To think doctors receptionists should be given a break

[Lucyellensmum100]

No, im not a doctors receptionist and yes, some of them (thankfully the minority) are bitches. But on the whole they do a difficult job and it really irks me that the general attitude is that they are the dragon on the end of the phone.

I have worked as a veterinary receptionist, which whilst quite different had similar issues.

I was expected to make a decision based on what the client told me whether an urgent appointment would be offered. If i client SAID it was urgent, then it was treated as such and the first available appointment offered. It was helpful to try and get as much information as possible to decide what appointment was the most appropriate. I often used to say to clients "lets see fluffy today" as some people don't like to push for appointments so i would always try and make sure those cases were seen. I wasn't trying to be an armchair vet!

The thing is, there are only so many hours in a day and I was not trying to be difficult if i refused an appointment right there and then - I just couldnt do it, or more often than not id have the vet standing over me making throat cutting gestures to warn me not to make anymore appointments that day as they had an urgent meeting golf to attend to after they had finished their consulting times. Id get it in the neck from the clients and then when the vet finally did condescend to seeing them, they would be oh so polite and "thankyou for seeing me, we tried to get an appointment yesterday but your receptionist woudlnt allow it" I can't help but wonder if this happens to Drs receptionists too, more so in small practices i imagine.

Generally our clients were lovely, but some people could be so rude, ranging from condescending to downright abusive, I was called a cunt on more than one occasion - I wasn't i was actually very well liked by the decent sane clients. I'd feel terrible having to refuse people but what can I do if the vet is refusing to see peoples pets or there simply WASN'T a space and i already had a waiting room full of people waiting hours to be Fitted in. The very same people who would complain about being kept waiting because they insisted on being seen straight away!

***
On the other hand:

I think that the current system of having to ring for an "urgent" appointment or "emergency" is pants, you try and make an appointment and the receptionist will offer one in three weeks time, but then counter it by saying, "if you ring in the morning and make an urgent appointment you will get seen tomorrow if you managed to get through on time" So there you are 8am, usually whilst trying to get the kids ready for school trying to make an "urgent" appointment, which ok, isnt life or death, but really needs to be seen in the next few days rather than few weeks! This is not the receptionists fault though! This need to change.

I do often find myself having to be very firm with the receptionists at my mums surgery, as unless you persist you will not be given an appointment. Id much rather be asked what the problem is and an appropriate solution be offered, but Drs receptionists don't do this. So its very black and white, theres either an appointment or there isn't. This isnt't the receptionists fault.

Unless you've done a job, you cannot say whether or not it is difficult.
Also, all jobs have protocols you have to stick to- a receptionist's are clearly going to involve rules for giving appointments, what to ask on the phone, and how many calls have to be answered. Saying that these things are the receptionist's fault is bloody ridiculous.

for the bad experiences, there's no excuse for those.

I have worked in McDonalds.
I have been an a and e Nurse.
I have been a doctor's receptionist.
I have been a cleaner.
All are jobs where you can be abused but the only job I have seen my colleagues abuse their position was the doctor surgery receptionists. I was a cleaner at my school when I was in the sixth form. I was read the riot act and never, ever looked at any paperwork.

Yes I have been a receptionist (whilst at uni)

No it is not difficult

It depends on the receptionist.
At my old surgery they would ask if it was urgent. If you said no you were told to ring NHS direct, and if you said yes told to go to A&E :O
If you tried to get an appointment in person you ended up having to tell them what it was for
They were always very short with you

The receptionist at my new surgery are great, polite, and just take your word for it that you need to see a doctor

I guess any job where you have to deal with Joe Public is going to be pretty nasty on occasion. Joe Public can be a right bunch of bastards:-)

I'm actually frightened of the receptionists at my GP surgery, though - no need to be, they're mostly pretty nice if occasionally (imho) over-assertive. It's the result of years of conditioning, though. When I lived in London, the receptionist at the surgery was the rudest person I've ever come across. I think they must actually have hired her for ability to put people off.

Not nice to hear about the bad experiences. Hope some of these receptions get some training in tact.

However, receptionists at my doctors are lovely. They're helpful and even once when there where no appointments left with the doctors that day as I hadn't rung until after lunch, they asked me if I was alright (in a concerned way rather than nosy) which made me cry. The receptionist made me hold the line and she clearly bullied a doctor into seeing me in an extra slot. I was very pathetically grateful and the doctor did not make me feel bad about it at all even though I must have been eating into their own time.

I really loved my job as a vet receptionist - it was MANIC and stressful but i met loads of lovely lovely people, and their pets. But it absolutely was a difficult job. I worked as a vet nurse too, that was challenging but in a very different way, i always felt at my most harassed on reception. JUST answering the phone and making receptions - yeah, righto!

The protocol was always to ask what the appointment was for - as it would help the vet to know what was going on before the consult. So they woulnt waste time reading a history of a dogs chronic arthritis when actually they were presenting with a stomach upset. Also, some appointments were able to be done by the nurse instead of the vet and didn't incur a cost so it just helped to allocate the correct appointment.

GravyHadALumpyMashBaby

that maybe the official line but I doubt very much that the Drs review any of the appiontments before they come in.

As an example, I needed my ears syringed, made an appointment and went in I was told that I needed to put ear drops in for a week and that I would have to make an appointment for a weeks time. One with the Dr and one with the nurse.

I made the appointments, went back and was told by a different Locum that I would have to make an appointmnent for one weeks time as I needed to put ear drops in.

I had to tell him that that is what I had being doing.

Read my notes, I doubt it.

Some doctors make their receptionists' lives very difficult. I was involved in a piece of research where we discovered that many receptionists were given very little training - basically sitting next to an experienced receptionist. Yet at the same time they were expected to spot whether something was a life-threatening emergency, or required an urgent appointment, or could wait. Receptionists with many years' experience had often become quite good at this, but even they could be tripped up by rare situations that they had never personally encountered.

And then of course there are the many GPs who treat their receptionists as a barrier between the doctor and an unstoppable flood of patients. Or the practices where they've never actually thought about the way they work, and that it might be handy to arrange the rota so you have more receptionists, GPs and nurses on hand on a Monday morning or the day after a bank holiday...

No they shouldn't be given a break, the ones that are moaned about, are moaned about for a good reason!!!

Come to my doctors surgery and you will see why: You are either told there are no appointments available in a 'computer says no' type voice, or phone up at 8am....then i phone up at 8am & get told to phone a 2pm , then still get told there are no appointments in the same voice........ then i find a friend has managed to bag herself an appointment the same day!!

Same with booking dcs, infact worse i get told either a:no appointments phone 8am etc or b:we can get doc to do over phone consultations
Since i told them i would not allow this lack of treatment to my dcs and will be complaining to practice manager they have stepped up- funny what you get when you threaten to report them

I must say there is one receptionist there that is lovely and has ALWAYS allowed me an appointment.

I swear the receptionists cherry pick whom they think is the most urgent!- which they should not be allowed to do as they are not qualified in anything medical
Some people very ill and the frail are treated like rubbish at my surgery, its awful! They even watched a man collapse and take ages debating about calling an ambulance whilst i sat wondering whether to call it myself and i witnessed a woman throw up everywhere but they sat & watched and took 20 mins before giving her a bowl & a drink. I have also stood waiting at reception for 10 mins whilst they gossip about weekend outings and their boyfriends
I just so wish we could have a surgery as good as 'Doctors' soap on bbc, then we would all be happy.

I left the UK several years ago, before it became normal for receptionists to screen patients before making appointments, and I have been very surprised on returning to the UK to discover that you are now expected to share information with the receptionist that in other countries you would share only with a doctor or nurse. I'd assumed that at least receptionists would have appropriate training, but I see from the NHS careers information for receptionists that "There are no minimum qualifications. Previous experience is welcomed but not always essential." In other words, receptionists are being expected to do a job which requires medical knowledge which they simply do not have. Given the importance of training for other jobs in health care, this seems very strange... it suggests that quite a few receptionists are out of their depth, and it is hardly surprising if patients are frustrated and upset by the treatment they receive.

The ones that are being critisised should not be given a break, I entirely agree.

But it's a bit harsh ignorant to tar ALL drs' receptionist with the same brush.

And there is a world of difference being at reception say in a hotel and and being at the coal face in a busy surgery.

May I repeat again, please, PLEASE don't fume in silence; feed your experiences back to the surgery.

diddl Then I did misread the first post sorry.

Boney If the Dr hasn't read your notes it's nothing to do with the receptionist. They still have to do as they're told and ask.

There are good and bad GPs. Helpful/polite and unhelpful/rude receptionists. Polite/rude patients.

There are good and bad GPs. Helpful/polite and unhelpful/rude receptionists. Polite/rude patients Well said Gravy

I remember the receptionist who asked a relative if I could come in and sign my 'family planning form' whilst I was oooh about 16/17? My relative was furious that I was on the pill. The real irony was that I wasn't. It was a mistake

I remember the receptionist who told the whole queue/waiting room that I was pregnant

I remember standing at the counter whilst a receptionist juggled face to face and telephone enquiries (both thought they should be dealt with first). 3 patients walked up to the counter and shouted at her because the GP was running 40 minutes late. She was calm and polite throughout sustained abuse over things outside of her control.

Mostly I remember the receptionist who popped me in her car and took me home when I was tired/distressed after my appt and had a long walk and two toddlers to cope with.

I had a Dr appointment a wee while ago. DS was still quite small. Afterward I needed to change him as he had pooed. I went into the toilet, there was no changing station. I went and asked the receptionist if there was somewhere I could change him as I didn't fancy doing it on the toilet floor.

Her initial response was "Why are you in here? Do you have an appointment?". After I explained that I'd just had an appointment, she said "well there's a changing place in the health visitor's room, but the door is locked and I can't be bothered to get the key. You'll just have to change him on the floor".

The next time I needed to change him another receptionist was lovely and let me into the room immediately without complaint.

I adore my drs receptionists!

Was in our Drs yesterday and could overhear a receptionist on the phone to a patient;
Receptionist .... No there are no appointments left
Patient shouting (couldn't hear details)
Receptionist Yes only emergency ones
Patient more shouting
Receptionist no just because he starts back at school next week doesn't make it an emergency
Receptionist no if he's been like that a month doesn't mean it's an emergency either

The receptionist was v calm and polite all the way through!

I think they are often desensitised to what it is like being a patient because of their exposure to it whilst under pressure..

I want privacy
I want empathy
I want an appointment!

I book online now for non urgent which I find really helpful. Awhile since I've needed an urgent appt, but hated the need to ring at 8:30am on the dot (right when I am getting a child to school). Phone permanently engaged and then no appts.....

I have mostly had empathy but rarely privacy.

Waiting in a surgery once, I heard the recp pick up the phone and the call went like this......
Hello is that Mrs ***, it's the surgery here. You've just dropped your high vaginal swab into us ....

Most of that is not their fault. It's the fault of the design of the surgery and the organisation

I work frontline on the phones for the OOH service and my job can be stressful.

I never know what is going to be happening when I get a call - often people have chest pain, breathing difficulties or are showing stroke symptoms and at the forefront of your mind is patient safety: getting snd accurately recirding details so that appropriate care can be arranged. It's not unusual to be sworn at or to overhear disparaging comments from the caller while they are on hold. People phone up suicidal, self harming, overdosing. They phone drunk. They phone because they are alone, elderly and ill and then cannot remember their address, or are elderly and caring for their spouse and can no longer cope. They phone because their child cannot breathe. They phone because they have a sore ear and must be seen now, now, now.

It is not like working at MacDonalds.

But I have to add that most callers are absolutely lovely and just worried sick or in pain. They make me smile sometimes and it's nice when they remember your name and say thank you.

The only complaint I have at my drs is that they give pre-9am apts to people without asking if people can do any other time.

I was given an 8.30am appointment and asked the receptionist if there were others as I was around all day and would preferit went to someone who needed to pop in before work. She shrugged and gave it to me anyway.

Tis all about the attitude, innit

Have spoken to some nice and some truly horrendous. Do wonder what level of training they receive when needing to know why your appointment is urgent and whether you can have one tho

I suspect they have a better knowledge/perspective of what is urgent than many patients to be fair Chesty.

I've worked in A&E. The ones sitting quietly were invariably the sickest patients. Those yelling at the receptionist that it was urgent had no perspective of what was happening in resus next door....

Trust me, it goes in your notes. What exactly goes in your notes electronicdischarge? And what are the consequences?

electronicdischarge. If the fact that I was agitated, anxious or distressed was entered into my notes I would sue the arse of the trust without a doubt. It is always worth requesting access to your notes, some of the stuff in mine that nurses and admin staff had written was completely wrong and 2 letters from a consultant were for someone with the same name but a totally different date of birth, NHS number and home address and GP.