From GP practice managers

[Bagamoyo1]

m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2ZqCHbGq9Tn0WtOYD5B8y8CnjF-MjkmH2tAEz42wEArKz-pl0QRb5s9hI&v=3ru4QhVZ2a8&feature=youtu.be

Thanks OP

I am so sorry. A very upsetting watch. But sadly necessary.

I'd never treat anyone like that - but, by gum, my practice receptionists can leave a lot to be desired sometimes.

I'm sorry, but there some NHS staff whose attitudes leave a lot to be deisred (and that was before COVID)

ooops duplication there

Eugh. Honestly, whatever.
GP receptionists have a bad reputation because SO MANY of them are genuinely awful. Of course not all of them, but so many. It's perfectly acceptable to refuse medical advice from a receptionist - they aren't medically trained, they don't know what they're talking about and if they're offended that you won't take their (unqualified) advice then that's their problem.
Trying to guilt people into not seeking medical care when the advice has always been that people should be able to get medical care is outrageous. "If I die it'll be your fault"?! Fuck off, people have a right to medical care. Of course people should wear masks and sanitise and only come when they don't have symptoms etc etc etc but you don't get to bully people off medical care. My GP offered nothing during Covid - I couldn't get DS vaccinated, couldn't get my smear, couldn't even get my repeat prescription sorted out - I had to switch GPs in the end.
Of all the NHS workers to choose who have actually suffered with Covid and actually been through a hard time or increase in workload, GPs and their receptionists and bottom of the list.

@PearlclutchersInc

I'd never treat anyone like that - but, by gum, my practice receptionists can leave a lot to be desired sometimes.

I'm sorry, but there some NHS staff whose attitudes leave a lot to be deisred (and that was before COVID)

^agreed.

I have to agree too 🤷

I'm sure some of them get a hard time undeservedly, but the GP surgery here is shit. DM (elderly, COPD, severe arthritis to name a couple of her issues) has been promised GP visits and telephone calls that never materialise.
I rarely need to even speak to the surgery, but when I try, it's the race to get in the phone queue, then the endless wait, then the call back for triage, then you might get some sort of help. I recently had a problem and the GP I spoke to refused to see me to examine me - and before you ask, yes, there was a clinical need.
I'm sure this is not the only surgery that is, in fact, poorly managed.
Lots of other workers now face abusive behaviour, but get paid far less for the privilege.

I do think that being a GP receptionist can be a thankless job filled with rude comments from patients.

But simultaneously, I have been perfectly polite to receptionists and been treated rudely by them so I do agree. It’s a shame as the actual GPs are so helpful and resourceful, but it’s almost like receptionists are trained to prevent patients from accessing said GP resources

I just think it's the wrong approach... entirely. I think that was a poor choice of wording and it feels very antagonistic. I wonder who thought this was an appropriate message?
For every paranoid wack-job who shows up at a surgery with a hammer (believe me, I've dealt with those patients over the years) there are thousands of more patients registered at that very practice who would never ever behave in such a manner.
DH is a GP. DH did face-to-face appointments. He did get Covid from a patient and he did end up in ICU, ventilated. He survived. He did not, for one hot minute, blame the patient. What good was 'If I die it's your fault' ever going to do him? Where does that get anyone? As it happens, his receptionists all got Covid... from each other. So... it's a pandemic. You can tell people to be careful, be cautious, follow the rules and guidelines, be as diligent as possible. But once you start blaming people for your Covid, that just gets you nowhere.
If I die, it's your fault.
I don't like that message at all.
There has been a totally substandard level of (NHS) care courtesy of covid. It's not anyone's fault. It's just that we have a healthcare system that cannot deliver the care people expect and yes, deserve, even in a pandemic. Limited hospital beds and staff, stopping cancer treatment, prolonging diagnoses, shelving services under 'temporary measures' have all been catastrophic for patients and their families. And now, GPs are desperately trying to play catch-up. But on top of that, there is an avalanche of mental health problems courtesy of a pandemic that has wreaked havoc on people's livelihoods and health. It's an utter shitstorm. And there is no quick fix. I don't think messages like the one in this video do the NHS ANY favours.
I'm not sure guilt-tripping patients is the answer.

There is no excuse for rudeness, never mind agression, but GP surgeries are currently providing a completely inadequate and totally unacceptable ‘service’ to their patients so frustration and anger is inevitable.

Healthcare in the U.K. is a disgrace compared to othe4 similar countries, eg France & Germany. General practice is broken. The NHS is broken. Both are inflexible, inefficient, hopelessly bureaucratic and require fundamental reform in order to provide something resembling a decent service to the people who pay for them.

That was really poorly done.

There is an important message about a really difficult job that should be told. That video doesn’t send that message. It’s antagonistic and doesn’t respect the challenges clients are facing. A bit of re-editing and a very different intro would be much more effective.

I work in a gp practice and get spoken to like this every day but I'm not sure how I feel about that video, yes there are terrible receptionists I totally agree but some of them including myself really do care about patients and that's exactly why I still work there

If you work in a public-facing role then you are going to get some rude behaviour directed at you from members of the public. That goes with the territory. It's not right, but it is what it is.

Our GP service provided an abominable service prior to Covid and once that struck you could be forgiven for thinking they had all run home and were hiding under their beds. I had telephone appointments summarily cancelled with no reason given and no opportunity to re-book. They locked the doors so you could not speak to a receptionist in person. There were no appointments offered online. You could be redialling literally hundreds of times to try to get the call answered. At any time of day - not just during the early morning rush. I had to go private in the end and was just thankful that I was able to afford it.

Credit where credit is due - they have done a great job on the vaccinations. But everything else remains woefully inadequate.

No one was blaming anyone for catching covid. That is what patients have said to the receptionists, I imagine because they couldn't get an appointment/prescription/whatever else they wanted.

At the end of the day, despite many of us complaining about very poor GP services they encountered during Covid- as a nation, we're absolutely okay with it.

If we weren't we wouldn't be further increasing the incumbent government's majority.

There's no point wasting time and blood-pressure over this; nothing will change while we have an increasingly right-wing government.

GP receptionists have a hard job and fortunately the majority of mine are fine - but there are a few notable exceptions who seem to take pleasure in their power trip, talking down to patients, and pre Covid looking patients up and down like dirt and in front of a long queue and full waiting room, loudly demanding to know why I wanted to see a female GP. With attitude like that some of them deserve the reputation they have and the attitude they receive back as a result of their treatment of patients.

@TheVanguardSix

I just think it's the wrong approach... entirely. I think that was a poor choice of wording and it feels very antagonistic. I wonder who thought this was an appropriate message? For every paranoid wack-job who shows up at a surgery with a hammer (believe me, I've dealt with those patients over the years) there are thousands of more patients registered at that very practice who would never ever behave in such a manner. DH is a GP. DH did face-to-face appointments. He did get Covid from a patient and he did end up in ICU, ventilated. He survived. He did not, for one hot minute, blame the patient. What good was 'If I die it's your fault' ever going to do him? Where does that get anyone? As it happens, his receptionists all got Covid... from each other. So... it's a pandemic. You can tell people to be careful, be cautious, follow the rules and guidelines, be as diligent as possible. But once you start blaming people for your Covid, that just gets you nowhere. If I die, it's your fault. I don't like that message at all. There has been a totally substandard level of (NHS) care courtesy of covid. It's not anyone's fault. It's just that we have a healthcare system that cannot deliver the care people expect and yes, deserve, even in a pandemic. Limited hospital beds and staff, stopping cancer treatment, prolonging diagnoses, shelving services under 'temporary measures' have all been catastrophic for patients and their families. And now, GPs are desperately trying to play catch-up. But on top of that, there is an avalanche of mental health problems courtesy of a pandemic that has wreaked havoc on people's livelihoods and health. It's an utter shitstorm. And there is no quick fix. I don't think messages like the one in this video do the NHS ANY favours. I'm not sure guilt-tripping patients is the answer.

You’ve missed the point. “If I die, it’ll be your fault” is what the patients are saying to the receptionists. It’s not GPs and staff blaming patients. It’s the standard threat from aggressive patients. That’s where the quote comes from.

@Brunilde

No one was blaming anyone for catching covid. That is what patients have said to the receptionists, I imagine because they couldn't get an appointment/prescription/whatever else they wanted.

Exactly. I thought it was obvious when I watched it, but I guess not.

@AgeLikeWine

There is no excuse for rudeness, never mind agression, but GP surgeries are currently providing a completely inadequate and totally unacceptable ‘service’ to their patients so frustration and anger is inevitable.

Healthcare in the U.K. is a disgrace compared to othe4 similar countries, eg France & Germany. General practice is broken. The NHS is broken. Both are inflexible, inefficient, hopelessly bureaucratic and require fundamental reform in order to provide something resembling a decent service to the people who pay for them.

Yet the UK was way way ahead with the vaccination programme....

My local gp practice was a nightmare even before covid, and got steadily worse during it. The receptionists are seemingly power mad arseholes and getting an appointment has always been about as easy as extracting blood from a stone. The practice has a couple of superb doctors but you have to get past the gatekeepers to see one, and unless you can get through bang on 8 am you have zero chance of seeing the gp you trust. If you see a random one it's a complete gamble as the older ones decide what could be wrong based on their egos and investigate nothing. It's bloody ridiculous!

My GP receptionists are lovely. They couldn't be more helpful and I hope no one is rude to them.

The ones at my last practice were not, they were rude, unhelpful and obstructive. If someone is being rude, unhelpful and obstructive then that's what they are likely to get back. That message works both ways. And if someone is being obstructive and preventing them from accessing important medical care or an urgent prescription and then it's pretty fair to say "if I die, it'll be your fault".

"If I die it's your fault"

No details as it's outing and not my direct experience to tell, but a child DID die because they were fobbed off thrice by my local practice. THRICE.

I think it’s so sad that a film full of hideous quotes, threats of violence and actually violence towards GP surgery staff brings a response of horror from a minority. Most posters simply use the opportunity to slag off their own surgery. It speaks volumes.
The reason people get angry is because they can’t get an appointment. The reason people can’t get appointments is because there aren’t enough GPs. The reason there aren’t enough GPs is because there’s a recruitment crisis. The reason there’s a recruitment crisis is because of, among other things, what you saw in that film. It’s hard to know what can improve this situation.

Obviously some of those comments were made by unreasonable, unsympathetic and angry people and the receptionist shouldn't be treated like that but I have found our GP practice and others I deal with through work absolutely unacceptable in their reaction to the pandemic.

Whilst some issues can and often should be dealt with over the phone, repeat medication etc. And should carry on.

Other things absolutely cannot. A Dr needs to physically see and examine patients otherwise resources are wasted and other services take the pressure.

So currently in my area we have more people now attending for x-ray, blood tests, breast screening, scans etc and when we speak to the people they haven't even been examined by a healthcare professional, they've been sent for the test. Completely inappropriate and likely to cause more harm than good

This contravenes our radiation safety rules, it takes up slots needed for urgent cases, patients don't always get the right test for their condition.

Just last week I had to go to the GP after a phone consultation. I had to wait outside until the receptionist (who was behind a screen) finished on the phone. There 4 other people waiting in the entrance lobby in close proximity to each other, the massive waiting room was empty and yet we were all crammed in a tiny space looking through the glass door at a massive empty room! The GP was in more ppe than I wear on a covid ward just to assess a joint I was in the room 5 mins max!

Family members and friends have had similar experiences. Colleagues are just as frustrated, I don't think GP practices have had a clue what's been going on in hospitals for the past year.