To let you know that you're not doing yourself any favours by refusing to tell the GP receptionist your symptoms?

[privateeyefan]

I'm a GP. My surgery operate a triage system - if you ring up or walk in asking for an appointment, then you get put on the triage list, and get a phone call from the doctor that same day, who can then make an appointment for you if you need one.

When patients ring up or walk in, the receptionists who speak to them will ask for a brief outline of the problem. This means that, as we usually have at least 3 doctors doing triage at any one time, we can prioritise the calls - if if see things that I know will need an appointment, then I will call those patients first so that I can get them into the surgery on the same day, often within the hour.

If you refuse to tell the receptionist what the problem is, and there is therefore nothing next to your name on the triage list, then I leave you until last. I'm not going to prioritise you over people I know will have to be seen, when I have no idea whether or not you will need an appointment. Therefore, if you don't tell the receptionist, your chances of a same-day appointment decrease substantially, and you will also have last choice of appointments over the next few days - the most convenient times after working hours will be long gone.

In addition, I, like most of my colleagues, have a special interest in a certain field. As I glance through the triage list, I generally pick out patients whose problem relates to my particular field of expertise, as do my colleagues. By refusing to give even the briefest of outlines, you rule out the chance that the GP with the most relevant experience will contact you directly.

Receptionists don't have medical training. Of course not. But that doesn't make them incapable of typing a one line summary of your problem dictated by you, in order to help the doctors do their job.

And please also remember - they speak to hundreds of patients daily. Your problem will occupy their mind for a few seconds, and then they will move on to the next patient and you will be swiftly forgotten.

Well said. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to explain this to my mother.

Former GP receptionist here and I agree! I didn't remember or judge one person for whatever they said - it was only because I was told to ask that I did!

The amount of abuse I got day to day made it completely miserable.

I hear you, im not a receptionist, but I cant understand when people dont want to tell you why they need to see the doctor. You're a health professional and unless I know you personally I'll tell you my life story if you need it

So much this.

As a GP receptionist, and a pretty damn good one - thank you @privateeyefan!

So you walk in and have to discuss your problem in front of other patients?

Perhaps if the receptionists at my GPs didn't treat me like an inconvenience or belittle the reason when I am requesting apps I might be more inclined to talk to them.
That last time she told me that I point blank didn't need to see a GP when I tried to book.

Our receptionist refused to give appointments for my 4 year old daughter for almost 3 months. She tried to diagnose her over the phone and in person. She would not allow a GP appointment nor would she allow her to see the nurse. My Daughter eventually collapsed and was taken to hospital where it was quickly discovered she had ecoli. The receptionist knowing the symptoms my Daughter was experiencing didn't help and I think it's dangerous to allow someone with no medical training whatsoever to be part of the decision making process when dealing with medical issues.

Our surgery now has a recorded message from one of the doctors (before you get to speak to someone about an appointment) stating that the receptionists will ask you about your reasons for an appointment, that they have been asked by the doctors to do this, and not cooperating means you may not get an appointment...!

My mother’s issue was more having to talk about symptoms in person in front of other patients and we did have a pretty horrible woman who was the receptionist at her GP’s for a few years who made you feel very uncomfortable and like you were an inconvenience.

Perhaps consider whether your patients know that this is how your system works? Are your patients aware of your triage procedure? Have you informed them? Do your receptionists explain the reasons behind their information requests when they speak to patients?

In addition, and this particularly applies to walk-in appointments - not everyone is comfortable discussing their genital warts or other potentially rather intimate problems in a public space where they can be easily overheard. It's a no-brainer.

Yep. Ex practice manager here. People asking for gp appointments when they actually need a nurse etc. No receptionists are not medically trained but have been taught their job. So holiday vaccinations need a nurse not to waste gp appointment, heart attack symptoms need an ambulance not a gp appointment tomorrow and my personal favourite, a child drinking a full bottle of calpol needs ambulance / a and e urgently, not a call back for advice when the gp finishes surgery!

So you walk in and have to discuss your problem in front of other patients?

Yes this is my annoyance with this system. The reception area in my surgery is in an open plan waiting area, you can hear everything. O think surgeries need to respect people's privacy a bit and not assume everyone is being purposely awkward or difficult.

I don't think I've seen a doctor's reception that didn't have a private area if one was required, but if yours doesn't, I'm sure you can ask if there's somewhere private you can go, or even pass a note across to ensure you are getting the best treatment.

Perhaps consider whether your patients know that this is how your system works? Are your patients aware of your triage procedure? Have you informed them?

We’ve had this system for over a decade, and it is explained clearly to every new person who registers.

What about confidentiality? I get that you’re all under pressure, but don’t we all have a right not to discuss our medical concerns with anybody other than a qualified professional?

My GP surgery doesn't operate this triage system though. You phone for a same day appointment and the receptionist gives you one if they have one, after asking what the problem is, or says that they don't have any appointments. We aren't phoned back by a Dr, it is the receptionist dealing with it.

What is the benefit of me discussing my illness with the receptionist? On one occasion she gave me the benefit of her medical treatment by advising me what to do and on another occasion I phoned for blood test results and she confidently told me they were normal. I have had macrocytic anaemia for years, they are never normal. I said this and she repeated they were normal so I asked her to read out the values - of course they weren't normal.

I just can't really see why we need to tell the receptionist unless they pass those details on for drs to make the clinical decision.

I don't think people don't want to say what the problem is, the just don't want to say it in a public area with random strangers around.

When I was younger I used to get annoyed by this, thinking the receptionist was a nosey bitch.

These days i realise this is daft. The receptionist doesn’t give a Shiny shite why I’m in there. She couldn’t tel anyone else anyway without risking her own job.

I really feel it for the poor receptionist:
It looks like such a busy job and you get treated poorly by patients (without the pay and status of a GP)

I think the trouble is at our surgery there were only two times a day you could call and get an appointment - between 8am and 8.01am and between 2pm and 2.01pm. At 8am my kids would overhear the conversation, at 2pm my work colleagues and I have to be at a desk in an open plan office at that time. Generally I do say but there are times when you don't want the entire office knowing you have a uti or more embarrassing etc or your kids knowing various things. At my old GPs I always got allocated the same doctor anyway.

What about confidentiality? I get that you’re all under pressure, but don’t we all have a right not to discuss our medical concerns with anybody other than a qualified professional?

Of course you have the ‘right’. My point is simply that it decreases your chance of a same day or convenient appointment.

I could not agree more. I have no problem outlining my problem and any factors that affect it.

More often than not, when I want an emergency appointment, it's because I have a chest infection. I also tell the receptionist that a also have asthma and have had part of one lung removed, so already have compromised breathing.

I have never, ever had a problem. I get triaged quickly ( usually within the hour) and have always had a same day appointment.

I've never really understood people's reluctance to tell the receptionist what their issue is.

Never understood why people don’t want to tell the receptionist? Regardless of the above, the receptionist has access to everyone’s records (not saying they read them but they could if they wanted to) so they can just find out either way

No criticism for you prioritising clinically according to your list but my GP surgery you have to call at 8:30, and are often kept waiting for ages (last week it was 25 minutes) so I can’t just disappear from work to make the phone call. I have to work from my desk while on hold, so depending on what the problem is I don’t necessarily want to say where colleagues can hear. I work in a big office so even if I get up to walk away from my desk when I get through (which I do) I’m still within earshot of colleagues. I don’t want to discuss ongoing complications from giving birth unless in privacy.

Also when I went with an eating disorder it took months to pluck up the courage to make the appointment, and I had literally never told anyone. To expect me to say it for the first time at my desk to a receptionist I don’t think is fair. I totally broke down when I said it to the doctor.

I’m just saying that behind the refusal are people who may have very legitimate reasons for not wanting to say. I know the receptionist couldn’t care less but it’s not always that straightforward for the patient.

Thank you for the job you do though, I know how GPs get treated and I’m very grateful there are still people like you willing to put up with it.

I completely agree. And if you are there in person and don't wish to say things out loud, then write it down and hand it to the receptionist with a note asking them to be discreet.

If a receptionist is over-stepping, then that is something to take up with the practice manager or GP, but I think that's pretty rare. I think there are more patients abusing the system e.g. by demanding emergency appointments when they don't need them than receptionists not doing their job.