"Can I ask what it's for?"

[Syrinx89]

Is it normal for the receptionist to ask this question when booking a GP appointment over the phone? This happened to me for the first time on Monday when calling my local surgery for an appointment and I wondered what I would have said if it was something I wanted to keep confidential (thankfully, it wasn't!). Has anyone else had any experience with this? Is it allowed/the norm?

YABU - YES it is common practice
YANBU - No, this doesn't sit well

Where is that @Rain1 if you don’t mind saying?

They don't do it at my GP but we are fairly well service where we are. I think it's common practice in more stretched practices. I can understand it but I don't like it. I don't want to discuss my personal medical details with a receptionist. And it must make it very difficult for people with mental health issues and more "embarrassing" ailments to feel able to contact their doctor. Could put people off accessing treatment.

It's worse when it's in the waiting room in front of a load of patients she completely unacceptable in my view then.

it's common practice and it doesn't sit well

It is helpful, for the HCP, to have on your booking notes why you are attending, it can save valuable time BUT you are perfectly within your rights to tell the receptionist that you would rather not say.

GPs at our surgery have different interests, so back problems can be directed to one doctor, asthma to another. Also they can direct you towards other more appropriate HCPs like the nurse, health visitor, school nurse, pharmacist.

Thanks peeps. All fine, not phased by it at all, just glad I now know it's a thing here in the UK, so that I know what to say next time! A part of me is now burning to describe a mysterious fungal infection to them in great detail... But that would be jerky and would hold the queue up

Our surgery has a message from the lead GP saying the receptionist will ask for more details before you get put through on the phone. It doesn't bother me but I guess some people it does.

I always say I’d prefer to discuss that with the dr. Sometimes they will put you through to the nurse if she there otherwise they just book an appointment. Don’t want to piss them off too much or I’ll never get an appointment.

Knowing roughly what the issue is means you can

a) direct it to the most appropriate person - such as the most sympathetic/non scary/female/male/special interest doctor

b) have a good reason to say to x doctor 'yes, I know we're overbooked, but - ' and get potentially urgent things assessed more quickly

The second has worked for me very recently. No appointments at all, all the emergency ones were taken, I couldn't spare 4 hours off work to sit and wait at the 'walk in' when I wasn't actually ill yet when all the prebooked appointments were taken for the next week, but I'm on biologics and had come into contact with shingles. I got a phone call back from a GP within 20 minutes, she listened to what I said, agreed with me that NHS advice is to get antivirals immediately, did the prescription there and then, sent it to the nearest chemist and I could pick them up on the way home that evening.

I'd probably still be waiting for an appointment or have been seriously ill had I refused to tell the receptionist why I had called.

Australia. If GPs have particular interests then this information can be provided on the website and patients can choose which GP to book in with. Also there could be a list of common issues that can be dealt with by the nurse and the patient could request to see her as appropriate. No need to involve the receptionist! However, over here you always see the doctor first anyway.

They do it at my surgery but I would just tell them I'm not prepared to discuss except with the GP. (Particularly as I have a former colleague who now works there and is the curious type). Thankfully I hardly ever go but I don't see why I should disclose personal information to admin staff.

Receptionists are not medically trained and aren't qualified to make judgements about what is urgent and what is not.

It's not about them deciding whether its urgent or not in my surgery. If I ask for a same day appointment I give details and then the duty doctor rings back to let me know whether to go in. If it's an appointment to discuss contraception for example then I now know that actually the first port of call for this is the practice nurse. It just helps the surgery, which is a very busy one, run more smoothly.

Mine ask but I don't tell.

Not because I'm being awkward but because I'm a private person and uncomfortable discussing personal stuff.

The norm in our practice - as mentioned upthread it's so calls can be directed to the right person/service within the surgery. It's always worked really well for us. Usually the outcome is a triage call with someone clinical, which will then get you an appointment at the priority level you need. My DD2 ended up getting a physio referral without being seen (was under 18 so couldn't self refer) via triage call because she was on the record as potentially needing physio for a long term condition. That saved the surgery an appointment and got DD where she needed to be - result.

It’s not necessarily about urgency - it can be about appropriateness.

It may be that someone has called to make a GP appointment when they need a smear - they are done by the practice nurse. It may be that they need a sick note, or a repeat prescription, or actually have a dental problem and need directing to a dentist.

We do have people phoning with crushing chest pain - they need 999 not a GP appointment. We also have a physio in our practice one day a week so the receptionist can book someone calling about their shoulder pain or back ache straight in with her and not the GP.

You never HAVE to say what the problem is, and certainly not in detail. But if you can it may be to your benefit.

It's fine imo. You don't have to go into chapter and verse but they are just prioritising you. They just want to know if it's urgent or you have a splinter in your finger.

They do at mine.
I don't like it, I don't like that a medically untrained person decides whether I see the doctor or not. It's a 2/3 wait to see one anyone, I don't want them throwing an extra week in there while I faff about seeing the nurse so they can tell me to see the doctor.

My GP you can just say I'd rather not say or it's very personal and they then ask if you have seen the nurse practitioner before about the same issue and whether you think you need a nurse or a doctor. If it is something routine I am happy answer.

I have no problem telling the receptionists what it’s for. They aren’t asking to be nosey, but to attempt to manage the huge volume of appointments.

Doctors receptionists get a bad rep, but the ladies in my doctors are compassionate, efficient and pleasant. I think they do an excellent job under very difficult circumstances.

Mine do & it makes sense to me. We will all get a better service if we use it wisely. I called last week with an ear issue and told that I would 1st see the nurse which is fine. There is always a Dr on hand the nurse can call in if needed.

I don't like it, I don't like that a medically untrained person decides whether I see the doctor or not. It's a 2/3 wait to see one anyone, I don't want them throwing an extra week in there while I faff about seeing the nurse so they can tell me to see the doctor.

Seeing the nurse might not be a faff though. You might see the nurse faster and get the problem resolved. True you might be better seeing a doctor but at my surgery at least you can decline a nurses appointment and just say your rather see a doctor.
And yes they arent medically trained, but neither are most of the patients. At least receptionists will see common things pop up at lot so they know that dr Smith usually deals with back issues or nurse jones is the best to go to for wounds.

They need to know. For example if you were booking a smear test they'd book with a female nurse, or if you thought you had coronavirus they would refer you correctly. They can't do their job properly if they don't know.

It used to annoy me but now I understand that it's so they know who.to triage you to then I don't mind. Our nurse prescriber can obviously prescribe and make referrals. If it frees the doctor up to deal with the more important cases then I'm happy with that.

Normal at my place.

I’ve had this once to 111 not gp to get an appointment with ooh surgery as an urgent situation. I totally told a lie to dr who called back that was severe enough to get seen ASAP but said I had to be seen by female dr if one available. Not ashamed of it either. I got there and immediately apologised to dr for lie and explained why and what the issue was. She, bless her heart, realised how severe my issue was (and is, ongoing severe embarrassing issue) and told me that I’m future that is an acceptable thing to do for said issue.

I hated lying. But I knew my issue, knew I needed an urgent prescription and knew without it I’d be hospitalised pdq. And no way was I telling a male (both 111 handler and dr who called back were male) my medical complaint as it was so sensitive. I’ve had the same with gp receptionist and I’ve said no, it’s private, I’m happy to speak to a dr about it but will not be discussing unless it’s with a medical professional. In fairness, a nurse rang me back, I explained the issue, she put me next in line for dr to call and it’s sorted. Gp has clearly told me that if it’s personal I don’t have to discuss with receptionist, say it’s sensitive and private and will only speak with dr and that will be enough. Always has been too.

I've a friend who's a GP receptionist, and they are trained that if there's any doubt, refer the patient to the GP. So someone who says they're phoning with a headache, for example, that could potentially be a symptom of something more serious, so they'd give them a GP appointment even though it doesn't sound serious.

But if someone phones and says they want an appointment for a smear test, she'll suggest that they see the nurse instead - they may still insist on seeing the GP, in which case they can. But she suggests the nurse in case they didn't know that the nurse can do it.