To really despise Drs receptionists asking why I want an appointment?

[ShapelyBingoWing]

I've been trying to get an appointment at my surgery all week. If I'd booked in on Monday, I'd have been waiting until a week on Friday to be seen, so the receptionist that day said to call at 8 in the morning for an appointment that gets released on the day.

By the time I've gotten through every single day, all the appointments have been gone. But after telling me that, I've been asked each day what I need the appointment for as though an appointment can be found if they deem my issue serious enough. And every day they've tutted at me down the phone when I've explained I'd rather not say.

I've finally got an appointment with my practice nurse today after she triaged me and agreed I needed seeing.

I get that receptionists need to prioritise, I really do, but I feel very strongly that they're not trained to prioritise based on very little medical information. And tutting down the phone is a fairly reasonable marker that they're not particularly good at the job they are trained to do. AIBU? Or just a grumpy sod?

I think I just wanted a moan.

[ArgyMargy]

All these people saying that receptionists have to ask - utter bollocks. There is no way I would ever tell a receptionist why I want an appointment. At my surgery you can ring on the day and be seen on the same day by a doctor. Of course if you know it's something that could be handled by a callback or a nurse appointment you can ask for that instead. At my surgery we are treated like adults. Receptionists have no medical training and cannot and should not triage.

[SerfTerf]

I'm starting to think that way too chicken. I'm acquiring niggling chronic conditions (asthma, hashimotos, recurring slipped discs, that sort of thing) at an alarming rate in my forties. It's distinctly suboptimal never to get any real follow up on anything.

[SerfTerf]

All these people saying that receptionists have to ask - utter bollocks. There is no way I would ever tell a receptionist why I want an appointment

I used to feel like that Argy but you have to produce some sort of answer to have any hope of an appointment.

[LottaHogs]

Having worked at a GP surgery (a non patient facing, non clinical, admin role) I'd like to echo what others here have said: the GPs ask receptionist to ask these questions so that
a) you see the appropriate clinician; a prescribing nurse practitioner, a nurse etc. GPs don't need to see people with sore throats, flu, urine infections - this means that the GP appointments (which are usually the most limited appointments) are reserved for the patients who REALLY need them. This could be for ongoing care of chronically ill patients, or other serious illnesses.
And b) so that the urgency of the appointment is established.

I'm not defending any rudeness on their part though.

[RideOn]

The receptionists not trying to diagnose or treat you! They just need to try and get you the most appropriate appointment.

Recent man in "URGENT" appointments who urgently needed a boxing medical form filled in, because they realise deadline has crept up on them.
This is not appropriate for an urgent appointment.
If reception asked "do you need to see a Dr or could you see nurse?" the answer to this man would be Dr.
"Is it urgent?" this man would say yes.

If the receptionist knows it is a form she could say leave it at reception and I will highlight the deadline to the GP, but you really should give them as much time as possible as they have to prioritise clinical work (so stopping it happening again).

This is only one example. Receptionists are trained and their work is confidential. They always get a bad rap, but no-one considers that day in day out they have to help ill, non english speaking and disabled people get access to services. They get stressed people and people in pain who don't talk to them the way they would to a GP or someone they respect. They have to jump from telling someone something they don't want to hear, to treading a fine line with giving out results in a sensitive way, they seem to often be doing 2 things at the same time.
OK, they are trained, but I bet a lot of people complaining couldnt/wouldnt do their job, but they still aren't polite.

[Handsfull13]

Our surgery just put up signs saying
'Our receptionists will ask what is the reason for your appointment this is to make sure you see the correct doctor. This does not effect your right to tell them you would rather not say'
It's great in concept but doesn't change the way they respond when you tell them that. You just need to tell them it is a personal problem, it is very emergent or you wouldn't be phoning everyday to get an appointment and it isn't specialised so you are happy to see anyone.
My other half gets annoyed with them and after trying for a few days he got sick of the rude receptionist using a very demanding tone and questioning is he sure he couldn't tell her. He calmly then informed her he had a very painful wart on his penis, it wasn't true but she hasn't questioned him again.

[ambereeree]

Receptionists are told what to ask by GPs and practice managers. They probably get told off when they don't ask. I doubt they really want to know.

[ShapelyBingoWing]

You think she was rude to tut. She may have thought you were rude to dismiss her and overlook her profession.

And this may be why she has the attitude she does. It is not rude to decline to disclose medical information to someone who isn't a doctor or nurse.

Why are there still people explaining that the receptionist isn't being nosey? Absolutely nobody has implied that that was the case

[RideOn]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9885105/GP-receptionists-do-not-deserve-their-dragon-reputation-researchers.html

[SerfTerf]

a) you see the appropriate clinician; a prescribing nurse practitioner, a nurse etc. GPs don't need to see people with sore throats, flu, urine infections - this means that the GP appointments (which are usually the most limited appointments) are reserved for the patients who REALLY need them.

Well I don't know what's going on here but it's not that system.

I tried to make a nurse practitioner appt for a simple infection and wasn't allowed.

[ExConstance]

Fortunately at my small rural GP practice you can get appointments at short notice without a problem. I would never tall a receptionist anything about why I wanted the appointment. This sort of thing is why A&E are stuffed full of people who shouldn't be there. What if you have symptoms that might indicate urgent tests for cancer are required - I can just imagine that the receptionist is going to be very clued up (not) on the subtle symptoms of pancreatic or ovarian cancer.

[ThePurpleOneWithTheNut]

I understand what you are saying but please do send in your points to the Practice Manager who will have had more input into this process than the receptionists who are following instructions and have been told to ask the things that they do.

Also different nurses and doctors are trained for different things, so it is sometimes necessary to decide who is the best person for the job.

I agree though there is absolutely no necessity to tut at anyone. Being polite, helpful and respectful are all requirements.

But having to ask some questions or not having appointments when you want one are out of a receptionist's control and for which they take a lot of blame.

[ShapelyBingoWing]

how are you defining "tutting"?

they are trying to be helpful. If you hear a sigh, it might not be "why won't this woman share her private info" it might well be "I wish I could help".

I realise it's hard to describe in writing but they were very definite irritated tuts, not sighs.

[SerfTerf]

Actually I DO have an idea of what's going on in my area. It's a complete shortage of appointments of all kinds, GP patient lists are huge and many thousands of people are without GPs altogether. So, in desperation, all appointments are being guarded like gold dust and handed out very carefully indeed.

[ShapelyBingoWing]

We have to listen to an automated message before we get through to a receptionist actually. Changing that to include a message regarding not coming in for a cold or flu, the different clinics available and other services they can give information for would be a stroke of genius.

[Firesuit]

All these problems would be solved if we could just book appointments online. If I want to book an appointment with my GP on-line, the first thing I have to do is go to the surgery to get a security code, so that when I get back home I can have the convenience of booking on-line from my home, without talking to anyone.

Strangely, the fact that book on-line is considerably more difficult than phoning means I've never got around to getting that security code.

[Firesuit]

It's almost as if the government has told GPs they have to allow on-line booking, and GPs have deliberately implemented it in such a way that nobody will ever use it.

[teainbed]

Of course they ask. People phone the GP with chest pain, strokes and broken legs when 999 would be much more appropriate. Triage is here to stay unfortunately for those that don't like it.

[HidingUnderARock]

I've had this several times at our GP surgery in a large town.
Twice the receptionist has taken it upon herself to tell me that "Well you/he doesn't have x illness then" loudly at the counter, completely contradicting multiple Drs at that surgery and elsewhere.

I understand that they are told they must ask. At the same time it is completely clear to most people involved that they are not qualified to do what they are being asked to do. Frustrating on all sides.

[TeamCersei]

YADNBU

What if it's something really sensitive that the patient doesn't want other people to hear?
When receptionists 'ring back' it's not always at a time when the patient is on their own.
I remember the receptionist phoning me back to grill me aboutmy problem and I hid in the bathroom with the taps on full blast and the toilet flushing, because it was a sensitive gynecological issue, which I didn't want my teenage sons overhearing.
Or what about if people are at work? They don't want their work colleagues to overhear their problems.

I hate the lack of confidentiality and privacy surrounding this whole jcrap system.
People can't always get to a place that is private when these ring backs happen.

[ShapelyBingoWing]

Interestingly Firesuit, ours have introduced it in an arse about face way too. We have to go online tp request neing set up on the online booking system. That request goes to.....the receptionist! I requested this 6 months ago and it still hasn't been done. Bit then, this is the same website that claims to give everyone an appointment within 48 hours.

[ShapelyBingoWing]

Triage is here to stay unfortunately for those that don't like it.

Receptionists aren't trained to triage.

[TeamCersei]

Complain to the Practice Manager or the GP's.

I agree.
The receptionists are only doing what the practice manager tells them.

It might be a more efficient system for the practice but it's detrimental to the patient, because the patient's privacy is compromised.

[teainbed]

How do you know what they're trained to do?

[HashiAsLarry]

Our gp is similar in that getting a non urgent appt is 3 weeks away so if you've been asked by a gp to go back in a week or have something that needs seeing sooner than 3 weeks away but not that day, reception advise you to call for an urgent appt on the required day or in a few days time.

Then you call and they ask what's wrong and say 'well it's not urgent'. I know that ffs, you told me to call and ask for an urgent appt. 😡 before anyone says anything, I don't actually say that to them, just politely explain I'm following their advice to call and ask for an urgent appointment.

But no, they shouldn't be tutting at you for not giving an explanation.