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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

I know it has been done before in various veins but, IABU to think doctors receptionist....

109 replies

Dunkling · 21/11/2018 17:11

… that are not medically trained, are not in a position to triage you and decide yay or nay, are not the gatekeepers of all appointments placed there to keep the appointments empty (see my experience about this later), and at the very, very least, should be trained to understand the reason for appointment rules re; routine, same day urgent and the reason for this. And also, know what a receptionist is? The frontline font of knowledge to pass between the two parties?

This morning feeling increasingly ill after a procedure, and all advice, including from the doctors mouth, being to get checked out asap if any sign of infection shows (I had increased pain, the runs, nausea and terrible fatigue), so I phoned.

I was told I couldn't have a same day appointment only routine, currently 3 weeks away. Same day are for urgent, so heart attacks and strokes, that kind of thing. I repeated routine didn't help me and I needed same day, even with a nurse was ok. Nope...… same day are urgent, and for heart attacks and strokes. I asked her really? Are you really telling me that when people have a heart attack, they ring them for an appointment. Yes, they do. I asked, so you have appointments open today, the same day urgent ones, and you keep them because when someone has a heart attack, you book them in. With an appointment. The ire was lost. And the sense.

Previously, after numerous (ongoing problem) appointments and being told to book in for a blood test at each, even these appointments were like rocking horse poo. 2 and 3 week waits. What happened to a GP asking you to roll your sleeve up for a 60 second procedure? Each time I was told to avoid waiting, to go to a walk in, the doctor would print a sheet to take with me to marry up my test with me. I decided to wait for all but the last time, and so asked the receptionist for the sheet I had been told of, to get from her, 30 seconds earlier. What sheet? And where is this other NHS clinic please? What clinic?... no idea! Good job I'm internet savvy, and can drive. What if I was 70, and confused?

You can tell me IABU. But god that rant felt better! The evil very upset part of me wants to post them a link to this!

OP posts:

yolofish · 21/11/2018 18:40

Well, what you all need is a death and serious illness in the family!

DH diagnosed with cancer on Oct 7, DM died on Nov 1, and every time I phone and say who I am we get expressed through. EG, DD (at uni) has an ear infection, treated today at drop in centre but advised she needs longterm scrip for steroid drops for condition. Phoned this afternoon, explained that she will only be at home on Monday for DM's funeral on Tues, and whoopsidoo we have an appt at a time to suit.

I mean, I cant actually recommend the situation, but when they come through they come through good.

Sleephead1 · 21/11/2018 18:58

I'm being brave posting but I am a receptionist we are not medically trained apart from extremely briefly on signs of heart attack / stroke / sepsis ECT and these things need urgent medical attention at hospital Yes occasionally we do get people who walk in and are having a heart attack but it's ridiculous to say they save the appointments for that please complain. All calls are recorded so they will be listened to and this receptionist needs some serious training. It's very frustrating for us as we do not have enough appointments for everyone and sometimes they are all taken in 10 mins so we then have to spend the rest of the time explaining nothing left ECT. There is always a doctor on call who's job it is to deal with patients needing to be seen so these should be passed to the doctor for triage. Please don't accept being robbed off ask for call back from on call GP if they won't pass details on tell them you want practice manager. Mostly I work with people who go out of their way to help people and we all certainly never try to give medical advice or act like we know better but we are forced to ask what the problem is by the partners

Conseulabananahammock · 21/11/2018 19:02

I calles a few months ago when my son was 18 month old
"Can i have an emergency appointment please. Its for my son hes 18 months old,has severe asthma and im worried hes been having attacks. Hes been on 10 puffs 3 hourly and isnt improving "
"Yes but would you say he needs seeing today"
Erm yes love hes a baby with asthma and us struggling... use your brains.
Have been since informed i can go straight to a&e in future, as the gp missed it was attacks and he ended up in a&e anyway, and it childrens ward for 4 daysnon oxygen and nebs.
Drs surgery near me are atrocious . the receptionists are awful aswel.

BarbarianMum · 21/11/2018 19:03

My BiL's heart attack was first "diagnosed" by his GP via an emergency appointment (gp sent him straight to a&e). It was hard enough to get him to the gp - my lovely MiL had to beg him - stubborn bugger would never have gone straight to a&e.

larrygrylls · 21/11/2018 19:06

Is it only me that thinks in a first world country you should be able to see a doctor same day for anything other than a routine appointment?

People say the NHS is the envy of the world....seriously?

Private GP is the way to go for me every time but I appreciate it comes at a cost few are able/willing to pay.

A&E is desperately overstretched because we don’t have enough GPS and our answer is more nurses and a telephone (computer driven) triage system. We need more gps and, realistically, some payment per appointment for those who can afford it.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 21/11/2018 19:07

Ours are amazing. If it really is an emergency they will fit you in.

SnuggyBuggy · 21/11/2018 19:13

I'm not a GP receptionist but have dealt with appointment requests and the problem is you can get very seriously ill people who seem calm and even blasé and worried well people who have worked themselves up into a frenzy. It's really difficult to tell from a phone call who actually needs an appointment and there are never enough appointments anyway.

namechangedforanon · 21/11/2018 19:21

If you can get on GP at Hand - I get video appointments same day with ease , sometimes in less than 10 mins from looking for the appointment

BlueJava · 21/11/2018 19:22

I feel you pain OP! I phoned our surgery a few weeks ago for an appointment for my son, there was a three and a half week wait to get one. I said I'm sorry but I think he needs to see someone before then, to which the receptionist replied "In that case phone on a Friday at 9 in two week's time and we'll see if we have one available that day". I said I couldn't keep him at home all day and stay off work on the off chance of an appointment and she said that's all they could do. I thanked her politely after all it wasn't her fault.

I then paid for my son to see a private GP that same evening for a 30 minute appointment, he needed to see a consultant so he was referred, again privately and saw someone 3 days later. He then has his op and has recovered. All of that happened in less than the time I was given for an appointment!

We're lucky we can afford, but there is something drastically wrong when the difference is so stark.

hazeyjane · 21/11/2018 19:22

Ihave heard that Drs receptionists have a huge amount of training.
I think I must be very lucky as mine are great.

Ours are great too, but they definitely do not have a lot of training at our practice. They are great because they listen, taking relevant info to pass onto the triage nurse or Dr, and they are incredibly patient in the face of quite a lot of abuse.

They would never say same day appointments are only for strokes and heart attacks because that is insane.

gamerwidow · 21/11/2018 19:27

GP receptionists have a hard job and get a lot of grief and they normally have my sympathies. It’s clear in the OPs case the receptionist was talking absolute nonsense. No GP surgery has a policy of reserving emergency appointments for heart attacks and strokes they are what A&E are for. Having signs of an infection after surgery warrants a phone call from the GP at a minimum for triage.

Ohheyyy · 21/11/2018 19:28

Mine are amazing and really lovely. I've always been able to get an on the day appointment if really needed and my surgery classes that as being in pain, not necesserily deaths door.

coppercolouredtop · 21/11/2018 19:34

i used to be a gp receptionist but i was pretty pissed off with the one here recently.
packed waiting room and phones playing up so i went in to sort an appointment - not emergency but prebookable.
she asked me why.
i said i preferred not to say.
she again asked me why so i had to say in front of a packed surgery that since losing a baby at 14 weeks gestation my periods were full of clots and really heavy.
bitch.

user1471453601 · 21/11/2018 19:37

The answer phone message before you connect at my surgery tells you to hang up and phone 999 if you are experiencing chest pains. That followed by a doctor saying that you will be asked by the person who answers you to outline your issue. You then get through to a person. You outline your problems, they triage you(urgent appointment, face to face appointment, as and when appointment) and on you go. No problems. I recently had a reaction to one of my medicationd. I got an appointment the next day.

These days, some receptionist s are trained in how to triage . I expect they get it wrong sometimes, which means you have to be a bit forceful. If things are bad. But, as we all know, the NH S is at breaking point. What are the surgery supposed todo? Conjure Drs up?

Snowyleopard · 21/11/2018 19:47

My GPs has on the day appointments that can be booked by phone (good luck) but they open them online 10mins before phone is available. I can't remember not getting one in the 9yrs registered. Jealous ?

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 21/11/2018 19:52

I think I am blessed with a very good surgery . As yes whilst routines are the usual time when I had post operative issues and a kidney infection they let me in

OP it’s always worth sending a very polite and very gentle but firm email to practice manager
Lay it on with charm but ask for advice as this is NOT acceptable and means you will end up in accident and emergency

jxnx · 21/11/2018 19:56

I go for full graphic description usually works for an urgent appointment

anniehm · 21/11/2018 20:02

If I call up and ask to see a doctor at 8.30am they give you a same day, they don't ask why or if it's urgent. Book ahead appointments are for Monday 3rd today when dd rang

Snowyleopard · 21/11/2018 20:03

User do we have the same practice lol. Isn't all brill though my normal dr was off ill but they did get me seen. Saw very senior dr. I'm overweight and have arthritis and normal dr had been upping dosage of a medicine and this appointment was to increase dosage and prescribe the pills. He spent all the time making snide comments about my weight, that I should learn how to diet then all my problems would disappear. Would complain but me vs senior I'd be looking for a new practice

Troels · 21/11/2018 20:05

We've been very lucky with appointments at our surgery. You have to call very early but they get you in.
I also work (as a nurse) in a nursing home for Demetia patients. I call and talk to doctors receptionists a lot. Usually they get the doctor to call me back, occasionally they will ask if I want him to come out and visit and sometimes the receptionist calls back to say a prescription is waiting in the office for me. I've not really had any problems with any of them. I'm pleasant and so are they.

Chouetted · 21/11/2018 20:16

Mine are hopelessly poorly trained but lovely people.

"Oh we got rid of your prescription because you didn't collect it within 48 hours"

"You absolutely cannot collect your prescription before 48 hours have passed" (you can, you're just not supposed to - but they're almost always ready to collect by the afternoon of the second day )

"The system's changed" (it hadn't)

"Seeing the nurse instead of the doctor will be exactly the same" (it wasn't - it turned out that the doctor had written very little in my notes, and the nurse understandably had absolutely no idea what I was going on about. Most pointless follow-up appointment I have ever had)

"We can't issue you more than one repeat at a time" (yes she could, I'd already prearranged for it to happen. What she really meant is she couldn't be bothered to go and confirm permission to make the exception)

redsummershoes · 21/11/2018 21:10

yabu
and it's even worsein paediatric services.
to get a blood test for a child I have to call a certain number, which is manned one hour a week. the blood can only be taken during a one hour slot every other week.
pre op blood tests get interesting that way.

redsummershoes · 21/11/2018 21:20

argh
yanbu
(but I'm not talking about gp receptionists)

Doccc · 21/11/2018 21:35

It’s funny that people are complaiming about two different problems -

They can’t get an appointment for ages
When they try to get an appointment, the receptionist gives them the third degree - but this is an attempt to ration the appointments for those that need them! They can’t win

JuniLoolaPalooza · 21/11/2018 21:36

I was reminiscing with my mum the other day about the time I had mumps and the GP came out to see me in the evening...and it was totally normal! I also remember my great grandfather dying of cancer and his GP calling in every evening to check on him. THAT was a national health service. What we have now is a service on its very knees and practices scrabbling around doing the best they can with meagre resources. So sad.

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