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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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... Hmm) 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:
Monkeytoo · 22/01/2011 10:23

I'm sure lots of them are nice but unfortunately I've usually had bad experiences. We've recently moved to the area and I needed to make an emergency appt for my son in a new practice (ear infection). I called and made the appt and even had a conversation with them woman regarding the exact, earlier, time I'd need to come in to fill out the paperwork. When I got there a different receptionist told me I did not have an appt. She was rude and acted like it was my fault and was obstructive and moaning for five minutes before saying 'well we have an available appt at that time anyway so you can have it'.

Then she got stressed about which paperwork I should fill out and said in front of the other receptionists and patients 'oh I HATE my job, I wish I could win the lottery'. The other staff were embarrassed and said 'oh you don't mean that' and she said she did. I've been annoyed with myself since that I didn't ask her name and say something back. I wish my toddler hadn't had to hear how horrible she was either.

I've also had lots of fun with the ones that shout 'HERE'S YOUR URINE SAMPLE KIT MONKEYTOO' etc as loud as they can.

MyLifeIsChaotic · 22/01/2011 10:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

RustyBear · 22/01/2011 10:34

Slhilly - in the case of a doctor's receptionist, they are ensuring that the patients who see them are the ones who need to, and the doctor is not wasting time with patients who could be better attended to by the nurse.

In the case of a teacher, the receptionist needs to know whether they can make an appointment for later or whether the teacher needs to interrupt their teaching/planning/staff meeting to talk to them straight away.

In both cases the receptionist is allowing the professional to do their job with optimum efficiency so the analogy is a true one. I'm sorry if you did not understand this.

Mumcentreplus · 22/01/2011 10:36

It depends upon the receptionist...what i dislike is when I'm asked 'if it's an emergency?'...well if it was a real 'emergency' I would not be calling the doctor but go to A&E obviously!!...but it's sufficiently dire that I require a doctors appointment...I don't call up for an appointment for the hell of it!!

brokeoven · 22/01/2011 10:46

this makes me chuckle because my sister was a receptionist and i swear to god, she thinks she is now medically qualified!

She gives medical advice to my mum and my other sisiter over her little girl..makes me chuckle because she knows fuck all!

fireblademum · 22/01/2011 10:54

Ours are lovely. And I suspect well trained. If you ring for appointment they say something like are you able. To give me an idea of the problem. If you say you'd rather not discuss they say something along the lines of we have 3 appointments with gp left this afternoon or I can fit you in with a nurse in 1 hour, if you think a nurse could help you. They make it clear why they are asking, and what the benefit will be to you. I can also add if you Say yes I can discuss. I have pnd and am having a meltdown they fan often get you appointment in 10 mins. A good triage without seeming nosey or intrusive.

weefriend · 22/01/2011 10:56

The procedure for getting booked in when pregnant seems to vary so much. With my first I made a GP appointment, as suggested in almost everything I read, to be told (very nicely by the GP) it wasn't necessary and that I just needed to make a booking in appointment with the MW. With my second I made the booking in appointment with the MW, no problem. With my third I called to make a booking in appointment with the MW and had one of the most confusing conversations I've ever had where she tried to convince me that the MW would call me to make the appointment and I tried to explain that was impossible because the MW didn't know that I was pregnant yet! Eventually it turned out that I needed to fill in a form and return it then the MW would call. Why the receptionist couldn't have just told me that in the first place I'll never know, she seemed to think I should just know. In the event there was nothing on this form that they didn't already know about me other than the fact that I was pregnant so I've still no idea why it was necessary.

So I think it was perfectly reasonable for you to try and book a GP appointment. All she needed to do was explain that it wasn't normally necessary and she could book you with the MW unless there was any particular reason for you to see the GP. And no, she doesn't need to know or have an opinion on what those reasons might be. As for the flu jab, it is slightly impossible to book it and get it done before you are actually eligible for it (whoever made that wonderful suggestion). I had the same problem but they managed to squeeze me in because obviously it was deemed important enough!

fireblademum · 22/01/2011 10:57

Bloomin phone sorry for random full stops and lack of any other punctuation.

IfAtFirstUDontSucceed · 22/01/2011 14:32

My doctors surgery are really good, and have only politley asked the reason if I've asked for an apt with the nurse, eg, blood test, smear etc which I imagine is just so they can get an idea of the length of the appointment. I have never been asked the reason for the apt when wanting to see my GP. When I found I was pregnant for the first time I made an appointment to see my GP the day after I had peed on a stick, unaware, as it was my first pregnancy that he would just pretty much say "congrats, don't eat XYZ, are you taking your folic acid, make an apt to see the midwife at the reception desk". The second time (the first ended in MC), I phoned the receptionist and asked if it was necesarry to see the GP and if I should go straight to the MW at 8 weeks - she actually went away to find out for me and said if I was happy enough not to there was no need to see the GP,but would let him know that I was PG. That pregancay also ended in MC and when I started bleeding, the receptionist said "we have been instructed to advise any PG ladies who are bleeding to go straight to A&E" rather than I think or I recommend that you go to A&E.

IfAtFirstUDontSucceed · 22/01/2011 14:35

Wow - I waffled a bit there, and sorry about the lack of paragraphs, dodgy laptop! A final note - I intend to go and see my GP if I get pregnant again due to the 2 consecutive mc's so it's not always a straight forward pregnancy, see midwife at 8 weeks situation!

freerangeeggs · 22/01/2011 14:45

YADNBU.

A year or so ago I was having a lot of pain in my lower back. I suspected I had a kidney infection (has happened a couple of times); it was very painful, I was shivery etc.

I phoned the doctor.

Receptionist: "And what are your symptoms?"

Me: "I'm having a lot of pain in my lower back, I think I might have a kidney infection."

Receptionist: "Hmmm. Are you sure it's not just your period?"

Umm yes I'm sure it's not my period. First of all the pain is in my fucking kidneys. Second of all I'm not twelve years old and I know what my period feels like.

I think our situation is exacerbated somewhat by the fact that the doctor's receptionist is also his daughter.

FWIW, I did have a kidney infection and the doctor gave me a row for not producing enough urine for him to sample and for it containing too much infection. WTF. Needless to say I have a new doctor now

Original poster
jazz412 · 22/01/2011 15:55

Just to clear things up a little - I didn't go in demanding to see a doctor immediately - I went in as opposed to ringing because I had to register and bring some form of I.D - I didn't necessarily want an on the spot appointment (I was lucky to get one with the flu jab- they were doing others at the same time) I would've been happy with an appointment in a few days or so. I really wasn't expecting on the spot attention, just thought I may as well book the appointment whilst registering to move the boat along as I'd heard that you needed to see a Dr to get refered to a m/w in order to get your scan on time!

OP posts:
Rhinestone · 22/01/2011 16:23

Hmmm...am on the fence a bit.

The receptionists at my GP practice never normally ask (as I'm normally organised and book in advance) but one time I rang in a fluster as I realised I'd ran out of the Pill and was due to start a new pack that morning!

I sounded flustered and said I really needed an appointment that day. Receptionist asked if it was an emergency and I said it wasn't life threatening but explained I'd run out if the Pill etc etc.

She was fab and said she'd get me in with someone if I could be there in the next half hour and didn't mid hanging around for a bit.

So sometimes it's worth telling them. But do agree with the general principle that it's confidential. And have had bad experiences at my previous GP.

Original poster
jazz412 · 22/01/2011 19:18

I just think that if they're in a job where they face the public then they should like talking to people and have a good attitude - much like bus drivers tbh!! xx

OP posts:
slhilly · 23/01/2011 07:42

RustyBear, snide comments like "I'm sorry if you did not understand this" are unnecessary. You originally wrote "Goblinchild - does your school receptionist let parents come and see you whenever they want? I wouldn't call it 'denying access', I'd call it trying to let you get on with your job." That implies that the GP's job is not to see patients, and that the receptionist's job is to keep patients away who - in the receptionist's judgement - don't need to see the doctor. It's also focused on what the doctor needs, not what the patient needs.

I'm well aware how receptionist-led triage works in GP surgeries. It is ineffective, potentially unsafe, and widely resented by patients. Where practices provide enough GP appointments in the first place (about 70 per 1000 patients per week), and those appointments are at the right time (ie matched to peaks and troughs in demand over the course of the weak), triage and similar attempts to restrict demand, such as embargoes, are typically not needed.

If a practice really does, for some reason, need to use triage, then doctor-led phone triage is the way to go.

RustyBear · 23/01/2011 08:56

Slhilly - no, it doesn't imply it, you inferred it. As you did the snideness in my comment.

porcine · 23/01/2011 08:58

I am a hp and think this is WAY out of a receptionist's realm. If you want to triage - at least get the practice nurse to do it.

LadyOfTheManor · 23/01/2011 09:55

I've only read the original post....

In my doctor's surgery if you ring for an appointment, they ask what it's for, I kindly remind them that unless they have a degree in medicine, I'm not interested in hearing their diagnosis. Same goes for nurses and nurse practioners, if I wanted to see either of those I'd have asked for an appointment with those...really gets on my nerves and I refuse point blank to discuss this with anyone barring those who have slodged through med school to achieve to title "Dr".

PlanetLizard · 23/01/2011 10:35

What's a triage?

Goblinchild · 23/01/2011 10:37

Sorting casualties or victims in to three groups according to severity of need.
Used in hospitals and front line services.

Original poster
jazz412 · 23/01/2011 14:28

I think putting patients in order of severity is fine, if not necessary but I don't think it should be the job of the receptionist! It should be the job of someone medically trained.

OP posts:
LadyOfTheManor · 23/01/2011 15:06

They use a "triage" system in A and E.

Usually includes a huge nurse (like Nanny from Count Duck-ula, if you will) yelling out names, and asking which "smiley face" relates to the amount of pain you're in.

Takes forever, as the nurses take their own sweet time. while drinking coffee around the photocopier

Get insurance, go private and never have to both with them ever again...that's my advice.

LadyOfTheManor · 23/01/2011 15:06

by both I mean "bother".

ant3nna · 23/01/2011 15:16

My old doctors surgery never asked what the problem was. They only ever asked whether it was something that could be dealt with by the nurse practitioner as 'she can write prescriptions and you might get seen quicker'. They also had a big poster up explaining what the nurse practitioner and practice nurses were capable of doing.

To save us having to ask for a smear appointment, they also had a list on their desk and website telling you the list of procedures for which you would need a double or triple appointment slot. This way when I needed a coil check up I could just ask for a double appointment with the nurse practitioner.

ednurse · 23/01/2011 15:21

I work in medical career and EVERY SINGLE BLOODY ONE of GP receptionist I've ever meant are rude, obstructive and know it all!

We had patients turn up in A+E because the receptionists told them to come.....with a 8 week ongoing problem.

I phoned for an appointment the other day for tonsilitis and ear infection (I'm prone, lots of ENT probs and know when I need antibiotics) and the receptionist told me "it's flu, you need to stay home" NO IT'S NOT!!!!! Angry it wasn't until I told her I was front line staff and currently caring for prem triplets all currently hospitalised that she let me have an appointment, "oh yes, its 10:20" oh ok....the one in 10 minutes time..brill Hmm