Why are GP receptionists so rude?

[cosmikdebris]

Every single one I've experienced,especially now I'm a mum, seem to act like guardians of the nhs. I've been trying to sign up to my local GP since JUNE LAST YEAR! They've lost my sign up forms 3 times, told me my information is wrong twice and straight up told me to 'sign up else where if i don't like how they practice' and have also told me I'm an irresponsible parent for missing my daughters first jab date (I missed it because they lost mine and her sign up forms may I add).

I tried another go slightly further away yesterday, only to be treated with more attitude and rudeness. I'm so desperate for some help with my mental health, and I've got a backlog of different physical things I need checked, I don't understand why they're all so eager to work against you! Surely they should be required to be calm and compassionate towards people, considering doctor's surgeries are generally full of unwell people.

I just don't understand it. Maybe it's more stressful than I think it is? Maybe I'm just unlucky! Or maybe they're required to put up a front so people don't waste the time of doctors? It's not difficult to just be nice to people though...is it?

I’m a GP receptionist and @Livebythecoast has summed it up really well for me. I do all I can to help people but, as with any job working with the general public, I am unable to change policy as and when it suits patients. I am calm, professional and as kind as I can be to patients and I still get shouted at regularly, especially at the moment.
By the way... There’s a lot more to our jobs than ‘just’ answering the phones and manning the front desk, there’s a lot behind the scenes, just as an aside.
Thread highlight for me; ‘They think they’re so bloody important.’ Lovely.

@Livebythecoast you sound lovely and tbf the appointment people at my surgery are fine, its the receptionists themselves who are awful. I have some pro tips to avoid them.

'Those saying it’s because it’s a stressful job and some people are rude, does that make it OK to be rude to people who are asking politely for an appointment for an entirely reasonable cause?'

Exactly and also so what if it's a stressful job, many jobs are. Kindness and patience are surely prerequisites when dealing with the public, specifically anxious people. If they can't cope with the demands they should work elsewhere. We don't excuse poor communication skills in other jobs because they're a bit busy.

Oh and my mum was a receptionist at the doctors I’m with now for years. She retired a few years ago when it was taken over by a big local consortium and the place went massively down hill. She said that for the 12 years she was in the job she encountered a few patients who were downright abusive, who were dealt with by senior staff, plenty who were a bit rude and demanding, but she said the vast majority of patients were fine. She loved her job, and maybe patients were mainly decent to her, wait for it, because she was decent to them? Shocking that...

I've never found the receptionists at my practice GP rude or abrupt. On occasions they have gone out of their way to be helpful.

maybe the NHS is like the scouting or guiding movement, quite in to processes and systems,, and you get all sorts (and some right strange characters)

Suburban North London: massively protective, rude receptionists - the longer they had been with the practice the worse they were. Zone 2 South London: slightly stressed pressurised receptionists. Small market town c100m outside London: lovely receptionists.

My practice has gone largely on-line during COVID and you request an appointment by email setting out your symptoms and the Dr calls you back. Likewise all inquiries are now managed over the portal. It is a zillion times better and means there is no more hanging on the phone for 40 minutes only to be met by an interaction with a rough handed individual in the call room. I hope these arrangements remain place and my only query is just why this system couldn’t have been implemented before COVID.

I agree that there is a change over time and that rudeness is becoming more unacceptable and some of those with ‘old fashioned’ attitudes that the patients are a nuisance, are no longer around.

I think a lot of it is to do with how receptionists handle stress, pressure from the public and the restrictions they work under, such as the limited appointments that they can physically offer because the amount available is fixed.

Some just don’t manage these challenges well. It is possible to politely point out to people who are asking to ‘just be squeezed in For a quick 2 minute appointment so they get their prescription’ that there are a fixed number of appointments and to helpfully explain other times appointments might be available and how to go about getting one. A constructive conversation is possible, or one which is just negative and says ‘no’ and offers no alternatives. I know that when patients are rude, it doesn’t encourage receptionists to be helpful or constructive....but that is still part of the job.

Perhaps increasingly these days, receptionists are more skilled and better placed to handle the demands of the job in a professional way and maintain their cool and professionalism even when under pressure.

I was a GP receptionist in my 20s and you get a huge amount of abuse. There are practice policies that have to be followed and people don't want to hear that. For example we had about 4000 patients and one person comes in and asks for their repeat prescription but they kick up a fuss and want it there and then, but the GPs are all taking appointments and the practice policy is 24 hour turn around for repeats..... so you say no and get sworn at blah blah blah. I really enjoyed the job but you deal with a lot of crap and if you tell someone something they don't want to hear you come across as difficult but really you are just following the practice procedures.

My current surgery are all lovely. We moved to this one after a terrible experience at our old surgery. At the previous one every receptionist was rude.

I had enough one day and called one out in front of the whole surgery. She had been rude to an old lady and a young mum in front of me. She tried it on me. I said to her in a loud voice why are you so rude to everyone. I received a round of applause from every patient waiting.

I made a formal complaint to the practice manager and then we moved surgery. I understand it's a stressful job but some people definitely aren't suited to it.

We moved in March from England to Ireland. In England I had often encountered rude receptionists, but the main thing was the absolute struggle to ever get an appointment, I stopped even trying and went privately mostly. In Ireland the actual doctor phones you back whenever you call, you can always be seen the same day, and everyone has been nice and polite. I wonder if the difference is at least partially related to the fact that seeing the GP is not free here, so I presume there are fewer time wasters?

I’ve come across a lot of rude ones too OP.
One told me, after they’d made an error with my sertraline prescription, that I could go up to ten days without it ... I was desperate to speak to a Dr to ask for an emergency script as I feel practically certifiable if I have to go 24hrs + without it - she refused and hung up on me.

@Rillington AMAZING! love the round of applause!!

I phoned 111 after that and they were extremely helpful, the pharmacy gave me a 3 day supply to tide me over thank god.

Perhaps ask this on the thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/AMA/4151035-Ask-my-anything-I-m-a-nhs-gp-receptionist

Also, from my experience so far, A&E is also not the bearpit here that it can be at times in hospitals in England. You have to pay €100 for A&E visit unless you have a referral letter from the GP so I guess that also removes some time wasters.

I’d say I’ve had a mixed bag, I think they probably are under a lot of pressure from G.P’s? Don’t really know!

i have worked out how to avoid them if they are obstructive by asking the dr to make my next appt during the consultation (our system is so weird you can only book for certain times).

if I have to debate with them i say 'i have no medical knowledge" and they are obliged to admit neither do they (it's like a reflex) and we agree a doc shd ring me, again doc makes appt for me during the call. pisses receptionist off but who cares tbf

Mine is very helpful

Like in all walks of life, there are good and bad staff. Most are nice at my practice with one being dreadful. If you are so full of anger and contempt for people why on earth work in a customer facing role. There are signs up asking for respect for the staff, but patients deserve respect also. They are there because they are ill or scared not because they want your company.

I once went for a job at a GP practice in a nearby market town. At first I really wanted the job but after meeting the Manager and being shown round, I had a change of heart. When she showed me the patient waiting area she told me "This is the pig pen".

I just don't think they comprehend how important a part they play in the care of people. You cannot treat as just a normal office receptionist post and yet so many do. Mostly you are in touch with them from need, feeling ill, worried and in need of care, understanding and respect and so many do not make the necessary step to do the job as best they can and you are just another annoying person bothering them. They represent the practice and if their poor manner is acceptable to their managers it can only mean the practice is uncaring and ineffective and inefficient as a whole. I am continually shocked by their poor manners and lack of professionalism

I have experienced a receptionist like that - on a massive power trip. But all the staff at my current surgery are absolutely wonderful.

I was a GP receptionist and it was quite frankly, shit. If it werent for my colleagues, I wouldnt have lasted a day.

Long hours.

Consent stress.

The GP's always on at you for doing something they see as wrong (given a patient an urgent appointment but the GP didnt think it was and had a go)

Patients being horrendously rude before you've even said hello. My and colleagues have been called, "Cunt" "Slag" "Bitch" "Useless."

I've met other receptionist who've had people threaten stab them, rape them, punch them.

Then the patients might chuck a bit of emotional blackmail, "If X dies, I'm holding you personal responsible." You want to help but you literally cannot.

Then the dreaded moment, usually about 20 mins after the phones open for the day. No more appointments. Your heart sinks because there's still 10 people in the phone queue and you have nothing to give them. So you brace yourself for the abuse.

Some Receptionists are rude, I've encountered some. Most arent intentionally rude but the stress gets you bad.

After I started get sick everyday before work I knew it was time to leave. So glad I'm not a Receptionist anymore.

I think they send them on courses to be as unhelpful, incompetent and rude as possible.