Doctors receptionist told me I was rude

[amatsip]

I had a 4 week wait for my appt today and had bloods took 4 weeks ago, 2 came back abnormal and the doctor asked me to repeat them and book to see her next week so she can do an action plan.

I went to reception and asked for an appt for next week, told none available, week after then, none available, receptionist said none for 4 weeks.

Okay can I have an appt for 4 weeks time I asked, I then got told that I can't book that far ahead.

I asked her what do I do? the doctor has requested a follow up and I can't book one?

I never raised my voice.

The receptionist said same day appts are emergencies so they are not available either.

I then said forget it and went to walk off and she shouted I was rude.

I burst into tears as I left as it had took so much courage to go the doctors as I found this really an embarrassing situation to discuss.

I understand the reception staff get abuse but I was not rude.

It was just me and 2 reception staff so now I am in tears thinking I will be struck off as the posters suggest for being rude.

It really will be her word against mine.

I have never felt so rough I really needed to get referred and now I can't even get an appt.

Any ideas, please be gentle I am feeling very upset.

Also ( if you have the energy) petition local MP

No. Don’t do that. Total over-reaction.

🙄

I find this completely bizarre. I have an ongoing illness and the doctor just says I want to see you in 2 weeks or I want bloods taken on xx date. I just go to reception and they book me in. No questions asked the doctor said. I'm in Scotland though, I don't know if that makes any difference

*soapona

Drs Receptionists are the pits. At my surgery A young man walked in and said " I think I'm having a heart attack". They said "There's a bus stop outside go to the hospital or if you're sure we can call an ambulance". He got the bus and was in surgery within the hour and the hospital staff were horrified.*

er..... so a guy having a heart attack who was so sick he needed surgery within the hour was advised to get to the hospital as an emergency, and offered an ambulance if too unwell to get there under his own steam .... sounds pretty reasonable to me! What was the GP going to do, open heart surgery in the waiting room? sometimes people do actually need to be in A&E, and horrible chest pain is DEFINITELY one of those times!.....

OP I had a similar situation to yours. In the end I changed surgeries and am now with a very sympathetic practice where they apologise if I can't get a non-urgent appointment within 48 hours.

I also get to see the same doctor each time.

Get a recommendation from someone you know.

It's shit OP and actually nothing to do with NHS cuts and everything to do with inefficient admin. Agree with others to contact the practice manager and ask for an appointment on the day you need.

This shouldn't be necessary though. It shouldn't be this hard to see a bloody doctor within a system that you pay for, just because someone with questionable admin skills has dictated it be this way.

Aethelfleda don't be ridiculous. They were blatantly fobbing him off. Jesus Christ if a stranger came up to me in the street and told me he thought he was having a heart attack I'd phone an ambulance. I certainly wouldn't direct him to a fucking bus stop, and I definitely wouldn't do so if I was in a building full of doctors that is only there to provide healthcare.

A letter to your practice manager will help. Also, ring back and request an appointment with the nurse if they have one to do bloods. When the blood tests come back, if abnormal, the Dr may well need to call you to go through them or you can request a telephone consultation. I'm sorry that you are so upset. I had a bad experience once with a member of staff at the drs and, as was feeling very vulnerable, found it upsetting! Just try not to dwell on it anymore, have a nice cup of TV, watch something nice on the TV, then gather yourself tomorrow and call back to see if you can get a nurses appointment.

*It's shit OP and actually nothing to do with NHS cuts and everything to do with inefficient admin. Agree with others to contact the practice manager and ask for an appointment on the day you need.

This shouldn't be necessary though. It shouldn't be this hard to see a bloody doctor within a system that you pay for, just because someone with questionable admin skills has dictated it be this way*

Newsflash: the GP’s dictate this, not someone on minimum wage.

Bold fail but whatever

I wasn’t there but in all my years in customer service I’ve never heard someone say “forget it” and walk off in a non rude way to be fair. “Never mind then” maybe. “Don’t worry about it I’ll sort something out” perhaps. “Forget it”...mmm. No. Almost always said pre-flounce.

Having said that with the levels of abuse these people receive on a daily basis I really doubt that’s enough to get you on a list.

vent that frustration at the Tories who are decimating the NHS.

Utter leftist nonsense - I've been told since I started voting in the 70s that the Tories will destroy the NHS but inevitably it is Labour who run us out of money or trap us in PFIs.

@mikia The way you described that was very unfair, that is not how it happened.

I would just phone up tomorrow and explain again what the dr has requested. It is for the receptionists and dr to sort out between them and get back to you.

When I was younger I would have not wanted to cause a fuss and just gone along with what I was told. Whereas now I would just reply with “well I don’t know what to do then because...”.

My dr told me last month that she needed to see me at a specific date within my cycle. I asked her what if I cannot get an appointment with her, then what? She said to emphasise that it is an emergency and that she has stressed that she must see me. It’s time sensitive but not an emergency.

It is not beyond the powers of the receptionist to liaise with the dr to sort something out for you.

My doctor can give me a form to take to the walk in centre if I need blood tests. I can then walk in to one of two in town to have it done same day. Do you have a walk in centre near you?

I’m a GP.
The bottom line is, there are too many patients, and not enough doctors. Simple maths. No one wants to be a GP any more because it’s just too hard, the hours are too long, and the government increase our workload constantly.
This problem won’t go away.
It’s not the fault of the receptionist.
We have had to change 5 hours of surgery time per week to care home visiting sessions, as there are so many care homes being built and filled.
We are taking more and more work away from hospitals, so that patients are discharged prematurely with letters asking the GP to arrange the outstanding tests and reviews. Hospital staff are overwhelmed too.
Like I say, it’s maths. Too many people entitled to NHS treatment. The NHS can’t meet the demand.

She sounded very obstructive. Normally, if the doctor requests a follow up, they try to squeeze you in sooner .

If not, she should have suggested where you could have gone instead - our local hospital does sit and wait blood tests if you have a form. They also do evening gp appointments.

She could have been far more helpful so I am not surprised you got upset

I do see that mintychoc1 but my experience of our practice, is that the system used to be as OP describes, but that with (as far as I can see) the same number of staff, we now have a system where you can have a telephone appointment with a doctor within an hour or so of ringing, and if you then need to be seen, it will usually be the same day. I don't know what they changed, or whether they got some extra funding to put the new system in place, but it is excellent.

bath when did your new system start ? I’ve been a GP for over 20 years, and we’ve gone through every possible system. They each work brilliantly for a few months and then it falls apart again. The numbers don’t add up. So nothing will work long term until there are fewer patients or more doctors.

Next time, ask the Doctor to book that appointment. Say 'reception won't be able to arrange that, could you book me in for when you want to see me, please.'

Even if the receptionist couldn't do anything for you at the time they could have taken your details and offered to contact you once they had spoken to the doctor and their boss about how best to arrange said appointment.

Rude is 'OK, fuck off then you shit-eating harridan'.
I know this is serious but that made me laugh.

She was rude to shout after you imo.

How come you waited 4wks for an appointment (if you can't book that far in advance?)

Never met a Dr's receptionist yet who wasn't rude or had their head shoved up their own arse, or both, I doubt you are the unreasonable one.

I had initial bloods done after a call from the doctors regarding previous results being borderline then these came back abnormal and this was the date they gave me @diddl, they booked this appt not myself.