to not want to give symptoms to GP receptionist?

[vintageteacups]

So I called the GP surgery this morning and, as like the last time I rang, the first thing the receptionist said when I asked to book a doc's appoinment for dd (9) was:

"what seems to be the problem? We have a nurse's clinic this afternoon"

I calmly said that I would like a doctor's appointment and didn't tell her the symptoms.

What on earth? We pay our taxes and it's our right to take dd to see the gp, yet this cold fish of a woman just went "right, Dr .... at 11:50 then", took the name and address and put down the phone.

As has happened before, I felt really guilty about taking DD and felt as though I was wasting their time (even though I hadn't said what was wrong wtih dd).

Surely they can sift out the ones who turn up every monday morning with a spot on their finger and another runny nose (however, it's surely their right to book an appointment if they want) compared to me who has taken dd and ds probably twice each in 2 years. I have been once in 2 years!

They have a comments sheet - was thinking about extending it into a letter.
The receptionists have a really bad reputation for being grumpy and unhelpful.

They are trying to use the services they have on a needs basis not a first come first served basis. The person may think they need a GP appointment but by being asked the question may find that they can go straight to the practice chiropodist with their ingrowing toenail hence freeing up an appointment for someone else who nees it more. It maybe that there was a free appointment for your dd precisely because the receptionist asked a previous caller what the problem was.

I don't know what training receptionists get in signposting but I won't give symptoms either.

I can understand general questions such as "Is your appointment for a review/ routine follow up" etc but symptoms are for HCPs to assess IMHO.

I have no problem giving an outline of the problem to the receptionist at my surgery. To be fair, the receptionists there are actually quite nice (which makes a pleasant change!)

It could actually be quite important for the receptionist to know the symptoms. OK, they are not medically trained, but they are usually trained sufficiently (or should be!) to direct the patient to the correct person. Being sent to see the nurse instead of the GP should not be taken as a slight!! IME, practice nurses are far far more clued up re asthma/ blood sampling/ smears/ diabetes etc than GPs, because the GP's nowadays rarely deal with those things now.

In some cases, having info could be vital. I'm a vet, and often our receptionists will take a phone call from someone looking for an appointment for the next day or so, but realise that, given the symptoms, it would be far far better for the animal to be seen ASAP. I'm sure there could be instances like this in GPs surgeries too.GP's Receptionists (while I agree many can be horrid) are not employed to thwart all attempts to get an appointment with a doctor, but to make sure that an appointment with a GP is the most appopriate course of action, as opposed to an appointment with the nurse, or even a trip straight to A+E/ hospital.

I agree with what jooly has said.

It is ridiculous to think that GP appts should go to the patients who are on the phone first - they are usually not the most unwell! In an ideal world, all appointments for the same day should be triaged by a health professional - doctor or nurse to ensure the right patients see the right clinician or not at all.

There are people who call up for a same day appointment for many things that should be managed at home - cough or cold for one day, one episode diarrhoea, routine letters for uni/work etc....I could go on and on.

As for punctuality - I totally agree it is imperative. But I have never worked with any nurses/GPs who turn up late for work. They are usually all in 30 minutes early. They end up running late because appointments are for ten minutes and sometimes a person who has presented for the first time with depression or a teenage pregnancy will take considerably longer. Yes - it would be lovely for all appointments to be for 15 or 20 minutes but again the tax payer would be paying twice the level of taxes as it is not sustainable financially.

What most people don't realise is we have one of the best and most cost effective primary health care systems in the world and this governement look set to destroy that. Just go to America and see how fragmented the care is there and no one takes a holistic approach to the patient.

When the receptionist asks me for details I generally say'oh sorry, I didn't realise I was speaking to a quailifed Dr', when she says that she is the receptionist I say' well It is a dr I need and if your not one I don't see wht telling you symptons will do' Sounds bitchy but I hate the thought that people I know are in the waiting room listining as when you are there you can hear her conversations and she always uses your name when she puts phone down. Have heard many of these calls and know some of the people she is talking to.

Sounds bitchy? iS bitchy...what a rude way to treat someone doing their job, glad I'm not you

"What most people don't realise is we have one of the best and most cost effective primary health care systems in the world and this governement look set to destroy that."

Invertedsnobbery I agree but the previous government has already privatised out of hours GP care. They did it in 2004 with their botched contract that allowed GP's to opt out of providing out of hours care. Almost all of them did and so now out of hours primary care is outsourced to private companies so you get strangers i the evening and weekends who don't know your histroy and substandard private compnaies providing the care who only care about profit. Out of hours GP care has already been privatised for 7 years.

I agree Fanjo. I'd tell her to go and find another practice.

Candr, I've had to ask before now if the receptionist is a qualified medic due to the line of questioning. Thankfully I just tell them nothing but my d.o.b and they cope quite well with that information.

I just don't get the out of hours care thing.

Where we live, we would have to drive 12 miles to our nearest city to see an OOH gp - who is usually based in the hospital!!! How ironic is that?

You don't 'have to' ask if they are a qualified medic in a rude and sarcastic way designed to make them feel bad, because that is rude, arrogant and ignorant.

You could say 'I'm sorry, I am uncomfortable with these questions'.

If you had any manners.

Absolutely Fanjo. I dislike the patronising 'just the receptionist' attitude that is oft displayed on MN.

Teacups - I've turned up at OOH twice with the children and seen my own GP

Candr has a point though: you're not just talking to the receptionist. You're quite often talking to an entire waiting room - the receptionist has used your name and may repeat medical details.

If doctors want to use their receptionists as triage they need to offer the privacy of triage.

well then just say you are not comfortable, don't need to talk to the woman like she is a piece of crap IMO

I'm afraid doctors display a "just the receptionist" attitude if they treat him/her as triage without offering her private facilities to conduct triage - thus exposing him/her to the fear and disrespect of patients who don't want their details revealed to waiting rooms full of people who may know them.

it's not the doctor's fault if patients are rude..they should have some manners IMO.

No, no one has to talk to anyone like a piece of crap. It's not the receptionist's fault at all. She's been asked to do it. But no one should feel they have to. If the receptionist him/herself seems rude and abrupt that's rather different.

It is the fault of the practice if a receptionist is expected to act as triage in a public situation. Maybe that is the fault of the doctors, I don't know: certainly it would need to be changed.

interestingly i am a dental receptionist who has often been described as kind and nice....and occasionally as being rude and abrupt ( a couple of times in 6 years)....by people whom I couldn't give what they demanded...

Kind and nice receptionists are treasured by patients. Kind receptionists are so fabulous when you are a new mother and freaking out about ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and they make you feel better without making you feel like a complete twit

We don't have any of those any more. We have receptionists who think they are the equivalent of bodyguards between a group of 13-year-olds and Take That. Thou shalt not pass.

although I guess that should be 33-year-olds not 13-year-olds

well i think we can see why they might end up like that, since people think its ok to talk to them as if they are worthless

Perhaps it's a vicious circle. Receptionists are traditionally rude and difficult to get past - I don't know if that's true, but if it is, it's not suprisingly that patients react negatively.

You're not fanjo but I have come across nice ones and nasty.

If the receptionist said "what's the problem" I would balk.

If she/he said: are you able to let me know why you need to see the doctor as it may be something dealt with at the nurses clinic - but don't worry if you feel you can't - no one can hear our conversation

then I would be more willing to talk.

I'm a school secretary so kind of feel an affinity with GP's receptionists.

We are difficult to get past yes, because that's part of the job; weeding out (for want of a better term) the folk that don't really need to see the head (or the GP in this case) and pointing them in the direction of the person who can help best. Most often it's done with a smile and is well received but as Fanjo says usually the ones who call us rude and obstructive are pretty rude or patronising themselves and are hacked off because the receptionist didn't fall at their feet and do exactly as she was told.