AIBU to think that the receptionist shouldn't be allowed to do this?

[Naysa]

I rang my doctors this morning to try and get an appointment for today. You have to ring at 8, one the day, to get an appointment.

I got through at about 8.25.

I spoke to the receptionist and she said that they had a 5 minute appointment, "for one thing only", to see a doctor. I'm not fussy about which GP I saw as although it is a problem it is something that can quickly and easily be sorted.

I'm having a problem with my implant that is resulting in very heavy, painful periods. The problem goes away completely when I'm prescribed the pill.
I've had the implant for almost a year and I'm still battling to get it taken out (this is another story) but, for now, this is working. Unfortunately if I try and put a repeat prescription in, I am told it has been rejected and I am to see my doctor. The annoying thing is, is that the doctor who rejects my request hasn't actually seen me once in the two years she's worked there.

My pill ran out on Saturday. My period started Sunday night and it has not been a problem until yesterday afternoon so I rang this morning. It is practically unbearable. I'm going through night time pads almost on the hour.

I accepted the appointment, the gave the receptionist my name and DOB. She then asked why I needed to see the doctor. I stupidly told her the reason and she then said that she couldn't give me the appointment because it's not an emergency. If it was an emergency, I would have gone to accident and emergency. She then said that I can go to the family planning clinic on Monday. This is not the first time I have had an appointment "taken away" because my condition is not serious enough.

I'm now going to have a weekend full of cramping and a very heavy period (TMI sorry!)

AIBU to email the GP and complain and AIBU to change surgery?

[goneHaywire]

change your gp surgery! tbh I need to do the same thing but havn't cuz I don't know of a good one

failing that complain to your gp I complained about the receptionist implementing a ridiculous appointment policy once doctor got in the middle to my appointment and had a go at her.... I never had that problem again

[goneHaywire]

furthermore ITS NONE OF THE RECEPTIONISTS BUSINESS WHY YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOCTOR! surely thats confidential

[pompompom]

I've had similar dealings with our receptionists recently - I had to call them 4 times yesterday to get my 4yo seen by the GP - 4 bloody times - he was doubled over in agony with bad stomach pains. Could easily have been appendicitis (thankfully isn't) but they just didn't class me as urgent!

I was about to stomp in there and demand to see a doctor when they finally gave me the last appointment of the day - brilliant when you get a prescription and the bloody pharmacy has just shut

Doctor was that they hadn't 'triaged' the call higher. I am not, they're receptionists, not medical professionals - they don't know any better so shouldn't be put in that bloody position.

[SPBInDisguise]

No it is their business to some extent, and they are bound by confidentiality

[Sirzy]

If you thought it could have been appendicitis why didn't you take him to A and E? actually if he doubled over in agony why didn't you take him to A and E?

[Itchywoolyjumper]

In fairness to the doctor who keeps knocking back your repeat pill prescription request the combined pill can be a fatally dangerous medication if its given to people with certain conditions. They have to see you to make sure you haven't developed anything like that since the last time they saw you and part of this assessment should be a blood pressure reading so you have to be there.

Apart from that I'm not sure what your GP is up to, if you have to take marvelon, which is a very effective contraceptive, to control the bleeding I can't see what extra benefit leaving the implant in is giving you. You're already covered for pregnancy by the marvelon and you don't want to continue with the implant, its a bit of a no brainer.
For today, and I think someone said it up thread, I would contact the practice manager and tell them your history, including the heavy bleeding and they should be able to get someone to see you. In future, if I were you, I would give the GP's a body swerve and get you contraceptive sorted out at your local family planning clinic

[piratecat]

at our surgery they have slots that are called 'emergency' appointments, for on the day.

It was not her call to tell you it wasn't.

[Itchywoolyjumper]

Also was the fact that receptionists were carrying out triage not one of the reasons Staffordshire NHS Trust got into all the problems they did?

[Sallystyle]

I hate it when the receptionist asks me what I want to see the GP about. I always want to tell her it's none of her business. I usually end up getting nervous then going into great detail though

yanbu OP.

I wish we could have same day appointments here. I did at my old surgery but the new one I am at is crap. No sit and wait appointments and the average wait is 4 days so you need to book before you get ill it seems. I have had to go to walk in clinics often with the children because four days has been too long to wait.

[Crinkle77]

I hate the way receptionists think they are qualified to judge if it serious enough to give you an appointment

[FryOneFatManic]

Belated thanks for the info on tranexamic acid, I'll take DD to see our pharmacist first.

[FryOneFatManic]

For those needing epi-pens (I don't myself) I've heard somewhere that you can get some that are in date for two years, which might make it easier for those in situations like Smellslikecatspee's OH's , reducing number of appts needed.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

"I hate the way receptionists think they are qualified to judge if it serious enough to give you an appointment"

They will be following their practice rules and will have been told to ask this.

I hate the way some people on these threads always talk about or to receptionists like they are some lowly piece of crap.

[quoteunquote]

I always tell the receptionist that my lycanthrope is flaring up,and I need to see a GP asap before Therianthropy goes too far.

it works.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

I'm sure they personally couldn't give a toss why you want the appointment and are not asking out of nosiness.

[midastouch]

YANBU complain to the manager at your surgery, thats disgusting, i never answer when they ask what the problem is, they are just receptionists not qualified to make a diagnosis about whether you deserve to see a doctor!!

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Quoteunquote..oh..because they are so stupid they can't understand big words

(Am a receptionist and studied Classics at Oxford)

[Naysa]

I haven't had it taken out because I've been bounced between doctors. I haven't seen "my" GP once since she started there two years ago.

I saw one doctor after a month and he said that I should wait for a couple more months, see if it settles. It didn't so he wrote me a prescription to try Tranexamic Acid and Mefenamic Acid and if that doesn't work then they will take it out.

I went back and ended up seeing another doctor. I asked if I could get it taken out and he said he'd like me to leave it for couple of months, so I would have had it for 6 months. He gave me a month of Cerazette to see if that would stop the bleeding. I went back after the month because it had done nothing. He then gave me a month of Marvelon.

The Marvelon worked great and stopped the bleeding and the cramps. When I finished my course, it appeared that the bleeding had stopped but a couple of days later it came back very heavy. This is when my mum suggested I put in a prescription for it. It was rejected. I went back and he gave me another month, same thing happened again.

When I finished that I put in a prescription that was rejected.

I went back hoping to have it removed and the doctor said that they don't actually have the facilities to take it out and I would have to go back to where I had it inserted and get them to remove it. He gave me three months worth of Marvelon.

Now I've run out again, I thought after nearly 10 months it had settled but obviously not.

I'm getting it taken out asap but I want to use the Marvelon as my main contraception.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

All of you who don't agree with the triaging please complain to the practice about its policies and don't be rude to the poor receptionist who is just doing her job.

[Murphy0510]

I'd be at the stage where I would be demanding that they remove it, or arrange for removal of it, instead of fobbing you off all the time.

[Naysa]

Fanjo the reason why I am annoyed is that she gave me the appointment then asked what was wrong then said I couldn't have the appointment.

I don't think it's in their policies to give out appointments then deem the patient too healthy to have the appointment.

But I agree, apart from what I have written above, that 99% of this is policy.

[sleepingsatellite]

YY FanjoForTheMammaries, having been a medical receptionist for 9 years, I certainly was never interested in why people need to see the Dr, I asked because I HAD to ask, on Dr's orders!
Bloody hell, if I'd had my way every single person who asked for an appointment would have got one, bearing in mind I would usually have a queue of 60+ people outside for opening, and 4 phone lines ringing non-stop, all asking for appointments, for that day. It would have made my life one hell of a lot easier!

[Sirzy]

I think the triaging is must better when it is done by a nurse although to an extent that does seem like a waste of the nurses time so its a no win situation.

Having heard my GP receptionist try to explain to someone that they couldn't have an appointment for their cold I can fully understand why some form of triage is needed!

[sleepingsatellite]

Are you ordering your script before it runs out, rather than waiting for it to run out and then trying to get hold of another one?

[Naysa]

Sleeping I've been waiting for it to run out. According to my doctor their's a chance after each course that it will have settled so I've been waiting rather than get an unnecessary prescription.