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.

@sleephead1 we understand that but how dare this woman decide whether my mum gets the right dosage of her pills or not. She is diabetic and that medication is life and death stuff. As far as I know other than working in the surgery for nigh on 40 years she had no medical training anfvsurelynif her boss says Mrs x is to get two pills a day then she should just follow his prescription order.

Wait a minute didn’t WORKzilla WORK in a doctors surgery? That explains a lot!

In this age you should be able to book an appointment via the internet, unless you are someone who misses appointments once booked.

There are good GP receptionists but they seem a minority. The policies on phoning etc don't help too.

Our real concern should be that the actual or reputed rudeness of receptionists puts some people off seeing a GP. So they end up in A+E or in the worst situations, do not seek medical help in time.

My best friend at school did a customer-facing job after she left. She says the great secret of public life is that a significant proportion of people of all kinds are complete wankers the moment they think they can get away with it.

Including doctors' receptionists and patients.

www.facebook.com/PeterKayClips/videos/trying-to-speak-to-the/1100184810032284/

This sums up our surgery completely.

I appreciate they aren't all mean though.

@fluffyyears I agree with you we are not allowed to do anything with patients prescriptions other than issue from repeat o would seriously advice you to complain to the practice manager that is seriously wrong and I can't believe that any practices allow a receptionist to do that

I very much doubt whether normal patients are threatening receptionists with rape or calling them bitches. So that is a pitiful defence.

What is also pitiful is that far too many of these women are officious dragons who treat ill members of the public dreadfully.

They have no right to ask anyone what it is you wish to discuss with a doctor and you, as the patient, are well within your rights to tell them to mind their own business. They are not professionals and they would do well to remember that when they try to interfere or prevent a patient from seeing a doctor.

@Forallthesaints not even I can book an appointment online, and I'm unable to use the phone.

The most they could offer me was that I could use their online system for contacting a GP, who could then phone me to book an appointment

When I asked about their arrangements under the Equality Act (on the assumption that they must have some), they went a bit sniffy and said I'd have to bring that up with the practise manager.

... they wish to discuss

It's a bit of a mixed bag at our GPs.
I've only had one occasion worthy of a complaint. Our dd was very ill with an eating disorder. GP arranged for us to come in before surgery started to see her. My dh went up to the window to ask if we needed to let the dr know we were here. Before he could speak the receptionist barked "We don't open until 9.00am" and drew the blinds so he couldn't see in....it was 3 minutes to 9.00am. It made a stressful situation feel much worse. Our dd was admitted to hospital shortly after.

It used to be a bit hit or miss to get a nice one who didn't make you feel like you were faking/exaggerating being ill.
Now I'm "properly" ill with MS they are ALL as nice as pie.
I don't envy their job though. Dealing with the general public is hard enough.....never mind when they are ill and potentially more grumpy.

This thread has cracked me up. The receptionists at my surgery are absolute witches.

I want to know where they get their doctorates from, seeing as they seem so intent on playing doctor whenever I call up.

I called this morning to ask if I could get a phone appointment as I'd had surgery last week and needed to talk through a few issues I was worried about.

Her: Is it urgent though?
Me: I'm not sure, that's why I need to talk to the GP! I'm not sure if it's normal or if I need to come in.
Her: but would you say it's urgent?
Me:....

I literally had no idea what to say, so just hung up.

No wonder people who are ill, feel a bit grumpy. They should be treated not gently and not unkindly.

There like dragons here, like the GP is some mythical oricale. Drives me barmy too. Like when they ask why you need to see a dr.

...treated gently

@sleephead1 she wasn’t allowed so god knows why she thought she could. The gp was raging and think he went to admonish her. A complaint has been placed in writing and I hope she hasn’t actually harmed anyone by doing this.

I joined my current practice when I first found out I was pregnant. I miscarried at 4 months and the receptionists were beyond lovely to me, they were so kind and empathetic, I will never forget their kindness as such a miserable time.

I personally don't mind saying what the appointment is for. It is when the dragon refuses to follow agreed reasonable adjustments around appointment times and when you ask her to look up the notes because they are written at the top, she refuses and puts the phone down on you.

OP you have my sympathy. And why do receptionists insist on giving you their opinion on blood test results? After a near fatal illness, the hospital consultant said my GP need to carry out careful monitoring for six months to prevent a recurrence. He said that a previous lack of monitoring had exacerbated the original illness. I rang the surgery:

ME: Hello, I'm just checking if my blood test results are in.

RECEPT: Yes, everything is fine.

ME: Good. Please make an appointment for me to see Dr Y.

RECEPT: No need, everything is fine.

ME: Okay, so is X within safe levels now?

RECEPT: I can't answer that, I'm not medically trained.

ME: Yes, I know. Can you please make an appointment for me to see Dr Y. ???

You do know that receptionists are told to triage urgency? GPs are over worked and surgeries are usually understaffed. They physically can't see everybody. Hence asking if it's an emergency. The practice manager will have given them those instructions. Then they get grief from the person on the phone for doing their job. And if they book you in and it's not deemed an emergency by the practise criteria, they get grief from the GP/ practice manager. So I'm not surprised they are less than sweetness and light. Plus they are having the same conversation 50 plus times a day. I'm a receptionist in a health environment and it can be very stressful, but I wouldn't work at a GP surgery for triple the money. Maybe only well 'ard types can hack it.

This is good

I did this job for years and it's like any other place of work,there are nice people employed but arseholes aswell.We used to get told by the doctors to ask patients what was wrong with them when they phoned up for appointments resulting in pissed off people thinking we were being nosey.Not the case it was to make sure they were seen by the most appropriate person

OP - you turned up without an appointment and are pissed off you couldn't be seen? That is how it reads to me?

@BlatheringOn I get the same thing so now I just ask them for a print out to determine whether I need to take any action or see a GP.

YABU & at the same time YANBU. Agree the majority can be a nightmare to deal with, but no matter how awful they are you should never be aggressive to someone just doing their job (no matter how crap they are at it!)

Mine are awful over the phone, but weirdly over the top friendly in person. It’s bizarre.

Worst experience had to be when the pharmacy that handled my repeat prescriptions kept on getting refused one item.
They were not being given any reason, so presumed it had just been left off the prescription so just kept on asking for it. By the time I found out it was actually being refused I had actually run out, so I spoke to the surgery.

Me - ‘the pharmacy have put in a prescription request for me, but one item keeps on getting left off’
Receptionist, ‘yes Dr said you can’t have it as if you need it already you’re using too much’
Me- ‘But I’ve run out. My consultant said that I should just use as much as I need for now until I have further tests. He sent you a letter a month ago.’
Receptionist- ‘sometimes they forget to send them.’
Me- ‘they send me a copy at the same time, I received it 2 weeks ago. I’ve now run out can I have a prescription please. Do you want me to ask my consultant to phone you or fax you the letter, or I could bring my copy in?’
Receptionist- ‘no, the Dr said you can’t have it’
Me - ‘Ok, but I’ve run out and now need it urgently. Can I have an appointment with the Dr or speak to the Dr’
Receptionist- no
Me- ok if there isn’t an appointment today, can I book in for another day as the pharmacy have said they will lend me some medication while I’m waiting. I don’t mind seeing another Dr’
Receptionist- they shouldn’t have lent you anything. There aren’t any appointments
Me: no appointments? With no Dr? Not even in a few weeks time? Ok can I speak to the practice manager then please?
Receptionist- No
Me (really cheesed off now): ok then I suppose I’ll phone my consultant instead then
Receptionist puts phone down.
I had to physically go into the surgery and refuse to leave until I saw the practice manager. She was horrified and arranged for me to see the Dr straight away to sort it out. Dr said sorry we’d received the letter but it hadn’t been read. Tbh though my issue was more the way it was handled than anything.
This was for medication that i would die without (if I said what it is it would be obvious to someone without medical training, but it would be outing) the pharmacist understood this and this is why they lent me some until the prescription came through. They also said our surgery are notorious for pulling stunts like this and the other drs in our town don’t do it!

BlueBug45 Tried that! I got a printout after having to put my request in writing and pay 50p! There is one receptionist who is very helpful and clearly over-qualified but she only works part-time so I don't always get her.