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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think all GP support staff are rude and evil!

317 replies

higgle · 21/06/2011 19:31

Grr. Just come back from my GPs. On Monday I telephoned to ask for a GP apointment before Friday, the receptionist gleefully told me there were none. She then insisted there was only one nurse's appointment all week free and that was in my working day. When I said that was not convenient she moaned and groaned and fond me another at 6pm today. When I go;t there the nurse told me the receptionist should have asked me to make a AP's appointment, then proceeded to give me advice which contravenes the NICE guidance on the subject. When I pointed this out she was very stroppy with me. Why are receptionsists so rude and unhelpful? and why do nurses, who want to assume a professonal role never have up to date clinical evidence to support the nonsense they spout at you! And lastly why did they tell me they had no appointments when one of the lovely GPs came out ofhis room and announced to the receptionist that he was pleased he could go home early as it was quiet!!!

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 21/06/2011 19:33

unless you have had contact with every single one in the country, then YABU

AliceWhirled · 21/06/2011 19:33

Whenever I try and get an appointment with my GP, I am always close to or in tears following the conversation. Actually today I wasn't, as they actually explained the booking system to me rather than telling me off for daring to want an appointment.

Ormirian · 21/06/2011 19:34

Oh of course they are. Every single one. Without exception Hmm.

Grow up!

AnyFucker · 21/06/2011 19:43

this is like the "all HCP's don't respect my personal boundaries and keep trying to touch me up" thread

it's the new craze, dontcha know

bash the people trying to help you

it's taken over from social worker-bashing, which is somewhat out of fashion at the moment

sorry, OP, I know you've had a frustrating day, but your terminology is very, very unfair and will tend to promote the worrying lack of respect in general shown to workers within the health professions

InFlames · 21/06/2011 19:54

Hmmm. So many issues here.... NICE guidelines are only guidelines and don't fit everyone- advice may not have been so wildly inappropriate?

LRDTheFeministNutcase · 21/06/2011 19:55

Mine are nice. Maybe because I'm nice to them and don't try to tell them their job?

joric · 21/06/2011 19:56

You've just had a frustrating day OP- they are working to systems that obviously don't work for the patients- maybe they have too many on their books. Look for a smaller practice- If I phone ours - I have the choice of practically any time that day...

pollyblue · 21/06/2011 19:57

No, they're not.

My GP is fab - when I had a miscarriage a few years ago she was straight on the phone to offer her sympathies. I've always found her - and the other GPs I've seen - professional and approachable.

The receptionists at my GPs are very friendly and helpful - I've been with the practice 10 years and never had cause to grumble. But then I always try to be polite to them - they're human too and if they're faced regularly with arsey patients it's not surprising if from time to time they're arsey back.

joric · 21/06/2011 19:57

YANBU to be frustrated
YABU to say every doctor's receptionist is horrible
:)

allthefires · 21/06/2011 19:58

YABVVVU

ilovesooty · 21/06/2011 19:59

Nothing like a good generalisation, is there?

twoistwiceasfun · 21/06/2011 19:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mousesma · 21/06/2011 20:03

The staff at my current GP surgery are lovely, however the staff at my last 2 GP surgerys were total bitches. The same as any profession you get good people and bad people. Try another surgery and see if you get better service.

GreenTeapot · 21/06/2011 20:04

Ours are fab. Friendly, chatty, kind to the kids, get the GPs to return calls quickly in case advice is sufficient and an appointment isn't necessary, go out of their way to see kids or urgent cases the same day, and have always been sympathetic and helpful.

So, YABU. Sorry though, it does sound frustrating.

mumblechum1 · 21/06/2011 20:07

Same here, if you're friendly and polite to people you generally get that back. Spouting NICE guidelines at someone who does that stuff for a living is really going to annoy them.

Bunbaker · 21/06/2011 20:07

pollyblue I wonder if we have the same GP. I, too have never had a problem getting an appointment or getting a doctor to ring me back if I want some advice. I am always polite and respectful when I ring and never aggressive or confrontational. I always get treated with politeness and respect in return.

I agree with mousema in that you meet good and bad people in all walks of life.

Original poster
higgle · 21/06/2011 20:08

The GPs them selves are lovely - 4 and 3 are nice ladies + one very kind man, and it is a tiny practice. The 2 nurses are, however, real harridans and the receptionist is foul. The last time I went in the other practice nurse berated me for asking for a repeat HRT prescription, told me it wouldby all my own fault when I got cancer and then - after she had reduced me to tears -asked me if I had any idea why my blood pressure was up! Today - after all my trials and tribulations in getting an appointment with anyone at all the nurse said she wanted to make an appointment with the GP for me on my return from holiday in 2 weeks then and there because she didn't know if she could "trust" me to make one myself !!!

OP posts:
MissTinaTeaspoon · 21/06/2011 20:09

Yep, I'm a nurse and after 3 years of university, 2 further 3 month professional modules and umpteen study days all I do all day is spout nonsense. Angry

ThatVikRinA22 · 21/06/2011 20:11

i can guarantee you that when i was a gp receptionist i took way more abuse than i ever even thought of dishing out. i was always professional, even when i didnt feel like being.

now i have a nice easy job with no abuse at all Grin.....actually im lying but at least now i dont have to stand and take it because of the uniform...mess with me now at your peril! Grin

manticlimactic · 21/06/2011 20:11

Mine are ok. They do a thankless job. I've always managed to get an appointment on the same day and they don't give you the 3rd degree.

What are the NICE guidelines when they're at home? And why ask advice if you already know?

muminthecity · 21/06/2011 20:13

YANBU to think the ones you have had contact with were rude.
YABVU to judge everyone by their standards

harrap · 21/06/2011 20:17

Well you are bu because not all are BUT I have been on the end of some very, very bad attitude from a receptionist and a nurse recently which left me quite shocked. Both of them were lazy and seemed to be telling me off for something that neither I nor they could identify. In both cases if I had not been able to speak English and been prepared to "get stroppy" and give. I'd have been in trouble.

Onemorning · 21/06/2011 20:18

YABU

I sympathise with your frustration. However, if I were a nurse and you'd started quoting NICE guidelines at me, you'd get this face Hmm Why not go into nursing and pass on your valuable knowledge?

Maybe the GP had worked a lot of extra hours that work, and was allowed to go home earlier for once?

Chocolocolate · 21/06/2011 20:21

With ours,

The GPs, the nurses, the midwife and basically all of the health care professionals that I've seen are fantastic.

Also, I wouldn't call nurses 'support staff'.

However, we do have a problem with the receptionists occasionally. It is awful how some people I know have put off seeking medical attention as they don't want to be faced with the receptionist.

YABU OP, although, I think you knew that anyway.

Chocolocolate · 21/06/2011 20:22

Out of interest, which NICE guidelines did your nurse disagree with?