common complaints however they really don't have medical qualifications otherwise there would be no point in (trying) to see the dr!! x

OP posts:

ButterflySally · 21/01/2011 23:34

YANBU. I don't think receptionists have the correct medical training to triage patients.

I hate it when they ask what for - it always makes me blush and feebly mumble out my reason. I just don't feel comfortable. I also feel like the assumption is that I'm a time-waster whose concerns are not valid.

It's also not unreasonable to assume the first step you take when you find out you are pregnant is to go and see your family doctor. Ok, it may not always be the procedure everywhere but it's not unreasonable... I had to see the dr first to then get referred on to the community midwife.

estya · 21/01/2011 23:38

In so far as I have seen, doctor's receptionists don't need any skills other than being the local busy-body.

Asteria · 21/01/2011 23:42

If memory serves I did see a Dr when I was first preggers - just to confirm it all.
My receptionists are really really lovely - for which I am eternally grateful as my mother's receptionists/pharmacists are total Nazis - one has to practically dig tunnels under the reception area to get to the Doctors! My mother ran out of and forgot to represcribe her blood pressure pills and although she could see half a dozen boxes of them on the shelf behind the counter the pharmacist made her wait 5 days (weekend etc) for them... Horrors!

KittyWalker · 21/01/2011 23:46

We have recently joined a civilian practice (has been miliary til now) and I have been quite surprised at the level of information the receptionist has asked for.

The most remarkable incident was the morning DS's face started swelling up. I rushed him to the GPs, had no idea what was going on, very scary. At 10am Receptionist said she could give me an appointment at 1pm , I asked if I could sit in the waiting room either until then or until the swelling had stopped. She thought I was being funny, GP came into the waiting room to collect a patient, took one look at DS and rushed into the treatment room.

Luckily and eventually he was fine but he has a reaction that could have been very serious.

Curiousmama · 21/01/2011 23:46

I know someone who I went to school with who's a dr's receptionist and she's told me confidential information in the past. I don't see her anymore for obvious reasons. One thing she told me was about an old school friend who's funeral we were at (he was patient at the drs where she worked) Thankfully I wasn't!

I now live in another town and the dr's receptionists are fantastic The ones at my old surgery were ok some nicer than others.

You are allowed to be just as you are OP you're carrying PFB

Curiousmama · 21/01/2011 23:47

Kitty Glad your ds is ok.

monkeyjamtart · 22/01/2011 00:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PandaEis · 22/01/2011 01:23

when i found out i was pregnant with DDi went to the GP to have it confirmed ad be referred for antenatal so i dont think YABU for doing that

the receptionist for that GP asked what i needed that appointment for, how many weeks pregnant i thought i was, when i tested i told her to mind her own business and book me in to see the medical professional at my next GP (i moved GP soon after confirming my pregnancy) i ended up making a complaint as the receptionist discussed my medical history (including previous miscarriage) with my DH's nan who she was friends with

my new GP surgery is amazing (as long as you avoid the mad irish GP) the receptionist get on with it and book you in

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