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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be sorry for this man

53 replies

Clappingforjoy · 24/09/2020 14:11

Asian man at doctors today and the reason I mention that he is Asian is because there was also a bit of a language barrier.
He was trying to tell the receptionist that he had had a accident at work and had badly hurt his back.
Receptionist was very off with him telling him he shouldn't have just walked in without an appointment and to go home and call them he was then trying to explain that he had tried to call and they wasnt answering the phone but the receptionist was clearly not interested and then handed him their number and sent him away despite him pleading for help.
Am I right in thinking this is a bad way to treat somebody.

OP posts:
BlueJava · 24/09/2020 14:14

Yes, I think it's shocking. He may have turned up as last resort so to turn him away is awful. I really feel that Covid-19, whilst meaning we have to be careful, if turning many services into a complete farce. It seems that there are a lot of people out there that love the whole "You can't because of Covid" line.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 24/09/2020 14:15

Can understand the viewpoint of the receptionist if its not a walk in clinic.

She should probably have sent him to A znd E if it was that bad.

I wouldn't go to my doctors for a back injury caused by a fall.

Doesn't really matter what colour he is. You could obviously understand him, so chances are the receptionist knew what he was saying.

Unfortunately rules are rules at this time and you can't just turn up at the surgery.

DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult · 24/09/2020 14:17

He should have went to the hospital.

Not many doctors have a walk in availability, moreso at the moment.

I would feel sorry for him too, but he did go to the wrong place.

emilyfrost · 24/09/2020 14:18

YABU. You can’t just turn up right at the GP right now; they’re not taking walk ins or making appointments in person, no exceptions.

She had no choice but to send him away with the correct procedure of what he needed to do.

AllsortsofAwkward · 24/09/2020 14:20

Restrictions are in place for a reason, you can't enter the doctors without an appointment to limit number of people in the building.

Frownette · 24/09/2020 14:22

He might not have known correct procedure, when I worked abroad you had to go to hospital with your health card for something fairly minor.

Is there a hospital nearby? If so, receptionist should have told him to go there.

SnuggyBuggy · 24/09/2020 14:22

The receptionist isn't going to have much say in the policies of the surgery to be fair. I don't see the relevance of the man's ethnicity in this case either.

iklboo · 24/09/2020 14:24

It's a shame but I've never had a doctor where you can just walk in to be seen. She could at least have had a look to see when an appointment was available though or advised him to go to the hospital / walk in centre.

Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 24/09/2020 14:26

I agree that covid is causing poor service and care

OP posts:
Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 24/09/2020 14:27

Somebody in the waiting room said he could be new to the country and not yet grasped how things work.

OP posts:
Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 24/09/2020 14:28

To be fair to the doctors they had hot signs up saying dint enter this building unless you have an appointment.

OP posts:
Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 24/09/2020 14:29

got not hot

OP posts:
sqirrelfriends · 24/09/2020 14:31

COVID may be causing poor service but she could have referred him to A&E or to the walk in service, not just sent him away with no extra info.

I'm lucky that my GP's receptionists are lovely but the lady who works at the walk in centre is really something, practically barks at you "why you're not at GP or A&E" even though I had already explained that it was the GP who had sent me there.

Original poster
Clappingforjoy · 24/09/2020 14:33

If I hadnt of been busy I would have took him to hospital myself poor man

OP posts:
krustykittens · 24/09/2020 14:34

Agreed, she should have sent him onto A&E not just dismissed him out of hand. He was in pain and needed help, he went to a doctor, not an unreasonable thing to do. If his English was poor he may not understand how things are run here.

heymacaroner · 24/09/2020 14:34

Yeah that's tough. At my GP you're not allowed to walk in and make an appointment at all, regardless of covid. They say it's fairer if all appointments are made over the phone because then everyone is on a level playing field in obtaining appointments, e.g. if your illness or your general health means going to the surgery to make the appointment is not possible/really difficult. So could be that this is always the policy and the receptionist has to give this message several times of day and is just a bit tired of it? No excuse to be rude to someone who's having trouble understanding though.

SlopesOff · 24/09/2020 14:43

@SnuggyBuggy

The receptionist isn't going to have much say in the policies of the surgery to be fair. I don't see the relevance of the man's ethnicity in this case either.
@SnuggyBuggy - I don't see the relevance of the man's ethnicity in this case either.

First line of the OP explains this, perhaps read it before you jump on the poster.

Asian man at doctors today and the reason I mention that he is Asian is because there was also a bit of a language barrier.

SnuggyBuggy · 24/09/2020 14:45

It sounds like the receptionist understood him but he wasn't happy with what he was being told.

TableFlowerss · 24/09/2020 14:47

@SissySpacekAteMyHamster

Can understand the viewpoint of the receptionist if its not a walk in clinic.

She should probably have sent him to A znd E if it was that bad.

I wouldn't go to my doctors for a back injury caused by a fall.

Doesn't really matter what colour he is. You could obviously understand him, so chances are the receptionist knew what he was saying.

Unfortunately rules are rules at this time and you can't just turn up at the surgery.

This. No idea what his ethnicity has to do with anything. It’s not A&E and he wasn’t dying.

Also with the risk of corona at the moment, no one is allowed to go to see GP unless they’ve been invited!!

TableFlowerss · 24/09/2020 14:51

To add-it is Ashly situation so I feel sorry for him being in pain but sadly hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country are in the sane boat.

TableFlowerss · 24/09/2020 14:51

shitty

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey · 24/09/2020 14:52

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Sally2791 · 24/09/2020 14:54

Complete lack of empathy from receptionist. Regardless of rules they should be kind.

smalalalalalala · 24/09/2020 16:23

I'm foreign and the worse treatments I received is are GP's.

When I tried to register for the first time, the receptionist accused me of coming illegally (I'm EU, pre-Brexit as if that could change anything, and literally just coming back from holiday back at my parents'). She said she was an ex-military nurse and she knew the law.
The document she asked was abolished 10 years prior this event and I already had an NHS number.

The other one is very recently, different practice. I needed to have a document signed off by a GP stating that I'm fit to run a marathon (requested by law for Paris Marathon). Receptionist was horrible, even if my partner was also there and explained to her in plain, proper English, it was like she wanted not to do it. The GP refused to sign it because it was not her regular practice Hmm

iklboo · 24/09/2020 16:36

@smalalalalalala - that's bloody appalling of the receptionist. Did you make a complaint? Just awful behaviour.

I can kind of understand a locum doctor being reluctant to sign a fitness form though. She wouldn't know you well enough or have time to read all your medical notes. If anything happened (gods forbid) it could come back on her.