AIBU to be annoyed at doctors receptionist?

[ihatetheoneshow]

NC because this may out me (I've whinged a lot about this to various friends today)

Called doctors surgery this morning to get an appointment for 6 month old. Obviously wanted one for today so was calling between 8 and 9 am.

Eventually, after an hour on hold (it's a busy surgery so not overly bothered about that), receptionist answers asking how she can help. Conversation went like this:

R: how can I help?
Me: id like an appointment for today please.
R: we only have emergency appts. Is it really an emergency?
Me: yes it's for my 6 month old.
R: okay. (Takes DDs name) and what is wrong with her?

This is where I got annoyed, as that's the reason I'm seeing a doctor. I shouldn't have to list symptoms to the receptionist. She asked with such a patronising tone that I almost snapped back at her that is was the doctors business not hers. However, that is unreasonable so I answered politely whilst seething quietly.

I probably ABU, is it standard practice now for receptionists to ask why you are seeing a doctor? Does it help them decide if it is an emergency? I just don't get why she needed to know.

1ges - surely no patient tells the receptionist they need a pelvic exam? Would having to tell the receptionist they are suicidal not put them off seeing the doctor at all? If I was suicidal I certainly wouldn't want to tell anyone apart from the doctor/nurse I trusted.

So charmanar, you don't care that GP's find it "incredibly helpful", as posted above by an actual gp?

It's more important that you put receptionists in their non-medical place when they ask?

"Skin problem" could get you directed to a GP with specialty dermatology training.

A friend who is a dr's receptionist said around 80-90 per cent of the emergency kids appointments, aren't actually emergencies, which is why they ask you about the symptoms. The GP will then review the info and call you in if they want to see you urgently. If you don't give the info then you'll be at the bottom of the heap.

Having said this, however, you are not under any obligation to tell the receptionist anything.

Don't ge me started on bloody doctors receptionists! If it had been left to the bitch at my dad's practice he would not be here now! And I am not exaggerating. She told him to come back tomorrow, luckily his doctor came out to file papers, took one look at him and called an ambulance!
If he had done what the bitch had said he would have driven home and had a heart attack in the car, God knows how may have been injured or killed!
They are NOT doctors or nurses, answer the phone, file etc, and deal kindly with the patients, thats all ffs! 😡

You are well within your rights to not disclose to a receptionist your problem. You are entirely entitled to do that. I think the system is there because you will have some people (often elderly) who will not necessarily ask for an 'emergency' appt when they are experiencing symptoms that need a doctor straight away and you will have some who will want an appointment for something that can absolutely wait or be seen by a nurse. If you don't want to disclose you don't have to but others benefit from the system!

Charmanar a GP has posted on this thread to say how useful they find it to have a rough idea of the problem. Even if it's as basic as "skin problem" they can check quickly to see if it's new, recurring, poss reaction to a new medication - of course it's useful

YABVU

Doctor's receptionists appear to get a tough time for doing their job.
Totally agree. And school receptionists. Big time!

Sorry but I wouldn't register with a practice where the receptionists are triaging patients - they are not qualified. I have been a patient at a surgery where this was expected and had to tell the receptionist in a full waiting room that I was having a miscarriage. Never again. I joined a GP where the receptionists do not ask. It should not be their job.

You know some of you may be astounded at what some members of the public consider an emergency requiring a same day appointment. There HAS to be some sort of filter. Where I worked we had 10,000 patients on our lists. Approximately 250-300 phone calls a day were taken by receptionists, and at least half would be requesting appointments. Some days we would have maybe 100 appointment slots available. You do the maths.

Reasons I have heard given for needing a same day appointment:

My period started and I don't have any pads or tampons.

My toddler hasn't eaten his breakfast. (No other symptoms at all).

My elderly mum lost the batteries in her hearing aid.

It's my day off and I want my smear doing today.

My toenail looks funny. It's been like that for weeks now.

Honestly, you couldn't make it up. Please accept why receptionists need to ask. It will vary between practices, some don't have the demands others do depending on their patient demographic.

charmena the receptionists pass on any information they're given to the GP so the GP has a heads up. That's all. It's not for kicks or good pub gossip.

Cool I'm sorry your dad had a bad experience and there are people who are not good at their jobs/ don't care in every profession but you say the receptionists should just answer the phones and then what? Just make appointments with a GP for that day for everyone who asks for one? That would have left your dad waiting in a queue behind the people who had a cold, stubbed their toe, wanted a repeat prescription they'd run out of. If your dad told her of his symptoms and she said to go away you should file a complaint against HER!

Death by
Thrush is what I was being asked about over the phone, for the same reasons. I was given an appointment with the practice nurse who gave me a swab to do and got thrush confirmed before prescribing pessary. Next time I will be asking about a nurse appointment first.

I'm glad the receptionists ask questions. If the lovely young receptionist hadn't asked the right questions, my DH would not have been seen, within a couple of hours of me phoning, with his suspected chest infection. Once the doctor saw him, we had to be rushed to hospital because his heart was racing so fast. He was suffering from sepsis and would not have survived the night. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer and the receptionists always made sure he was seen the same day as we phoned, because we ONLY phoned if he needed to be seen that day, up until his second and last stay in the hospice.

Maybe if those people who feel that they don't want to wait, as opposed to those who can't, answered the receptionist's questions, the genuine emergencies could be dealt with.

I've had one nasty receptionist in my surgery but nipped that in the bud and she's very nice now. Probably through gritted teeth, but I don't care.

To the much abused and under appreciated receptionists, thank you.

Thrush? I know what it feels like and go and buy a pessary or diflucan.

I dont involve the GP at all or nurse or anyone else. If it didnt go away after treatment I would see them.

There is a reason why you can buy thrush treatment with no prescription. You dont need to see a dr.

Queen if you read my original message you would see that I had gone to the pharmacy in the first instance & had to go to the doctors because they wouldn't give anything to pregnant women. I am not someone who routinely sees a doctor for unnecessary ailments.

No, this pisses me off too. YANBU

However, it's not their fault, it's a shit system

You are within your rights to refuse to say why but it helps the system run smoothly but receptionists to get training on what to do with certain things and an lot of acute problems crop up time and time again. They do actually get pretty good at knowing what is important and what isn't. In my surgery my staff only ask why someone wants to see the GP once all the appointments have gone so we can triage them and phone back or divert to other places. For example most eye problems where I am are being referred to opticians now as they have far greater training and examination facilities than we do. Early pregnancy bleeding people are given the midwives number as the midwives like to deal with this. Mr Bloggs who has had chest pain all night has the receptionist either telling them to phone 999 or interrupting my surgery if I am duty doctor. The patient with a cough gets put on my triage list or if they are obviously short of breath (and they are trained to ask this) then I am am interrupted again. They actually do have a very good idea of what is going on and tell the patients that is is to help us, the GPs not for their information. We get hundreds of phonecalls a day. We find very very few patients refuse to say anything. Maybe 1/100 or fewer.
So before some of you get on your high horse about it, it is done for a very good reason. Our staff are not allowed to refuse a patient if they insist on being triaged even if the staff think it's not urgent. That is definitely not their job and I think some surgeries are very bad for this.

Sorry but this is so true...

Early pregnancy bleeding people. You mean pregnant women, don't you?

povertyPain I think she means gestational parent. Please keep it inclusive!

Queen Death got there before me, pharmacists will not sell pessaries, only thrush cream, to pregnant women. The cream wasn't working.

Last time round GP check and this time nurse did a swab before prescribing the pessary.

I would say YABU just a little on this occasion. I wouldn't like to have to give the exact reason if it was something I wouldn't feel comfortable discussing with anyone but the GP. However I would be okay with it if they accepted that I didn't want to tell them for that reason.
Anything else, I would be happy to tell them.

povertyPain I think she means gestational parent. Please keep it inclusive!

So a woman, then.