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.

[sumsumsum]

Ratonastick, that sums it up perfectly.

[Rainraingoawayagain]

Iv been trying to get an appointment for 9 weeks (and counting) get told to call back at 8 every morning. I do call back at 8 but the line is always busy so when I get through there's nothing left so process starts all over again. I miss the old days where your doctor spoke to you direct and told you to come on in.
I don't think my problem is serious enough for an emergency appointment so have to wait but it's serious enough for me to still need to be seen, I suppose I have to just keep trying each morning:(

[Jedimum1]

Rain, ask for a regular appointment, it might be in two weeks time, but at least you would have had one secured. Then keep calling at 8am and try your luck. If you get one earlier, you can always cancel the regular one.

[TroysMammy]

If you really need to see a Doctor don't be fussy who you see or you could be waiting ages for the Doctor of your choice. I spoke to 4 people today who wanted an appointment to see a specific Doctor who I advised is on holiday until 4 September and they said they would ring back then. Good luck with that one because in 2 weeks time I'll have 30+ people ringing on the 4th for that Doctor with only 15 slots available. Quite a few people are going to be disappointed.

[trinity0097]

I got a text today reminding me to book my diabetes check and nurse visit, so I popped in to sort that, then also asked to make a GP appointment, she told me there had been a cancellation so would I be willing to wait 10min for that!

I've never been asked at this surgery what the reason was.

I've only ever needed to urgently see a GP on a bank holiday (day after Boxing Day last year) and they operate a firstcome first served system to see the on call doctor. I waited 20min!

[maddiemookins16mum]

I actually think it must be one of the most awful jobs ever. They cannot win, whatever they do. I just tell them 'I need a smear', I'm bleeding terribly between periods', my partner is coughing up green/brown phelm and can hardly breathe.....

[ShapelyBingoWing]

So wait, you've called 4 days in a row now but are still refusing to give any details so can't get an appointment?

they didn't withhold an appointment because I wanted to keep my issue private. They told me beforehand that there were no appointments to give.

refusing to tell them because they are some sort of lesser beings is quite rude.

Nobody has said, or even implied, that they're 'lesser beings'. That's probably a bit of projection on your part.

[Sequence]

It's pretty frustrating when you've just come out of an appointment where the GP says they want to see you again in a week's time. You go to reception and they say they've only got appointments in 4 weeks or you can ring next week at 8am (to compete with everyone else and be unable to get through). Why can't you book an appointment for the following week, especially when you've specifically been asked to do so?

[ShapelyBingoWing]

Ratonastick, that's absolutely appalling! And I suppose there is also the confidentiality side of things to consider. I know one of ours drinks locally and has a reputation for being chatty, but whether that's about patients I have no idea.

For me it's mainly a privacy thing. I'm a very private person. I keep my issues to myself as much as I physically can, to the point that many of my friends simply don't realise I have some chronic health problems and generally I'll put on a smile even when I'm feeling ill. I want to talk to the specific person who needs to know in order to help me, not someone who doesn't really need to know in the grand scheme of things. I've done reception work...there are ways of prioritising that don't involve asking directly for intimate details. If a patient wants to volunteer the information, fine, I'm sure it's very helpful. But where the patient's privacy is important to them, they shouldn't be met with rudeness.

[Marymoosmum14]

They aren't actually supposed to do that. It is actually none of their business. One got sacked at my doctors for asking and refusing to give an appointment if they weren't told.

[DeathByMascara]

I don't usually object. The one exception was when I was pregnant, I got a monster bout of thrush and the pharmacy point blank refused to give me anything, told me to go to the doctor. So I shuffled off, John Wayne style, to the surgery to beg an audience with the Doctor. The receptionist asked me what was wrong, I informed her I had thrush and she asked me 'what makes you think you have thrush?' For God's sake woman, my fanny was on fire, I didn't want to tell the whole waiting room about it!!

[SuburbanRhonda]

Your notes are right there. If they wanted to snoop they could quite easily without having to ask you questions.

I can't speak for anyone else's surgery but a friend of mine who worked at ours told me every search of a patient's details is tracked
and monitored.

A receptionist couldn't just go and browse through personal details because she felt like it.

[codswallopandbalderdash]

I agree OP. I think it is intrusive and unnecessary to have to explain why you want an appointment to a receptionist.

There have been many times I have refused to divulge why I want an appointment. I do not feel it is appropriate to discuss my medical history with an admin officer. They aren't medically trained.

If GPs wish to direct people to use other services in their practice rather than seeing a GP, tell patients about them by giving out leaflets, updating their websites, etc etc. I didn't know my GP had a baby / toddler clinic one morning that you could just pitch up to and be seen. I didn't know about this until 10 months down the line when a locum GP told me. Why the hell they didn't tell me this at my 6 week check god only knows. And of course the clinic has now been cancelled because no one used it (probably because no one told patients about it)

[Strawberrybubblebath]

Receptionists aren't random people off the street! They are trained and they are confidential and they are doing an important job. GP's are very over stretched. Many patients abuse the system insisting on seeing the dr when they don't need too.
A recent article in Pulse was that patients number one frustration was their problem getting better by itself before they had a chance to be seen at the Drs!!!!!

[HashiAsLarry]

Someone upthread said something about how there must be a way of seeing something patient specific without looking into notes. Here is definitely something that exists on their systems to allow that. My dm had something that meant her GPs receptionists knew she required home visits whilst undertaking chemo. I've overheard whilst queueing at my gps a few conversations where they've said patients are housebound or require assistance because they're blind in one case. There's definitely scope to use this more effectively.

Having re-read that, perhaps I've picked up too much info just by queueing .

[user1498240695]

They are hard as nails because of the shite some rude fuckers give them. However, their response to it tends to affect the innocent/vulnerable. E.g. required urgent referral to services through GP (autistic child) told 'no appt, hope she feels better soon?'' Ignorance at best.

[haveacupoftea]

It's not that they want to know your private medical details to triage you, but they are able to offer priority appointments to some patients e.g. young babies or will ask GP for advice on your behalf if need be, they're doing it to help you.