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?

[PureQuintessence]

You need to put your problems down in writing to the practice manager.

But the receptionist is right. Running out of contraceptive pills is not an emergency, especially not if you also have another method of contraception in place.

You ran out of pills on Saturday night, and got your period on Sunday, surely you have had a few days between Sunday and Friday to understand that you need a new prescription?

If you are going to spend your weekend cramping and bleeding, is that not due to your own bad planning over the last 5 days rather than the receptionist who would not give you an emergency slot this morning?

[MagratOfStolat]

Quoteunquote - must remember that line! That is fantastic!

But YANBU - there's a bitch of a secretary at ours. She's snooty, uncaring and unforgiving, and pulls this crap almost daily.

[sleepingsatellite]

If you've had difficulties before with scripts you need to make sure you dont run out, give yourself enough time to make an appointment in advance.

Ring monday, make an appointment, and be firm about wanting it removed.

[Sirzy]

I agree sleeping. I know our GP can be a pain with DS inhalers so I always put his repeat in 2-3 weeks before he needs more medication so I know we have it.

You don't need to get it made up early (although I do because there have been times its hard to get one of his drugs) but at least you know you have the script ready.

[QueenStromba]

If you do go to the family planning clinic for the marvelon ask them to take it out for you. I lasted 18 days on the implant before spending the day ringing around to find someone that could take it out - I found a family planning clinic running that evening and they took it out no questions asked.

[Sallystyle]

I am never rude to receptionists. I feel uncomfortable telling them why I need to be seen but I accept it is a part of their job. It just irritates me.

I am sure they hate asking too.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Samu2

[FryOneFatManic]

alarkthatcouldpray I think it's worth remind people that the OP had tried to make an appt to see the doctor, which was then withdrawn. Therefore if the doctor needed to check BP, etc, s/he could have reassured themselves about OP's health and suitability for the Marvalon at that appt. OP wasn't simply asking for the pill to be re=prescribed, she asked for an appt.

[Naysa]

I need an appointment to get a prescription. As I've said several times, I've tried to get a repeat prescription but I can't.

Yes, the implant is my contraception but the pill is what stops my bleeding through a night pad every hour and stops the cramps.

The question is asked was if the receptionist was BU by giving me an appointment then taking it away.

Once again, if it was an emergency I would go to accident and emergency.

My GP also told me after the courses of Marvelon that there is a chance it will have settled. I'd rather check then make an appointment for nothing.

I can't get repeat prescriptions because they get rejected. I've said this upthread more than once.

[Naysa]

Also, I didn't ask for an emergency appointment.
I asked for an appointment, I was given one, then the receptionist changed her mind. This was the point of the AIBU.

[PureQuintessence]

Most surgeries only offer emergency appointments same day.

With all this back and forth, it seems like you dont know how to book appointments, frankly.

[louschmoo]

Surely the problem is related to the booking system. At my GP they pre-book a small number of appointments, primarily for management of chronic conditions. All other appointments are released on the day, and available by ringing up at 8am or going to the surgery at 8am. There is no mention of 'emergency' appointments. It sounds very similar to the system at OPs surgery. Either you have a system where you pre book most appts and all on the day is classed as emergency, or you release most appts on the day and it's first come first served. It's misleading to do otherwise.

[apismalifica]

We have an out of hours service at the little local hospital in town and with things like this I often wait until the GP is closed and go there instead. They seem much less hurried and always look happy to see us for a start, you get a same day appointment very quickly and don't have to wait as long. I wouldn't go there with something that could wait 3 weeks (or however long it takes to get to see a named GP ) but it's great for the odd prescription that wasn't expected or something that needs seeing quickly. I love our receptionists and they do a great job fitting us in whenever they can, but they can't always conjour up an appointment we can actually manage to get to (we work and also care for two people with medical issues in the family who are often in and out of hospital).

If you want to go abroad on holiday I'd avoid A&E though as u have to declare emergencies if you are buying travel insurance and it can ramp up the costs.

And you shouldn't have to discuss personal medical details with an untrained non-medical person like a receptionist - I only do as they are trying to sort out my kids medical needs with the least effort all round, and then it's because I know the receptionists really well and so I know they are trying to help me, not tring to stop me seeing the GP or getting help! This was not the case at the previous practice we went to though, they were a mean bunch and one of the GP's went out of his way to NOT prescribe what the hospital specialist asked him to - and we moved to a new GP because of that. YANBU.

[QueenStromba]

This thread is making me really love my GP's surgery. They have a staged release of appointments that works really well. Every day they release new appointments for that day, two days time and two weeks time. They also have online booking through patient.co.uk which means that you can bypass the receptionists and just book the appointment yourself (apparently one quarter of surgeries use it so it might be worth you all checking if your surgery does to save having to phone at 8am). If I want an appointment with a particular doctor and there isn't one online for a while then I can ring up and ask when their next shorter notice appointments are so I know which day to ring up or book online. I've never tried to book a follow up appointment for a set time away but I'd be amazed if they don't facilitate that.

[seriouscakeeater]

LOL i think this is my surgery! The gate keepers I call them.
The a&e are for emergencys these are the local GPs. I got mine the other week, i was washing a glass out and it cracked and sliced my hand open a little. I didnt want to go to A&E and clog that up so thought i would go see my local nurse.

When i asked receptionist to see her she said..''ooh my advice is to go straight to A&E'' so i said ''id like the advice of a qualified nurse actually...' she was very cheesed of she had to pick the phone up and ask for some one!

Nosy bats!!

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

ugh sounds horrible. Our surgery has appts saved for booking on the day, but you have to get in right when the lines open in the morning. They do not try to triage.

The very idea of having a receptionist try to triage over the phone is frightening to say the least. If a practice wants to do that, they need a nurse with one of those questionaires they have when you ring NHS direct.

Our practice does do 'emergency' slots, once the on-the-day appts have been booked. However, they are usually only allocated once they've had the on-call GP ring you back and actually triage the situation.

I am honestly gobsmacked by the idea of receptionists having to do this. I worked as a receptionist for an optometrist once upon a time. I could make guesses to common ailments after a while, sure. But that's no replacement for medical training, and these are peoples lives you are dealing with. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

I should add that the real emergency slots don't seem to be actual appts, rather, they bundle you all in at once in the waiting area and see you as they can.

[EllaFitzgerald]

I'd be inclined to tell the receptionist that when she tells me where and when she qualified as a GP, then I'd quite happily discuss my confidential medical conditions with her, but until then, I'll save it for my actual GP.

[littlesos]

Some of the replies suggesting the OP should be more organised with ordering her pill, obviously don't understand her GPs system. It seems like her Drs have a system like the one mine has, there are NO pre-booked appointments at all. My only option to see a gp is to get on the phone at 8.30, and stay there, pressing redial, until someone answers, all the time with my fingers crossed that there will be an appointment left, then I have to run the gauntlet of the receptionists, who seems to think I'm trying to waste the drs time.

[quornqueen]

I just say the most embarrassing thing I can think of when asked this at our doctors (my new doctors receptionist dont ask, they are very nice).

Things like "I'd like to see him about the ingrown hairs on the warts on my vagina" or "My toe nail has rotted, fallen off and is leaking green stuff on the carpet. I can show you when I arrive?"

[quornqueen]

Also, OP this might have been mentioned but sometimes you can see a nurse who will asses you, write out your prescription and then leave it with a doc to sign at lunch/mid afternoon so you can pick it up later in the day. That might help your situation :)

[ZebraOwl]

Mmmph. Is wrong she gave you the appointment & then took it back. I understand the need to ask (at my surgery on-the-day appointments are for something that needs seeing about immediately) & for some people it is more appropriate to suggest they see a pharmacist (who can always send them elsewhere if necessary) or that they see a nurse not a GP or that they take a slot next week or that they go direct to A&E.

It sounds as though your treatment has been very bitty. If they're refusing your repeat requests because they need to see you before they prescribe they should be having a receptionist ring you to make an appointment. It might be worth contacting your OOH provider about this to see if anything can be done before Monday: a weekend of being in severe pain's not going to do you any favours

Worries me people are struggling to get EpiPens as a regular repeat prescription item! What a waste of a GP's time! I had to go through seeing a GP to get my keep-at-home antibiotics put back on my repeat medications list after someone on the clerical staff "helpfully" assumed it shouldn't be there The GP I saw was really quite disappointed it was only that I needed to see him about: I think he had his hopes up that I'd be bringing him Something Interesting. Poor GP.

My worst receptionist!experience was a couple of years ago when I was too ill to leave the house to get to the surgery & unable even to ring them myself because I had no voice at all. My father phoned to ask I be given a home visit & it was summarily refused by the receptionist with the comment that if I wasn't well enough to get to the surgery I should go to A&E. I did manage to get to the GP practice for the appointment I was given. That involved my father leaving work early to come & get me. He had to carry me downstairs & put me in my wheelchair to get to the car & lift me from chair into car because I couldn't even transfer on my own. Same in reverse at surgery with him having to push me into the doctor's room & the GP having to push me back to reception afterwards. My Dad had to carry me back up the stairs when we reached home & I ended up lying on top of the covers in the clothes I'd dragged on before going to the surgery for several hours before I could manage to change back into pyjamas & get under the covers. I saw my own GP a couple of weeks later & told her what had happened. She was seven sorts of furious & out a note on my file in BIG LETTERS saying that if I request a home appointment I am absolutely to be given one. I've not actually had to do so since (& had never requested one before), because I will do my best to drag myself to the surgery as I know what a PITA Home Visits are for GPs & how much time they take up but it's good to know at least that's now fixed. Sadly that receptionist is now the Head Receptionist. She is incredibly rude & astonishingly patronising towards patients/their carers & fails EPICALLY at listening to what people are saying to the point I go to great lengths to try to avoid any interaction with her. Ugh.

Everyone saying it should be a nurse doing triage, that doesn't always work out brilliantly. An A&E triage nurse decided that the bolded parts of the explanation below were the important ones:
"I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & I fell and dislocated my hip in my ballet class. I thought I'd relocated it properly but I realised when I got on the tube that pain was radiating across my back to the other hip - with a sensation that my vertebrae are being levered apart & the sensation in my legs was altered. I took 30mg oxycodone while on the tube & it had seemingly had no effect as the pain in both hips & my spine was severe."
I sat & waited in A&E before being sent round to Urgent Care. By the time I'd walked to UC I was weeping in pain & couldn't actually feel my legs properly at all. After about 15 minutes after repeated pestering by other patients a nurse hoiked me off to a sideroom to ask what was wrong. It was hilarious to watch his face change from "silly little girl who should have taken some paracetamol & gone home" to "shit shit shit shit SHIT 'I'll just go & get a wheelchair & take you straight round to majors!'"
So yes. Nurse triage doesn't always work so well either...

[ThatVikRinA22]

i used to be a gp receptionist.

firstly - make no mistake - receptionists do not act on their own volition - the gp - particularly partner - is law. but they seldom like to take the flak.

i have been verbally abused and threatened in front of the very gp who told me to take the course of action i did - he walked away without a word. left me to take a bashing verbally for doing exactly what he told me to do.

its a shit job.

secondly - running out the pill would not be seen as an emergency by a gp. you need to ensure that even if you dont need the prescription - that you have it available and ready for it you do need it.

a bit of planning is all this would take. you could keep it in your bag for 6 months - it would still be valid for it you do need it.

when you do get an appointment - communicate with the gp - the implant isnt working for you. you need it out. you need an alternative. you should surely be able to arrange this and then pre book an appointment?

our surgery (the one i used t o work at is also my own gp) do a set number of pre bookable appointments.

receptionists get the shit end of the stick, when often, as in this case, with a bit of pre planning it could be sorted and secondly, the receptionist does not hold much power at all in a surgery - the partners do - and they tell the receptionists what to do.