"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

It's common practice and I really don't like it

Yes they do this at mine but it's not very good. I'm one of the sensible folk and I only call up when I'm properly poorly. Called up once with tonsillitis (get it a lot and always need antibiotics) and receptionist said your can only see a doc with that if you've had it for 3 weeks' how ridiculous!! I get it a lot and I know by day 3 I am so so poorly and can't even move off the couch. It depends what type you have. Also get many water infections and they started to offer phone appointments. I was already quite poorly once and called up and they would only offer a phone appointment towards the end of the day. An hour later I had to call back as I was struggling to walk and breathe. I felt so poorly. Hospitalised with a kidney infection: the appointment system is a joke now

Sometimes they ask sometimes they don't but asking is becoming more common. It is a bit intrusive and you may not want to say particularly if you can be overheard. But IME they can be really helpful if it's urgent in trying to get you an appointment.

At ours they call them Care Navigators
They've got a voice message before you get through from one of the doctors saying "please give our trained care navigators a brief description of the reason for your call so they can allocate you to the right doctor and give your call the right priority".

Yes, this is always asked at my GP so they know whether you need the doctor or one of the 'practitioners' and how urgent it is.

Yes they ask this at my surgery too. Common practice. Don't really see the issue tbh.

Yes they do this at mine but it's not very good. I'm one of the sensible folk and I only call up when I'm properly poorly. Called up once with tonsillitis (get it a lot and always need antibiotics) and receptionist said your can only see a doc with that if you've had it for 3 weeks' how ridiculous!! I get it a lot and I know by day 3 I am so so poorly and can't even move off the couch. It depends what type you have. Also get many water infections and they started to offer phone appointments. I was already quite poorly once and called up and they would only offer a phone appointment towards the end of the day. An hour later I had to call back as I was struggling to walk and breathe. I felt so poorly. Hospitalised with a kidney infection: the appointment system is a joke now

You may feel you're "sensible" but lots of people arent. The vast majority of people with tonsillitis will recoverneith no nintervention so it's not outside of the realms of possibilities that your GP doesn't want to use up appointments on people who are likely to get better alone.

As for your second example, sounds like you would have ended up in hosptial anyway... you were offered a phone appointment at the end of the day and an hour later you felt you needed further attention, I struggle how this is related to receptionists asking what the problem is.

I love the claims that medical admin staff who have been trained to signpost to the correct HCP shouldn't be told anything because who are they to gatekeeper/they aren't a qualified HCP, whilst Jo/Joanne Blogs insists they must have an appointment with a doctor on no training.

A brief "ongoing earache / women's issues / sprained ankle/blood test" suffices and if it's too personal then say it's something you'd like to keep private. Either way you get an appointment.

You dont have to say what the problem is. You are allowed to say you would rather keep it confidential, but then you may not get an appointment as fast. So sometimes it's in your best interests to just say.

The recorded message at my surgery says you will be asked but it is ok to not divulge it. To be fair the receptionist books on hundreds of people a day and doesn’t remember what everyone calked in with. A surgery nearby has two doctors who refuse to provide birth control due to their religious beliefs. There is a poster up in the surgery (although I think as a doctor you should be willing to do all parts on your job 🤷🏻‍♀️) so if someone wanted an appointment re any kind of birth control they may get re-directed to the nurse or a gp who actually does provide it.

You don't have to say but some doctors have specialisms. I have serious kidney issues and one of the GP's has additional training in kidney problems, not to level of the hospital team but more so than the general GP. I have on occasion seen different doctors and asked if what I was seeing them about was related to my condition their stock answer was couldn't say its not an area they new a lot about. So if the reception staff ask what its about they don't want your medical history but maybe enough to direct you to a doctor who has experience relevant to you.

I understand the need for it. But my surgery aren't very discreet about it. Once I went in to collect a prescription and I asked to book an appt whilst I was there.

What's it for?
I'm having issues with my coil.
What kind of issues.
Umm it hurts. Bleeding.
How often are you bleeding? Does it hurt during sex or all the time? Etc etc.
In a room full of people in the waiting area.

Literally, I said coil problems, just book me in with the next available gynae doc please. Fred who's here to get his toenails clipped does not need to hear about this.

I only have issue when in a large open plan office trying to make an appointment and it's for something I'd rather not discuss in front of all my colleagues. In those circumstances, I simply say "I'd rather not say" and they're always OK with that.

It’s always been like that here, partly because some gp’s specialise in certain things or some don’t deal with others (larc is only done by one) you don’t have to be super clear with your description. Gynae issues, intimate lump etc would cover stuff fine and still send you on the right path.

Urine infections another one, receptionist will hand you a sample bottle as you check in which saves time from the gp sending you away to wee in a pot for them. And the same goes for things a nurse can deal with or can be done over the phone instead so freeing up slots for those who actually need a doctor in person.

Triage is done by a nurse here for urgent appointments so you’re not telling the receptionist anything more than nah it can’t wait or yes it can (eg I want my coil in/out)

If it's something I want to keep to myself I say it's personal , if it's for the kids I give them a rundown of symptoms , they don't usually ask but if they have an idea of what's wrong they can give you an appointment quicker than if they have no idea of what's wrong .

It's normal, but I always say "I would rather not say, it's something I'd prefer to only discuss with the doctor".

Yes it's all to do with sign posting.
You don't have to tell the receptionist though

Most practices have a range of GPS who deal with different things and this way they can direct you to the best person. Also some places have a paramedic and booking with them can free up an appointment for a GP
In doing this it can mean when you need to see a gp there's an appointment available

Sometimes people book In with a Gp when they could see a nurse making waiting times longer so all of it is an attempt to reduce demand on the gp and bring down waiting times

On my GP's website it explains this. First it says that if you prefer not to say, it's OK. It then goes on to explain that some things are best dealt with by Nurse Practitioners, who can get a doctor to see you if they feel it's necessary. I notice also that in the potted biographies they give of the GPs, it will say things like "Lectures in the causes and progression of dementia" or "Specialist in diabetes", so a receptionist would then be able to direct you to the best person for your problem.

IMO receptionists should never ask in a public waiting room, if at all. They are not medically trained.
Who on earth wants to say it’s about my piles??

My very private mother was once acutely embarrassed when some wretched receptionist called loudly across the waiting room, ‘Is it about your waterworks, dear?’

I was once asked ‘What’s it about?’ - I knew the receptionist to some extent, she was a very bossy, nosy type. I just said, ‘I’ll discuss it with the doctor, thank you.’

I suspect that it may sometimes come down to officious nosiness.

*You may feel you're "sensible" but lots of people arent. The vast majority of people with tonsillitis will recoverneith no nintervention so it's not outside of the realms of possibilities that your GP doesn't want to use up appointments on people who are likely to get better alone.

As for your second example, sounds like you would have ended up in hosptial anyway... you were offered a phone appointment at the end of the day and an hour later you felt you needed further attention, I struggle how this is related to receptionists asking what the problem is.*

My point being, I know I'm super poorly with the tonsillitis but they won't budge (.even tho they're not medical professionals) so then I have to sit in a walk in centre for hours to get antibiotics that I should have been able to get via my gp easily.

The second one I don't think a phone appointment is appropriate for a water infection as you really do need to be seen to (hell, they gave a phone appointment to me for my dds knee injury, that's ridiculous). But yes I would have still ended up in hosp anyway but the point being I knew I was very poorly and I needed to be seen to and they were making me wait. That's the point. It's not a great system.

Our practice actually now has a pre recorded message when you ring before you select your option from the 'name over the door' Doctor where he explains that the receptionist will ask this, and that though they aren't medically trained they are acting on his instruction and that information given is treated with the strictest confidence. He then goes on to explain that they ask this to best direct you to the most appropriate resource at the surgery.

You don't tell the receptionist why you need an appointment then you don't get one.

Makes perfect sense to me. No point in seeing a GP if you need your blood taking or a dip test on your urine is there? You need the nurse for that. But you might not know that, and the receptionist will!

Common practice but I dislike it and usually will say ‘it’s private’.

Yes they do that at my GP surgery. It’s just so that the doctor knows what they are dealing with and can look briefly at your medical records to save time. You’re not obliged to say anything if you don’t want to.

The receptionists at our surgery always asks whenever we book appointments. We obviously tell them even if it's of a personal nature. But low and behold if when you are in with the doctor do they ask 'why are you here today or what seems to be the problem'??
I have been quite flippant in the past and said 'the receptionist asked why I wanted the appointment when I booked it, therefore you should already have read that on your screen.!! Rude I know but why ask in the first place if the information isn't passed on!!

They do it to triage you to the correct person. Most surgeries now have nurses, advanced nurse practitioners ( who can diagnose and prescribe for everyday complaints) , gps , pharmacists, and mental health workers. It’s only so they don’t book up gps with more routine apt’s and it then leaves them free to deal with more serious issues.