From GP practice managers

[Bagamoyo1]

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

Interesting that 3.5 of 6 million appointments were face to face, and 3 million of 6 million were with a GP. I'd love to know the breakdown of how many face to face appointments were with a GP as from what I've seen the practice nurses have been doing the bulk of that.

I hate the be kind message so they lost me there anyway. I'm not defending verbal or physical abuse, people shouldn't be abusing other people who are doing their job. But you can understand why people say at least some of those things. I was unable to get my pill, the GP receptionist was totally unhelpful. As a prescribing pharmacist myself it was frustrating as you really do have a duty of care, for some patients getting pregnant is more dangerous to their health than taking the pill, so it is totally inappropriate to just refuse an appointment and refuse a script. I can understand what they're trying to say but it's poorly executed. Some people have genuine complaints and have been treated like dirt by receptionists on a power trip. It's like any job, some are good and some aren't.

My GP practice has been extremely good and helpful throughout the whole pandemic. If they can do it, so can others. I have chronic illnesses and could not have managed without them. My local hospital and my consultants have also been very helpful.
It seems to me that there needs to be a proper inquiry to find out exactly why there has been such awful service in some areas.

Tbf.
If someone dies because of the fault of lack of care. Then YES. It is their fault.
There is fault in many deaths. Too bloody many in a first world country.

Of course abuse of practice staff is wrong. But doesn't it just show how desperate patients are under the current circumstances?

@Crackbadger

Of course abuse of practice staff is wrong. But doesn't it just show how desperate patients are under the current circumstances?

That sounds a bit like victim blaming to me

Whilst I do think that many GP's receptionists have to deal with a lot of unfair flack from selfish, rude, aggressive and entitled members of the public, I really don't think that this sort of antagonistic and provocative message is the best approach.

I don't condone the behaviour of those who threaten any NHS staff and I personally pride myself on being respectful and polite and I have met very few individuals I had any problems with.

However, for many months last year patients were even guilt tripped and scared shitless by our own government into not contacting their GP. This meant that many of us had problems that could not be addressed for ages, some of them significant. So I understand the frustration.

Blaming patients though is not the answer and thankfully our surgery didn't take that approach.

My mother's surgery though has unfailingly shit management who upped the drawbridge and the patients have hardly seen hide nor hair of a GP in over a year now. Phones almost never get answered either.

My GP has been great during the pandemic & receptionists are always helpful & discreet.

I experienced the other side recently when a relative nearly died & underwent life saving heart surgery. Care in hospital was fantastic. Discharged under the care of their GPs & it's been appalling. I've had to take them back to the hospital twice to get medication (including blood thinners which yes lack off could kill them) as their GP does not answer the phone or emails & when I queued in person to get an appointment they then rescheduled it twice, after medication had run out. I've lodged a complaint, it's unacceptable.

Oh & zero response re my complaint.

I think that video is awful

Anyone in a public facing role will (unfortunately) come across people with unrealistic expectations from time to time

But it's important to remember that patients who are unwell / frightened / in pain / frustrated are not at their best. They should be treated with kindness and respect

In my line of work, I come across people who are not at their best. Some of them don't hesitate to tell me they don't agree with my decisions. And I'm fine with that. But, I tend to find that, if you treat people with respect, courtesy and kindness, then MOST of them respond well to that

I can't fault our GP surgery. All of them, including and perhaps especially the receptionists, are brilliant. And I don't condone racist comments/ threats of violence in the video. But maybe some of the people in that video should consider if they are suited to the role, if they're gaving that level of conflict with patients

I ended up in A&E about a month ago & the paramedics & hospital staff were all complaining about the GPs not seeing people. A good number of patients were only at A&E because they needed treatment but couldn't get to talk/see a GP.

@Bagamoyo1

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.

I agree @Bagamoyo1, I absolutely despair. Our staff are at breaking point which is reflected across the UK. Patients blame us for being unable to provide the service they are entitled to. Unfortunately what they believe they are entitled to doesn't ALWAYS match what they are actually entitled to or what is appropriate. We cannot provide this service as we cannot resource it. This is out of our control - use your votes more wisely folks. I don't know of any other profession that is vilified as much as GP receptionists. On the whole they do an amazing job in often extremely difficult circumstances.

Out of all the Nhs. The GPs which are privately run. Are the most shit.
Maybe we all need to consider how the system for them works

I don't know of any other profession that is vilified as much as GP receptionists.

Traffic wardens?

@Exhaustedyetstillgoing
eh??
What we believe we are entitled to? What a strange sentence to write.
Most people want an extremely basic service. And you think people think are too entitled. Wow

There are some good GP practices, one of them is mine.
Receptionists can be trained to be polite - no cost involved.
Referral to the standby-GP should be quickly available.
Decent telephone systems can be installed - queueing is inevitable but a constant engaged signal is unacceptable.

This is years before Covid and it happened more than once and caused several trips to the out of hours walk in and one trip to A & E resulting in the hospital doctor writing an angry letter to the GP.

GP: See how you go with these. I want to see you back here in seven days. Book the appointment before you leave.

Receptionist: I have an opening in three months time.

Me: The doctor told me he wanted to see me next week.

Receptionist: I TOLD YOU I HAVE NOTHING FOR THREE MONTHS. Try phoning at 8am.

Me: phones at 8am repeatedly.

Receptionist: We don't allow routine appointments, only emergencies if you phone at 8am.

Me: Gives up, utterly defeated and feeling like death, books next appointment for 14 weeks after initial appointment.

Doctor: I said seven days. Long bollocking about not taking my condition seriously.

Me: Sorry.

Shitty behaviour runs both ways. The receptionist I dealt with was not only difficult but her tone was atrocious. She would talk to you like a complete and utter piece of shit, no matter how polite you were to her. She would literally sneer at you. She was nasty to other patients, not just me. The doctor was the only one she would smile at and talk to in a sweet voice if he walked into the office.

This is a direct result of people not being able to get face to face appointments or even a video appointment when they need it the most. No it's clearly not acceptable behaviour but I can see where the frustration comes from. Generally when you work in healthcare, you learn to deal with all sorts and remember a lot of these people aren't themselves through illness & desperation to get treatment.

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.

Just highlighting this because sooo many of you have spectacularly missed the fucking point.

Watches video about disgusting abuse to medical staff… then abuses medical staff!!

Nurses in A&E didn’t just get to say, thanks but no thanks

I have little sympathy for GP receptionists. My current one refused to register me because my name wasn’t on our tenancy agreement and we don’t pay council tax as we live in married quarters. My passport was in my maiden name. Despite me giving her my marriage certificate, driving licence and pension documents she refused to register me. I bought endless documents in and she wouldn’t budge to the point I missed my 20 week scan.

Despite providing proof of address not being a legal requirement, her astounding incompetence could have had serious consequences as by the time I had my scan they couldn’t see my daughters heart properly. I also had to go to A&E to get my asthma medication because I couldn’t get my prescription reissued. A&E organised my scan, gave me my medication and gave the GP’s practice a good talking to.

This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered useless GP receptionists and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

I've had the line 'if I die its your fault' thrown at me many many times when I worked in community pharmacy.

I think people often believe you can waive all regulation, proceedure, laws and safety measures just for them.

The pandemic really ramped up abusive and unacceptable behaviour (I think I posted on here after really frightening incident where I had to call the police to remove a patient). I banned more patients in 6 months than I had done in 10 years.

So I can really sympathise with GP staff here. Even the ones who made my professional life difficult 😂.

My own practice have been amazing and I've had multiple face to face appointment and telephone consultations. I cannot fault them one bit.

Reading threads on here about people struggling to see/speak to their GP when it's genuinely needed just isn't ok.

Abuse from the public is never acceptable but there is a problem with people in genuine need getting appointments and I'm afraid that video doesn't cancel out that requirement.

In social services we've been visiting people in their houses when necessary throughout the pandemic. But when we need a GP to visit someone at home for safeguarding reasons etc they are no where to be seen.

I regularly have to ring up surgeries for work and it's a nightmare having to spend so long on hold or redialing against a dial tone etc. Why can't they get with the 21st century and have the ability to leave messages or a queue system. Why did my surgery cancel the ability to make appointments online with no intention of bringing them back?

GP surgeries have utterly failed the nation during the pandemic when everyone else stepped up.

@ncgy

My GP has been great during the pandemic & receptionists are always helpful & discreet.

I experienced the other side recently when a relative nearly died & underwent life saving heart surgery. Care in hospital was fantastic. Discharged under the care of their GPs & it's been appalling. I've had to take them back to the hospital twice to get medication (including blood thinners which yes lack off could kill them) as their GP does not answer the phone or emails & when I queued in person to get an appointment they then rescheduled it twice, after medication had run out. I've lodged a complaint, it's unacceptable.

Yes I have experienced this. Our GP has been great on the odd occasion we have needed anything.

A beloved family friend has not been as fortunate. He has been trying to be seen by his gp since last March with classic symptoms of prostate cancer. None of us were aware as he didn’t want to worry us, and we obviously haven’t been able to see him due to the pandemic. He has finally managed to be seen after an entire year and, you guessed it, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Only now he has two years max. I am heartbroken and furious and I truly wish he was the sort to argue with the receptionist or rock up at A&E. It may have brought him more time.

This video is insensitive in the extreme. Absolutely people should not be spoken to like that in any situation, but to be honest given what I know now about family friends’ situation I can well understand the frustration causing people to behave in that manner. I very much doubt that GP receptionists would appreciate a video highlighting the many excuses made over the past year to explain why a patient cannot possibly be seen, and the even more devastating outcomes arising from that.

Do people really think receptionists on minimum wage make up the rules and policies? I am a GP receptionist and I literally have to follow the rules set by these lovely doctors you are referring to. I have to ask why you want to speak with a doctor because if all of the appointments are filled we will still deal with urgent cases. The GPs literally don't have enough time in the day to see everyone who calls so patients have to be triaged. We cannot just keep popping in with every little query people call up with that they want dealing with immediately. They have to go on a list and a doctor will do it when they can. We request 48 hours notice for a prescription but then get screamed at because patients didn't bother to order in time and then run out.

None of these are my decisions or my rules. I'm not a 'gatekeeper on a power trip'. I am literally someone on minimum wage doing what they are told to and getting endless shit for it. And no I am not rude to anyone and most of the time I do sympathise. But the entitlement we see on a daily basis is astounding. So rather than blaming receptionists blame to GP partners who make the rules. Or better still blame the lack of funding for making these rules necessary.