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?

My old GP practice were definitely the stereotype. Luckily my currently one is split mostly in favour of polite kind people.

I rarely see a GP despite having complex health issues so when I do phone I just need an appointment and that's what always happened and they have been very kind about when I can get to the practice around having my PAs (care) in.

But when they are rude it does stick with you. I do understand it's not an easy job at all - but equally people can be having bad times too and a little kindness goes long way.

I think they are under a huge amount of pressure and dealing with the public can be very difficult. She wasn’t a receptionist but my friend’s mum was a district nurse and the most hard-faced woman I ever met. Until I later worked with a woman whose terminally ill husband was nurses by my friend’s mum, who said she was amazing compassionate and had an incredible bedside manner. So, it seems they save the ‘nice’ for people who really need it.

I mean, I have to have sympathy for my uncle’s GP practice who have to deal with him on a weekly basis for gout, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems - all caused by poor diet and lifestyle choices his whole life. When I compare him to my marathon running, healthy eating, non smoking dad who died of leukaemia before he even claimed his pension, I think I’d have a face like a slapped arse on occasion too.

Most of ours are lovely and helpful. We did have one who was abrupt and quite rude but she seems better now so perhaps she has had more training. Our practice is well staffed though so maybe that helps with the workload.

I dealt with one at my Nana's surgery when Nana was in the final days of life at home and she was absolutely amazing! I was close to my Nan, dealing with caring for someone who was dying pretty much single handedly while also working/trying to keep things normal for my son. It was a horrific time and I rang late afternoon in desperation about something and she was so nice and got the GP to come out to us within the hour and we managed to get everything sorted. I honestly don't know what I'd have done without her help so there are some good eggs out there

Practice

Oh my god! My DMs receptionist is soooooo awful! She thinks she is an actual GP. 2 weeks ago she was feeling really poorly. She has Graves Disease, so after (reluctantly) being given a telephone appointment the GP got her in for bloods. She got 2 texts asking her to call to discuss her results and the receptionist refused her an appointment. Mum said "well I've received 2 texts to call" and the reply she got was "well I'm looking at your results now, and they are absolutely fine so you don't need to speak to the GP"

3 days later she gets a call from her GP asking why she hadn't booked an appointment as her thyroid levels were through the roof and her medication needed urgently adjusted! A formal complaint has been made!

One incident in a long line of them!!

I agree. If it was a service we paid for on arrival it wouldn't be that way There's no money to be made from your custom so there's not much customer service !

I’m a dentist and during the first lockdown we had to close down. I spent 3 months triaging by phone and acting as receptionist. The vast majority of the public were very understanding when we cancelled appointments the first time. However, as the pandemic lingered on and we were still unable to offer routine treatment( non urgent check ups) people were increasingly aggressive and abusive on the phone. The worst offenders were the over 65s who due to shielding had not experienced the full impact of lockdown and seemed to think once we’d passed July 31st everything was back to normal.
Our receptionists have been reduced to tears on numerous occasional. If they sound weary it’s because they have become battle hardened and have heard every possible compelling argument why that patient needs to be seen before anyone else.
I can only imagine how much worse it is for GP receptionists.
One individual who had terminal cancer threatened to sue us. They were having no problems but claimed it was their right to have their NHS check up. I spent 15mins going through the Covid consent form with them to make sure that they were aware attending was at their own risk.
Our SOP is still based on risk assessment and we have to strongly advise some patients not to attend. I just hope no one contracts and dies of Covid as a result of visiting us. We are confident that our infection control is robust but it’s the journey to and from the practice which puts them at risk.

School receptionists are the same too!

My primary school receptionists are lovely, I had a nasty shock when DD1 started secondary!

I've found dental receptionists (we're spread over 4 practices) and hospital admin to be efficient but not forgetting that they are in a public facing role. If I spoke to customers like my GPs staff do I would be sacked.

I have been registered at a few surgeries around London due to moving over the years and the receptionists have been pretty bad at all of them. Rude, unfriendly, inappropriate. I have witnessed more than one very inappropriate patient/receptionist interaction. On a good day they are cold and unfriendly, on a bad day rude and inappropriate. It has always baffled me and I assumed it must be an atrocious job to cause such bad behaviour across different surgeries.

I've met both types. Incredibly frustrating when you end up at A&E because the receptionist decides your child doesn't need a doctor despite repeated attempts. I try not to be rude to them, but there is a fine line between being assertive and rude, I think they often cross that line too. The best ones keep it practical ie have you been to pharmacy or checked Nhs website, not I don't think you're ill enough to see a doctor, that's what annoys people.

Doctors can be as bad. Once I managed to see one as I knew I had a raging ear infection and she refused to look in my ear. Then called me aggressive when I insisted. She did look and oh yes it is surprisingly infected.

Mine are superb, they have a team of three and all are good. One will come to my car to put my medicine in the boot as I'm at risk.
They will always advise on who has the shortest list when I'm trying to speak to a doctor. And they will organise delivery of medication if I can't get to the surgery.
They deserve praise and have been so helpful.

Maybe it's the luck of the draw? All of the GP's receptionists I've ever met - bar one, and everyone at that practice was unpleasant - have been lovely.

@Aprilx

I am 50 and this far have never come across a helpful or polite receptionist. I think most I have come across assume it is their job to do as much as possible to prevent people accessing healthcare.

Me too. There is ONE nice receptionist at our gps. The most unfriendly, arsey one is simperingly lovely to dh though 🤔

It seems to be part of the job description, OP. A little power and all that. They seem to see their role as protecting the sainted doctors, to a large extent - especially if they’re male. They think they’re the front line. It’s baffling.

Sexist too for some reason....ours are vile to me and my friends and our daughters....but delightful to our DHs and sons and call them Sir.

Small run in with my GP receptionist I need to book in for a blood test as requested by the doctor we can't do that we are in a pandemic you know the doctor has requested it so you obviously do "not unless its an emergency" no but its been requested by the doctor ive literally just got off the phone "if its an emergency you need the hospital" again not an emergency just requested by the doctor "im not allowed to do that" puts the phone down i callback same process different receptionist "WHY do you need a blood test" the doctor requested one "WHY" FML i have graves disease it could KILL me can we possibly follow doctors orders here and BOOK the goddam thing......Tuesday at three DONT BE LATE OR EARLY

I spoke to the doctor he had a word with them in the end it was literally on the screen on my notes they looked at stating blood test to be booked ASAP meds review and he knew they both had that screen up he checked ive not heard them on the phone for awhile i think they are in back office

They have an almost impossible/thankless task.

I have always found that staff are pleasant to pleasant patients. If you always find receptionists unpleasant maybe you need to rethink your approach.

@Theunamedcat

Maybe its a Graves Disease thing....?! (See my post!)

@RobertaHedge

Sexist too for some reason....ours are vile to me and my friends and our daughters....but delightful to our DHs and sons and call them Sir.

Yes! We have the same! Dh can get a same day appointment for any tiny issue

I’ll never forget the time I saw a nurse practitioner at my local surgery because I had bleeding from my bottom and have a family history of bowel cancer. When the nurse found I’d been unable to see a GP she marched downstairs and insisted I was seen by one the next day. The attitude of the receptionist was appalling, huffy, rude and extremely unprofessional. She loudly (as in in front of the whole packed waiting room) complained that the nurse had belittled her in front of everyone, and how dare they tell her what to do.

Yes how dare a trained medial professional tell some rude old cow with no medical training and a superiority complex that a patient with a family history of cancer, needs to see their GP..🙄

As a new arrival to the UK and the NHS everything was new and difficult for example not getting to choose where you went and who your saw.
But fronting up to a practice that was the easiest to get to the receptionists had numerous reasons not to register me, not until l had attended my citizenship ceremony so we go there on the way home.
Now they need council bills, birth cert, etc so still can't enroll, turn up with these and they want a full years employment contract so at this point l ask for a copy of the legislation that requires me to produce this and they say the practice manager isn't in,l request a phone call from them when available days later l find out I'm registered with them.
Next hurdle practice Nurse l have now learned not to accept no's but 3 requests all denied-they don't like doing that, theirs really no need and something else l don't remember.
When l mentioned these difficulties to a Dr l was invited to leave.
One Dr after an appointment said to make an appointment with the receptionist for physio she wouldn't as it was Thursday that day and she will only take bookings on Wednesday.
Now maybe some of you think l was being a pain but previously l had a 34-year partnership with just one Dr who had my welfare at heart and now l don't feel medically safe as no one seems to have my back

Ours aren’t rude exactly, although always sounds very world weary. The do do the thing of trying to prevent any appointments being made if at all possible, even for people who have been told to make an appointment. And asking a lot of very personal questions before letting you make the appointment.

My previous surgery had really awful receptionists. So bad I often would carry on with whatever was wrong rather than try to get an appointment through them. Which is lucky nothing life threatening was the problem.
Then I moved house and surgery and I couldn't find a nicer lot of receptionists at my new surgery. They are amazing.