to complain about GP receptionists? So upset.

[Alpacacino]

So, 3 year old DS has had a bad cough for a while, and along with choking on his cough, started wheezing quite badly yesterday.

So this morning, after unsuccessfully ringing the surgery to get an appointment on the day, I went there to ask if there was any chance DS could be seen. The receptionist told me the doctor would phone me to discuss the matter, took my landline number and checked the mobile number.

I did not stay home all day personally, but obviously had my mobile with me. No call, no missed call. At 5, I rang the practice again to ask if the doctor was going to call (just to make sure it was not accidentally forgotten), only to be told that they had in fact called, my mobile had not worked, and no-one had answered the house phone. There was no evidence of this in my mobile call log, and no message on the house phone. DS was going to be "put on the list again".

I panicked.

I went back to the surgery, with DS, to look into the matter - did they have the wrong number after all? The number was correct, the receptionist insisted the mobile was not working. I asked her to please ring it - she did, and the call appeared in the log. I was then told to return home to await the call by the doctor on the landline.

However, by this time I was very concerned that DS would not be seen, as it was less than an hour to closing time, and worried about not receiving or missing a call. I was then told that the doctor will not see me unless he has spoken to me on the phone first, and I should better head home quick in order not to miss the call. Luckily, DH was home and thus able to take this call. I stayed in the practice (which all the while was empty apart from DS and me), then did receive a call from the doctor on the mobile phone, and then was seen by him, and told that DS had been on a list all the while of people who need to be seen in person.

The receptionist claims she did ring my mobile, and claims she did not leave a message on the house phone since there was no answer machine (it kicks in after 6 rings). I was very upset about this, and then told to "get a grip on yourself" - they even threatened to call the police! If I had not chased the matter up, trusting that the busy GP will only have time for this at the end of the day, DS would not have been seen. Luckily he was seen, as he needed antibiotics, an inhaler and steroids.

Was I unreasonable to be upset?

YANBU to be upset.

But for them to threaten police you must have been quite abusive. For that YABU, sorry.

How upset did you get for them to threaten they would call the police?

The police?

Understandable that you were angry but your behaviour must have been OTT to be threatened with police

Yes, the police! For asking how it could be that no messages were received at all, and how it could be that they did not let the phone ring enough times for the answer machine to kick in (after six rings!!!). I had my 3 year old on my arm. That was all!!!!!!

I talked louder than you normally would in a surgery waiting room, but did not shout.

Not complaining about all GP receptionists everywhere, just about the ones that I had the problem with today!

Why did you talk loudly? Maybe they felt intimidated.

Well, no you are not being unreasonable to be upset. It all sounds a little odd and possible that the receptionist was not doing her job particularly well.
However the original phone call would have been coming from the doctor not the receptionist as they would have been the one phoning to discuss your sons health.
It also sounds like perhaps you did not behave particularly well in the doctors if they had to threaten phoning the police.
Perhaps a few deep breaths and then a complaint in writing if you feel it's necessary.

It was along the lines of "How on earth could I not have received any of these calls???"

YANBU, your child was ill and this system seems very complicated for a situation which was delicate. The receptionist seems quite ineffective as she shouldn't have spoken to you in that way, how on earth did the receptionist end up threatening to call the police?!

You should put a complaint in writing to the practice manager, explain that the complicated system led to a verbal altercation with the receptionist and that you were spoken to in an inappropriate way. I doubt you will get very far in complaining about her personally as it's your word against hers, there are so many situations where reception staff are verbally abused by patients that it would probably fall in her favour. By acknowledging that there was a reason for this situation you are more likely to be listened to.

Also, you want the situation never to be repeated so I think focusing on the cause is the best way forward. I hope your DS is feeling better soon and that you aren't subjected to this again.

I was then told that the doctor will not see me unless he has spoken to me on the phone first, and I should better head home quick in order not to miss the call.

Why could the Dr not call you on your mobile if that is the policy? Do they really have a policy they need to call on a landline these days?

They asked the doctor to call on the landline as, apparently, my mobile phone was not working. However, in the end I received the doctor's call on the mobile.

I wish I had had more composure, but I was panicking that DS would completely miss out on being seen through no fault of mine and end up in A&E - stressful for him, and I would imagine a bigger strain on scarce personnel and resources than being seen by the GP.

I do think there is a difference between an upset customer and a threatening customer. I did not accuse the receptionist of anything, it was strictly the situation that was discussed.

If you son was so ill why wasn't someone at home with him.

They phoned your house phone and mobile, perhaps your signal went or you was on the phone.

What was their reason for threatening to call the police? That's usually only done if people are refusing to leave the premises or get verbally abusive/threaten physical abuse. Someone just raising their voice is not a police matter

there's no doubt that OP's son was ill... why are some of you so desperate to catch people out?

Where I work we do not leave a message if it is a generic answer service (Welcome to BT answer...), only if it is a machine that identifies the person (Hello this is pisci, pls leave a message...)

It sounds as if the practice did not do this well and YANBU to be upset but you must have been rude and OTT for them to threaten you with calling the police. I work in the NHS and know how much stick staff take before they resort to that

That was their reason for calling the police. DH was with DS during the time I was not at home.

BTW, if you do complain now you will have weakened your position as it will be seen as the complaint from the woman who was so rude/aggressive/shouty/scary (delete as applicable) that we had to threaten to get the police.

I find it hard to believe you were non-threatening if they felt they had to call the police? Did they turn up?

OK, I apologise, I see they said they would call but didn't.

I don't really understand why they told a stressed person to rush home to answer a phone call on their landline and possibly/probably miss it while on the way home, to then presumably turn around and come back in again. When they had their mobile on them.

The system sounds barking

There was absolutely no "stick"! It was strictly asking how no calls were received at either end. The house phone does have an automatic answer machine, but the receptionist did not say that those were never answered. She claimed there was no answer machine.