Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to complain about GP receptionists? So upset.

139 replies

Alpacacino · 17/04/2014 21:44

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?

OP posts:
HandragsNGladbags · 17/04/2014 22:13

YANBU Receptionist sounds as though she went on the defence as she knew she was in the wrong.

Original poster
Alpacacino · 17/04/2014 22:14

No, the police did not turn up to a mother with her child complaining to a GP receptionist, asking why she apparently had not been called as advised.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 17/04/2014 22:15

What an absolutely bonkers system. She sounds barking no wonder your so upset.

That comment about rushing home and not missing the call was taking the piss.

ivykaty44 · 17/04/2014 22:15

Telling someone to get s grip is very antaganising and the fact they said your mobile phone didn't work when it clearly did is a sign they hadn't rung it or the home phone

I had an incident when I was told

Well we left a message on your answer phone

I don't have an answer phone

Well your mobile answering service

No it doesn't have one would you like to ring my phone and try

Them oh stop being silly

I find people caught out lying often get aggressive and OTT, so the comment about police doesn't surprise me

Gileswithachainsaw · 17/04/2014 22:15

You caught her out plain and simple

WaterLoadaCack · 17/04/2014 22:18

I hate most GP's receptionists. Most that Ive had the misfortune of talking to are rude wankers. Theres been a recent influx of young receptionists at our surgery and they are so lovely. Smiley, helpful, polite, clearly nice people.

I dont care if IABU saying so.

In fact, I did a thread on here a year or so ago saying just that for good reason at the time and the thread had hundreds of replies most agreeing and giving their negative experiences.

allisgood1 · 17/04/2014 22:19

I think this is a classic case of not knowing both sides of the story. If they threatened to call the police you were probably being a bit more aggressive than you realized perhaps. Not your fault, I would have been fed up by this point too!

MaRyzerection · 17/04/2014 22:19

Some people on this thread are being deliberately obtuse.

The op has explained clearly that the receptionist didn't leave a message on the house phone, and there was no evidence of a call to the mobile - therefore she was justified in thinking that in fact no call had been made to either.

I would have been upset too - as would all of you in this situation. An ill child being refused even a consultation isn't something any mother should just accept Hmm

FrontForward · 17/04/2014 22:21

It sounds to me as if the receptionist was being defensive. I would ask for a meeting with practice manager and outline your experience.

Whilst receptionists deal with lots of angry patients and deserve to have the right to call in back up it does sound as if this receptionist failed on several fronts. The manager will already have some idea and possibly previous complaints. Chat to them.

Original poster
Alpacacino · 17/04/2014 22:21

I don't want to generalise - there have been lovely receptionists at this surgery!
Just in this case, I was (and am) really not sure if I had been unreasonable getting worked up about it.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 17/04/2014 22:22

I love my doctors receptionist, they are so lovely

The last place I was at they were miserable but they are not all the same

Original poster
Alpacacino · 17/04/2014 22:23

Thank you so, so much, MaRyzerection!!! I'm starting to feel like a criminal for complaining.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 17/04/2014 22:23

Mobile phones lose signals and then an attempted call wouldn't show in the log. Leaving an answer phone message could breech confidentiality (dependant how it is worded)

Sounds like you got on the wrong side of a daft system undortunatly. Maybe you would be better complaining about the system rather than the receptionist

mumofthemonsters808 · 17/04/2014 22:23

Every time I'm unable to get any of mine into see my GP I just go to the walk in centre. I feel very lucky that we have this service in our town centre.

NearTheWindymill · 17/04/2014 22:26

I think they have perfected the art of being exceptionally unhelpful to the point of making people angry so they can then blame the patients for the failings in the service.

In this case the receptionist told lies, she/he said calls were made yet there were no missed calls. There was a sick child involved. It is hardly surprising the customer (patient) got angry. If this were the hairdresser, restaurant, vet, local hotel, people would take their business elsewhere. It is a captive market and they get away with murder.

If staff tell lies and are generally unhelpful in stressful situations why should they be allowed to abdicate responsibility and wind up the general public. It isn't satisfactory.

The receptionists at my drs surgery are like this. One even blasted once across the surgery "your smear's out of date, do you want to make an appointment". I took her to one side and said "if you ever discuss my private affairs like that again in public I shall make a formal complaint don't ever do that again". The next time I went to the doctor I was told that one of the receptionists had said I had been rude to her and had upset her. I explained what happend to the doctor whose jaw dropped and who said "I'm surprised you didn't make a formal complaint about that".

The patient simply cannot win in the current set up.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 17/04/2014 22:28

No one is saying that their ridiculous system is acceptable but guess what? The receptionist does not make the ridiculous rules, she follows them! The amount of people mouthing off to receptionists in my surgery for things that are beyond their control beggars belief.

Original poster
Alpacacino · 17/04/2014 22:30

The calls were made by the receptionist, as DS needed to come to the surgery and a phone conversation with the doctor was not sufficient (the doctor had decided). Therefore, no confidential information? I was in town during my absence from home, doing errands, and received two calls of under 2 minutes duration from DH during the 2 hours I was out.

OP posts:
MaRyzerection · 17/04/2014 22:30

If someone can't cope with a scared, upset (and even angry) mother of a sick three year old they shouldn't be a gp receptionist, imo.

And I know it's a tough job - I've done it. But people are upset when their loved ones are ill, threatening them with police is ridiculous.

If you complain, I would start with

"I'm very sorry for getting so upset on X date, but I was genuinely scared for my son because he had a temperature/was struggling to breathe/whatever...

I'm contacting you in the hope that systems can be changed so that anxious parents have a more clearly defined way of ensuring contact. I received no call on my home phone (despite someone being there all day), neither does my mobile call log show any missed calls, therefore I assumed no-one had tried to contact me and was very worried that the surgery would close before ...."

And continue on. That way you are making it clear that you were scared not aggressive, and that something went wrong - you aren't accusing anyone of not phoning you, but you are making it clear that you didn't get a call.

Gileswithachainsaw · 17/04/2014 22:31

But why wouldn't they try again?

If they were some how in a no signal area the call doesn't connect. Your never sure if it's your phone or theirs so you give it five and try again.

She was making excuses after being caught out.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 17/04/2014 22:31

Can you change surgery? Their organisation sounds rubbish.

shouldnthavesaid · 17/04/2014 22:32

A good friend of mine is a GP receptionist. Not a job I'd do for any money. It's a completely thankless job. On an average week she's verbally abused, belittled, laughed at, ignored, all sorts. Have sat in the surgery and watched people treat the reception staff like shit - shouting, calling one a silly cow, demanding all sorts, refusing to move from the desk etc - there's no reason to be so disrespectful to people who are often just doing a job they're asked to.

Yes, you get some terrible receptionists but the vast majority are doing their best.

MaRyzerection · 17/04/2014 22:32

Of course they should try again Confused

Anyone can be on the phone for a nanosecond - are you saying she should have sat at home, with her mobile in her hand for the entire day?

What if the child was vomiting and she was in the bathroom with him and couldn't get to the phone in 5 rings?

Original poster
Alpacacino · 17/04/2014 22:33

I did not blame the receptionist! I simply asked how it can be that no communication had taken place. The receptionist did not explain the system to me at all, she simply claimed that she had called, to no avail, and if my mobile phone was not working, there was nothing she could do about it. Which is fair enough and cannot be argued with, but for the fact that the phone was working, and an answer machine was there but had not been used.

OP posts:
MaRyzerection · 17/04/2014 22:33

Sorry, Giles, I misread you.

I thought you were saying she shouldn't have to try again. Sorry.

should, I accept that most are doing their best; I just don't think this one was.

Gileswithachainsaw · 17/04/2014 22:35

That's ok. :)

Doesn't sound like anyone called tbh.

God knows what happened but she didn't call.