"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

My GP surgery has been doing this for years. Once I said it was personal and I didn't want to discuss it, and the receptionist refused me a same day appointment unless I did. (It was after having DD and my stitches had come away before my episiotomy healed, which was not something I wanted to announce in front of the whole waiting room.) But last time I phoned for an appointment for DD, they did ask if I felt able to tell them what it was for, so slight improvement.

It's usual at my doctor's surgery (in NZ) and doesn't bother me.

I have occasionally been asked this. It's not so much the fact that it's a personal question that bothers me,it's the fact that it gives me the impression that a receptionist,who is not medically qualified,is deciding whether my problem is deserving enough to see the doctor!

It’s normal as it allows the receptionist to “triage” cases, but it’s very infuriating as sometimes a more urgent case that requires being seen that day, isn’t taken as such. The receptionists lack medical training that would allow them to understand what constitutes complicated medical urgencies. Drives me crazy. Especially if it’s urgent but very personal and you don’t want to announce to everyone what the issue is, so you request a “personal problem” which instantly gets it relegated to a “not important” appointment in their heads.
At our surgery the receptionists are not quiet and yell everything back to the patient so “I’m sorry, Mrs Brown did you wish to see Dr smith about your very painful piles” is clearly heard by everyone sat inside the surgery. I don’t have a common name and when I went to check in, their computer system was down so the receptionist just screamed “Mrs x here for her (horrible gynaecological issue) dr” in front of a whole bunch of school mums. I’ve never been so embarrassed.

It's normal

I have the flu Eg. DONT COME IN!!!

They always do it at our surgery or they might ask ‘is it something the nurse could see?’ If you say yrs to the nurse she will call the doctor in if she thinks you need to be seen by a medic.

I’ve had a couple of times when it’s really been something pretty private that needs the doctor and I just politely say, ‘I’m sorry, it’s quite private but I do need to see the doctor.’ They never get arsey and simply make the appointment. Politeness is the key! 😁

I have occasionally been asked this. It's not so much the fact that it's a personal question that bothers me,it's the fact that it gives me the impression that a receptionist,who is not medically qualified,is deciding whether my problem is deserving enough to see the doctor!

Agree - particularly when coupled with a sullen and disinterested phone manner

If retail assistants spoke to customers the way (some) GP receptionists speak with patients, they would be out of a job

Completely wrong to ask this. It doesn't sit well with me at all as it's an invasion of privacy. The details should only be discussed with a medical professional and never the receptionist.

The automated message before you get through to my GP actually tells you that the receptionist will ask what the appointment is for, so they can best route you to the correct person (I.e. Dr, nurse, pharmacist etc.)

I don't particularly like it, but I understand why they do it. My receptionists are great though - I like a lot of them.

It is not acceptable, you should have a right to talk in person to a GP should you want to.

It gives people with no medical training far too much power. If a GPS surgery wants to triage people away from a GP, they should at least use a nurse who both had mms the medical skills to triage and St one idea about patient confidentiality.

Both the medical skills to triage and an idea about patient confidentiality.

Spend more time than I'd like with medical stuff. This is normal. They need to put something on the screen that the doc can read in advance of seeing you. Or there might be somewhere they can direct you to that isn't the gp. Or you can say you'd rather not say.

It is common practise. At ours you can just say it's confidential if you don't want to tell them.

@MrsTT3017it is odd mind you i am in Scotland so our nhs is always slightly different.

I phoned for an appointment last week because I need a referral for a hospital procedure. When I explained the receptionist was able to check my notes, speak to the dr and poke the dr has now issued the referral form without me needing to use up an available appointment. Great service I thought.

in addition to everyone else, these days they need to direct suspected corona virus cases somewhere else.

It's common practice and I don't really like it because they are not drs, so they don't really have the knowledge to decide who you should see, but some things can be dealt with by a nurse which is why they ask. You don't HAVE to tell them though. If it's something sensitive, personal or you'd rather not disclose it to them, just say so and ask to see a Dr. I have said this before and they've been fine. I've also told them if I think it might help.

It is not acceptable, you should have a right to talk in person to a GP should you want to.
Why waste the doctors time if they are not the right person to see.
Don't you understand that doctors and surgeries are under so much pressure it makes sense to go to the appropriate person in the first place rather than have doctors appointment who will then may say ' ah, I see, you need to make an appointment with the receptionist to see...........(whoever)' Of course the doctor bay be the best person in a case and the receptionist will put you through.

To be honest I think it is wonderful and have had appointments within an hour or less of ringing up with a HCP who is not a GP

The receptionists at my practice aren't properly trained at all. Twice now they've sent me to see a nurse practitioner and she couldn't do anything. Then she had a go at me as I needed a GP then slagged off the receptionist. I put a complaint in as she eas so awful about it. Other family members have had the same.

I used to be a receptionist and we’d ask just in case they needed more urgent treatment than just a standard gp appointment.

Yep....intrusive and annoying.

I always say ‘It’s personal’ (whether or not it is) just to make a point. Never been questioned further.

Also like to answer ‘No, or I would have phoned an ambulance’ when asked if it’s an emergency.

I love to out-bitch a bitch

Really sad to see people gleefully posting about being rude to receptionists. She doesn’t ask if it’s an emergency because she’s “a bitch”, but because sometimes it is - sometimes people aren’t sure whether they should go to hospital or gp, sometimes people are new to the country and don’t know who to call, sometimes people get flustered in an emergency and do illogical things. Would it hurt you to just say “no”?

Also to the person who said why do they bother asking as the GP always asks again what you’re there for -1) sometimes people lie to the receptionist out of embarrassment or to get a more urgent appointment, or they are vague and/or confused on the phone 2) it’s very helpful for me to hear in your own words without my prompting, what you consider the main problem to be. “I had a bad asthma attack last night”, “I’m worried I’ve got lung cancer”, “I’ve got this cold that I just can’t shift”, “there’s this pain in my chest” could all be “trouble breathing” when the receptionist asked 3) the note on the appointment system is very brief and often vague - “lump” or “women’s problems” or “gynae issue” or “skin”

I know it's common practice, but I think it's bloody ridiculous to be asked for personal health information by someone who is NOT medically trained and so is NOT held accountable for any advice they give (e.g. advising you to see a pharmacy when you actually need blood tests) and neither are they at risk of being 'struck off' if they gossip about your health issues in Asda !

I always refuse point blank to tell any receptionist what my health issue is and I ask for an appointment for the Dr or nurse, depending on what I need. (cos I am NOT a child or an idiot, and can work out who I need to see without their 'help'.

I love to out-bitch a bitch
wink

Wow! So all the 'Be Kind' messages are lost on you then?
There's some right nasty people on this thread who clearly think they are so important!

@CaptainButtock I wouldn’t be proud of that, you just sound like a twat.

She’s not being a bitch, she’s doing her job. Emergency means different things in different healthcare settings.

And saying it’s personal is fine, it’s entirely your right to do so. But one day it might bite you on the bum and you end up seeing someone not best placed to deal with your problem just because of your misguided principle that you’re somehow being clever.