Fucking GP receptionists

[Eliza9917]

Aibu to think they must train them to be as rude, unhelpful and patronising as possible???

Just left the GP's and I feel like caving the fucking receptionists smug cunting face in.

Yes that's probably an overreaction but they fucking wind me up on a par with dealing with the fucking council.

PookieDo - you forgot "accept hearing that patients would like to 'smash your cunting head in' as a perfectly normal and valid expression of anxiety due to poor health."

You really can't do right for doing wrong as a GP receptionist. It's an extremely complicated role. You don't just sit behind a desk making appointments. It's extremely difficult trying to please patients and your bosses, we can't win.

Yep, Alaaya. Being called, a useless cunt, a slag, bitch, little girl and threatened with violence, being stabbed, raped, is all part of being a Doctor's Receptionist.

Since we are all considered the devil incarnate, I guess we deserve it.

I used to think one of the receptionists at my practice was rude - but a few years later I have realised that she’s actually the only competent one there!

The newer staff are the worst, error after error, not knowing how to do basic admin tasks like printing something, finding a form, changing contact details etc. Taking ages to do something simple then getting advice from a colleague on how to finish it, only for me to have to wait and see their colleague instead. Telling me my blood test results were fine and all in a good range over the phone, only to get an urgent call back to attend an emergency appt a few days later because something was amiss! I’m not surprised the senior receptionist staff were constantly in a bad mood with these idiots for colleagues!

It’s come full circle for me, I actually prefer going to talk to the receptionist that I used to think was rude as she actually gets things done and is fairly pleasant.

Pookie

Why didn’t I have much of the emergency drug? Because the GP refused to prescribe the formulation DD had been on for 10 years! She told me

1. It was no longer made
2. It had to be made up especially, and might cost thousands, until I took in the preloaded syringes to show them they existed
3. The CCG had banned them from prescribing it.

I knew agency care workers were trained to use our formulation and refused to use the one the GP wanted to prescribe!

I spent 6 months running between the pharmacist, the epilepsy nurse and the GP. The epilepsy nurse said the GP was being difficult! Actually, the CCG and mental health trust both said under policy documents on their website, that our formulation was the product of choice in our county as all the care workers were trained to use it!

By chance the LA epilepsy nurse rang me up and I told her the GP refused to prescribe the formulation. She told me every practice in the county had had a letter from them, saying it was the product of choice and she would write to them again for me; and besides which DD’s careplan specified that formulation and no GP could change it! The GP then agreed to prescribe it! I only just got their agreement before we went on holiday!

None of what you describe is GP receptionist malpractice it is a GP medical issue

That was to LadysFingers

@PookieDo

I don’t expect any of that. What I do expect is receptionists not to make major fuck ups and when they do (a) lie about it (happened to me twice) and (b) expect me to be inconvenienced to sort it out

Seems like receptionists feel like they have the hardest job in the world. Plenty of jobs are complicated and involve trying to placate clients / bosses both of whom have different expectations.

Do people in those jobs regularly get threatened with violence and called all these names?

They are essentially front line workers in a true sense. They have a responsibility often beyond their abilities to make judgements and decisions based on either experience or protocol.

A lot of them have become hard hearted and over resilient due to what they endure day in, day out.

Perhaps their managers are the real problem. I would never leave an inexperienced receptionist alone to do this kind of work until I knew they were confident in what they were doing and fully trained. I mentor them and ensure yes - they are bloody polite but also there has to be factored in speed and protocols which are expected of them. Turning someone away or not helping them is NOT the result/outcome you want and I personally don’t even like doing it myself - you never know how someone will react to you in response, you can be afraid.
I am sure most people in most jobs do the best they can do.

PookieDo yes I was threatened with rape over the telephone. Luckily I had presence of mind to record the call. A day later the Practice Manager called the Police who listened to it and arrested and charged him. He had to pay me compensation. He's no longer a patient at the surgery.

I never claimed it to be the hardest job in the world, don't be ridiculous. However I do believe that patients that scream, swear and threaten us have no idea what the job involves. We don't get pleasure out of telling people things they don't want to hear. It would make our jobs much easier if we could give patients, GP's and pharmacies what they all want believe me!

There is a reason GP receptionists have emergency panic buttons under the front desks and on our computer screens.

I think GP receptionists get the sharp end of there being insufficient staffing and funding to give patients what they want when they want it.
Ours are always hugely helpful.

I think GP receptionists get the sharp end of there being insufficient staffing and funding to give patients what they want when they want it

I think wanting to feel like it’s not a ticking time bomb until the next time they screw up isn’t unreasonable!

Ours have never "screwed up".
Not all receptionists are the same.

Not all receptionists are the same

No. Hence why I have it noted on my records the two I’m not prepared to waste my time speaking to

Wow. I bet the others are thrilled to deal with you with that attitude.

FYI though the first screw up was deregistering me from the practice. When queried she swore blind there couldn’t have been an error as she did it there and then as I requested. So when I made the complaint the practice manager checked the time my account was as closed. I was over the channel in a plane.

@Wolfiefan

I’m never rude, I am polite and friendly. It was actually at the suggestion of the practice manager following a meeting because they felt my trust had been broken. I quite agrees

I accidently signed up to a crap GPs many years ago. It had dragons for receptionists and slidey glass doors for them to bang shut. And second had kitchen chairs in the waiting room.

I went somewhere else and for years had lovely helpful receptionists and thought the rude shouty ones were an oddity of past days.

Then I had to sign up to a practice that has one ok receptionist and a grumpy horrible one.

They never seem to quite know what to do. Last time, I asked for a med review (which I have to have otherwise they stop my meds on the computer) I asked to see nurse A, who usually did this, for a med review. They asked if I had had a letter and I told them why I wanted one. They said that nurse A was doing triage because a doctor was missing and I would have to ring up at 8am for an on the day appt. So I did that a couple of times, then when I got through and said what it was for, the receptionist said that nurse A couldn't do that because she was doing triage and said she would give me an appt. for nurse B a week later. I said yes that was fine, as I didn't know whether it was a doctor or a nurse I needed to see anyway so if that was what she though was right then I was happy. Then someone rang me up the day before, to say that nurse B could not do this as nurse A was a prescribing nurse and had to do it. So she gave me an appt for the next day (even though she only did on the day triage appointments

I am not looking forward to next December

Melamin you just described an unfortunate situation that the GP’s had decided to use nurse A for triage, you got booked in with nurse B - to try to accommodate you, but someone realised an error and phoned you and gave you an appointment with nurse A to ensure you would be seen. So a rectified mistake on their part, under difficult circumstances

If anyone thinks GP receptionists steal the appointment slots, or get any say over what any of the nurses or doctors choose to do why would you assume that?

The fact that some nurses can or can’t prescribe is exactly why they ask you what you are coming for

No I have been there 2 years now and that is their normal.

I don't know what they are doing and they don't seem to know what they are doing either.

The only way to bypass the madness is to book in online with the doctor of your choice (about 3 weeks in advance or you will have to go with the other doctor who is no one's choice) and ask for a referral.

I think the state of the reception is a good indicator as to the state of the organisation.

They also write letters in asking people to come in for a med review that they do not know about, wonder what you are there for, and then fail to take you off their system and call you up again the next year.

That is shit management
If they don’t know what’s going on and chaotic it usually is a much bigger problem than just 2 crap receptionists

Most are lovely but I’ve had the odd one like in any other profession that’s been abrupt and downright rude. As I say this happens in all professions though.