to wish the GP receptionists could manage to be civil

[emeraldgirl1]

I don't even ask for polite, or cheerful, though both would be nice.

Unfailingly they are snotty, difficult and generally behave as if dealing with patients is the most hideous task in the world.

I wouldn't moan except that I am never anything other than extremely polite (to the point of cravenness) and in addition the only thing I am ever asking them for is an appointment! I am not asking them for anything special! I accept humbly and politely that I can't see a doctor at any time vaguely convenient to me and am only ever politely and cheerfully asking them to locate the next available appointment. They ALL do it. I can only assume they must get some very difficult and angry patients and they feel the need to be on red alert? But I still don't think that has to translate to making an entirely reasonable patient feel like a latent criminal every time I call.

I am pregnant, so am ending up calling for more appointments (jabs etc) than usual. Dread it every time now.

Am sure there are many lovely receptionists out there but my surgery has hired all the stroppy and bitchy ones :(

Anyone who brandished a litre of liquid shit at me would have been for the chop.

I'd have held his face down in his diarrhoea till he died a pooey death.

I think he WAS dying a pooey death, poor sod. To quote Peep Show, that didn't look like normal pooing.

I love the receptionists in my doctors they're absolutely lovely. A couple know me on a shortened first name basis, I've been there about 12 years and will never change.

The receptionists at my mum's old surgery were some of the most horrible people I've ever had to come across. They reduced my mum to tears 2 days after my nan died for getting her appointment time mixed up, this was AFTER she'd told them her mum had just died so she wasn't thinking straight. I went in there and tore strips off them after that horrible bitches! She changed to my doctors after that.

I'm abroad and went to the billing department of the local hospital. I swear I've never been treated so rudely in my life. I may as well of climbed up on the counter and deposited poo sample to justify the disdain.

No idea why admin staff are so up themselves.

I had a tough time with the receptionist at my surgery when I rang to register. I wanted to see the doctor because I'd found out I was pregnant, and she berated me for not registering as soon as I moved to the area (in October). I explained that I'd had a miscarriage as soon as I'd moved so had remained under the care of the other hospital for 6 weeks, and then spent a month out of the country, and she just said "HMMMM" with the tone one would use if you didn't believe someone.

There 's only been one time when I could have strangled one of them. DS 6 at the time had an infected burst eardrum thanks to a game he was playing with his sister. When I saw the Dr on the Monday I was told that if there was still a discharge to come straight back. That Wednesday when I picked him up from school his ear had a discharge, I went straight round to the surgery, the receptionist was very unhelpful and rude but I stood my ground and was polite although I did want to strangle her. I saw the Dr who immediately referred him to a consultant.
Ps all the other receptionists at our surgery are lovely and helpful.

Where on earth does this Anti- GP receptionists come from?

We have moved round the country quite a bit and since having children (never really went before) have been registered with 3 surgerys. Not one had nasty receptionists.

We have also never had a surgery that restricted when you could make appointments (ie. only in advance or only on the day) Perhaps the two are linked....?.... Flexible appointment system means no one need get annoyed with receptionist.

Mine are all lovely too.

It's true that the appointment system at my surgery doesn't put anyone in a good mood - appointments are either 10-14 days in advance, or you have to ring on the morning of the day itself and explain why it's urgent.

Most surgeries now have patient participation groups - if you have strong feelings about the appointment systems or availability or the effectiveness of the staff then why not join?

Mine are so wonderful that I would credit them for a part in me recovering from my mental health problems. I was in a terrible place and they treated me with kindness, dignity, privacy and respect. They recognised when I needed be seen right now and supported me in getting one an appt a bit later if I could cope with it.

The receptionists at our current surgery are wonderful and lovely. The receptionists at our previous surgery were dreadful. DH was vomiting constantly, screaming with pain when his appendix area was pressed, couldn' walk etc - every possible symptom of appendicitis. DH has a clotting disorder and must not have surgery except in an emergency. The receptionist said it didn't sound like an emergency and refused us an appointment and refused the ask the dr to call back.

I took DH to A&E that afternoon. His appendix had perforated and it was a major operation.

At my old surgery they were all incredibly rude and miserable without fail. And asking far too many questions about why you want to see the dr. I appreciate they need some idea,particularly if you want an emergency appointment but it was beyond belief. They stopped being so nosey after I asked one at what university she had taken her medical degree.

At my current one they are very nice and put up with some serious shit. You can call in the morning for emergency appoitments and they are without fail helpful. On the last two occasions I was there I saw;

One them of have to painstakingly explain to a man why it was unacceptable to send his very sick child to the GP's with his wife who spoke no English,leaving the child to translate. It took almost the entire 15 minutes I was waiting and he still seemed to struggle with why it wasn't acceptable!

A women turn up demanding an appointment,start screaming at the receptionist when she said there were none available that day. What she was saying in English was bad,dread to think what was being said in the other language she was ranting in. It got so bad the practice manager came out. Banned her and her entire family. Apparently this behaviour was common from this particular woman.

So I can see why they get stressed out!

My ex was asked 'what's the problem' when he phoned for an appointment, he said 'I've got a sore dick'!

She wasnt impressed, i always used to say 'thats between the doctor and i' its none of their chuffing business!

PS i used to work in a GP surgery, it is a hard job

mummytowillow that made me guffaw!

I work in a surgery and have to say receptionists do an incredibly difficult job. Ours are all really nice and helpful yet still get flak, only yesterday I heard an elderly lady shout at one to "get her thick head around" something and another referred to loudly to other patients in the waiting room as a "stupid woman". We have a zero tolerance policy which is useful in real aggression but this constant low grade abuse goes under the radar.

From next year GP surgeries have to register with the Care Quality Commission and achieve standards of customer service, among other things. If a surgery really is poor then it will have to shape up but I do sometimes wonder if the problem is more to do with patient expectations than the receptionists.

mummytowillow You should know, having worked in a surgery, that asking for the problem is something the staff are asked to do by the doctors so they can be prepared for the consultation. You always have the right to say it is personal but if you do that just being arsey, you are only making life difficult for the GP and possibly reducing the quality of care they can give you. Our GPs try to read through the complaints ahead of time and take advice on anything they are not sure of before the patient arrives.

My old GP's surgery, I was in a queue of about 10..all of us waiting to ignoredacknowledged at the receptionists' for ages..one of them was doing her hair in a mirror right in front of us, carrying on like we weren't there

In Jon Ronson's book 'The Psychopath Test'..he goes to meet Bob Hare the Psychopath 'expert' at a hotel and the receptionist at the hotel is really nasty...he tells Bob, who explains the receptionist could well be a Psychopath because they are attracted to 'Gatekeeper' jobs like receptionist, security guard etc!!! Explains a lot!!

'be acknowledged at the receptionists' window'..should read!

Most of ours are lovely, but there is one who is a right cow, and I've had a few run-ins with her.

On the most recent occasion, I had arrived at the surgery 10 minutes before my scheduled appointment, and there were five people queuing before me. The person she was dealing with at the time, was having to schedule several appointments, and it took about 5 minutes. Then another person in front of me took several minutes.

It took 15 minutes for me to get to the front of the queue. When I gave my name, she said, "you're 5 minutes late, it's a good job Dr Bloggs is running slightly behind." I pointed out I'd been in the queue for 15 minutes and she told me that I should try and allow more time in future. I would have thought 10 minutes is adequate time.

Our surgery is getting an electronic 'check in' system in the New Year, which will avoid the long waits in the queue to just say, "hi I'm here."

I have only ever met one bad receptionist and she got a bollocking from the practice manager for refusing my 3 week old an emergency appointment when there were appointments available (he ended up being admitted to hospital). G.P. Made the complaint about her.
The rest though have all been lovely! Really friendly and helpful and I've been registered at 4 different places. Same with health visitors, people complain about them a lot too but I've only ever had good ones. Perhaps I'm just lucky in that respect

I had the same experience as Slankety. Refused appointment for baby DD, walked out of the surgery in tears. Went to walk in centre, where they told me she was too young to be seen and should be seen by her GP. I told them about the receptionist being obstructionist and they rang her and tore a strip off her, before securing an appointment. I made a complaint and the practice manager spent 45 mins!!! on the 'phone to me apologising... Don't think much has changed though. The sad thing is, the doctors are great.

Our current surgery has really lovely receptionists, GP's tend to be a bit rude and always trying to get you out of the door at breakneck speed. Booked a double appointment and still got less than 5 minutes and had not sorted out the single issue I went for.

We do have redress though as we can now leave comments and rate them all on their websites, so everyone can read what you think of them. You can even do it anonymously if you are concerned it might backfire.

tell you a funny story. Was in waiting room of doctors when a chap comes in goes to reception says I've come for my test results. Receptionist says we can only give them over the phone not in person. Well, he went out to the porch area where we could all see him and the receptionist pulled out his mobile and......phoned for his results!!! So funny.