GP appointment fiasco!!

[Chedder]

I’ve had an ongoing health problem that we can’t get on top of. I’ve been to the doctors several times but it’s chronic unfortunately. I didn’t want to go back again as I felt like I was wasting their time, I also have a phobia of doctors as ridiculous as that sounds. Usually it’s a nice, small practice that covers our village and I’ve never felt like a nuisance or frequent flyer, and they’ve always said to return if the problems worsens whilst waiting for the hospital appointment.

As it’s getting worse, I phoned for an appointment on Monday in my one weekday off work. The receptionist was so rude and basically insinuated I had already had too many appointments for this and when I tried to explain the problem was worsening she sarcastically said ‘riiiight’. I stayed polite but could feel myself getting more and more upset as this is exactly what I’ve been worried about happening. She made me feel so small and like I was making it all up. Eventually after 10 minutes of trying to prove I’m struggling with this problem, she said she would put me down for a telephone/virtual appointment and they will call me and then hung up immediately without saying anything else.

No one in the practice has ever been rude like that before and given how busy things have been, I felt so sorry for her and for how exhausted they must be. She was probably just stressed out and I know they must hate people that come back several times but trust me, the doctors is the last place I want to go to. I’ve tried going to the pharmacy who have said it’s way above them and that I need to go back.

When the doctor called later on Monday, they gave 3 rings and then hung up. Unfortunately I had my phone on the kitchen table and was quickly washing dishes and just as I grabbed my phone on the third ring the call was ended. I tried to call back immediately but couldn’t get through as you have to go via the main receptionist line. I tried hundreds of times and couldn’t get back through. Eventually I had to leave it and admit defeat, so I called back later after lunch and got the same receptionist whom I explained I missed the call and couldn’t get through. I took full responsibility for missing the call and apologised profusely, it was the only 10 minute period in the day I was doing something (washing dishes from breakfast!). She ignored all this and made it clear she didn’t really care and just said I’ll need to call back another day.

Unfortunately due to work and other commitments this is really challenging. We don’t get fixed times for appointments, just told it will be a call at some point 8.30-6.30 and I rarely have a day where I’m fully available between these hours. I’m not blaming them for this though it’s not their fault I work etc, it’s just bad luck unfortunately.

The doctor at our practice is really nice, and to be fair so are all the receptionists (usually!) I must have caught one after a bad call or when she was particularly tired. It sounds so pathetic but I felt like such an idiot on the phone and she made me totally doubt what’s wrong with me at all. It took me a while to pluck up the courage to even call (I woke up at 7 to prepare myself so I wouldn’t feel scared) and I wish I had never called at all.

Sorry not an AIBU I just needed to tell someone how upset I felt. (I’m not bashing all GPs and receptionists as I think people give them a hard time given how stressful their job is.)

Please phone back and ask to speak to the Practice Manager.
It is NOT the receptionist job to prejudge you.
Don't feel embarrassed or worried your health is important to you.
I was gp's receptionist a few years ago.

Put in a formal complaint, that's appalling.

The whole thing is a nightmare. How GP practices can say they are offering a service (not even a decent device just something!) is beyond me.

Yes, this is my experience of GP receptionists too.
The ones that actually have the demeanor for the job are few and far between.
Complain complain complain!!
Ask for the practice manager and be a nuisance.
Unfortunately the quiet and meek sink without trace now.

Thats appalling, im also not one for bashing GPs but honestly thats shocking. My surgery also do telephone consultations but i explained i was at work so he arranged the call in my lunch break.
Please call them back

Its awful just trying to get through for an appointment, nevermind having to deal with receptionist. Next time tell her its private and you will only discuss with doctor. I was also victim to 3 rings and hang up then had to ring gp surgery again which took 30mins before I got through again to say I'd missed the call.

Honestly I need to speak to gp but iv been putting it off as can't face sitting at 8.30 dialing for 30mins trying to get through, especially since it's while I need to get kids out to school.

I think it's dreadful that GP receptionists are allowed to ask what's wrong with you, let alone actually judge you for it. It's absolutely nothing to do with her –def make a complaint.

Oh OP, I do feel for you! With my GPs you get about four minutes of recorded information when you phone plus music on hold before you are even told where you are in the queue. Then when you query anything like why something you requested by email for you repeat prescription has been left off you are told “It’s not due - you had it
recently”. when I know I have nine if the product left or will be running out shortly. So the receptionist is taking it
upon herself (sorry but all the doctor’s receptionists I have ever known have been women) to determine your medical needs. Also I should hope that if a didn’t get you on one call they would try again. Then - what’s the difference between a doctor and God? - God doesn’t think He’s a doctor!

I quite like the whole phone consultation thing, except in the couple of cases where I knew they were going to need to see me so ended up doing both which seems such a waste. But I don't get why they can't schedule them a bit like regular appointments. Even in half hour/hour windows. On my days "off" I have a 2 yo to look after. It's really hard giving her my full attention while ensuring I definitely can get to my phone. And it means we can't really go anywhere all day, even just the shops.

I agree with pp to contact the practice manager. This isn't ok and you have done nothing wrong and the receptionist is making it difficult for you to access care which is the opposite of what they should be doing.

At my practice the GP always tries to call a second time if they don't get through the first time. I do tend to make sure I keep the line clear to receive that second call though (were you trying to call back from the same phone as they might have been trying to reach you on for a second time?)

There's no question that your receptionist isn't providing the service they should OP.

However, like OP points out, it would be nice if we could avoid sweeping statements which make it sound as though all receptionists are like this. It's just not the case. Our GP practice receptionists work bloody hard and are helpful and patient and it's really annoying that they are all tarred with the same brush.

You could use my response when the GP intimated that dh had had several appointments already about his chronic tiredness that if they actually managed to diagnose and treat the problem then he would not have had to come back.

Hi op I was a receptionist until recently and although we are told we have to ask what is wrong and note it for the GP receptionist are not medically qualified and it’s nothing to do with them how many appointment last you have. Please call back because you need an appointment and if you are made to feel the same way ask to speak to someone else. All calls are generally recorded so I think you should speak to the practice manager so the receptionist can get some extra training. It can be a challenging job at times but it’s her job to provide effective customer service. Please don’t be put off getting it sorted out

I'm a medical professional and when I've on occasion seen staff treat patients like this I report them straight away and fill in an incident form. If you need to be vile to patients it means you shouldn't be doing this kind of job. There is no excuse.
Plase write to the practice manager and tell them what happened.
This is totally unacceptable and this staff member needs extra training.

You could try going through the Doctorlink app. It takes you through all your symptoms and if it thinks you need a GP appt, it will make the appt for you. It's a good way of bypassing the receptionists.

I'm not sure I am clear if she was actually rude. How do you know she was being sarcastic? Could it be your perception partly? They can seem pretty rude but they are trying to gatekeep limited resources, they are not trying to piss you off.
The doctor was wrong to not retry the call. You should persist and keep on making all the appointments you need.

I would complain about the receptionist too and I very very rarely ever complain!

You need to take the time off work to get it sorted. I know it's a pain but your health comes first.

Try writing a letter to your GP explaining your symptoms and request an appointment. Then you do not have to go through your nasty power hungry gate keeping receptionist.

I have now taken to writing a letter in order to get an appointment with my GP. This strategy works.

To see one at my surgery, you are told to call at 8am. They no longer ‘book ahead’. When you call at 7:59am or 8am or 8:01am, the same thing happens every day…an automated message saying that the phone queue is full and to call back later. When calling back later, there are no more appointments (but waiting 50min to get told this). I’m told that it’s people showing up at the surgery at 8am that get the appointments.

After this happened 8 days in a row, in frustration I wrote a letter. The next day a receptionist called me with an appointment. This is now how I get an appointment every time. Feels like I’ve got back in time about 50 years but hey ho.

www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/

Use this tool to complain, I was offered a job once that was to deal with these sort of complaints, they take it really seriously.

Call and ask for the practise manager, don’t give any details just say you need to speak to them about an important matter. This is awful. I’ve missed telephone consultation calls before but they always call back which is also cause for complaint.

If all else fails try and change GP. It sounds dreadful, but not without complaining or it will never improve.

However, like OP points out, it would be nice if we could avoid sweeping statements which make it sound as though all receptionists are like this. It's just not the case. Our GP practice receptionists work bloody hard and are helpful and patient and it's really annoying that they are all tarred with the same brush

Except a kind receptionist really is a rare creature

I'm ALWAYS polite and articulate
Even if I'm anxious (white coat syndrome) I've been spoken to like absolute shit so many times.
It's unacceptable
The GPs themselves are normally great and Talk to me like an intelligent adult.
The receptionists though...

Stop making excuses for her - she’s paid to do a job and should be polite and non judgemental.
My friend is a GP and always maintains that the patients who make a nuisance of themselves get the best treatment because the staff know they won’t back down.
Youre entitled to be treated.
My husband was refused an appointment to see a GP and ended up with a month long stay in hospital being treated for sepsis - all thanks to a receptionist who would not give him an appointment or even a telephone call with a doctor.
Like you I used to be nervous about calling them - now I stand my ground and you have to do the same. If it helps, write everything down before you call and keep repeating yourself / and as others have suggested maybe you should speak to the practice manager.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Why does your receptionist get a say in whether you need an appointment or not? It's none of their business. When I call the GP, the conversation usually goes along the lines of: "Hi, my name is Dizzyhedgehog and I would like to make an appointment.", then they ask me whether I need it the same day or whether the next day would be OK as well... and we make an appointment. I'm not going into details with them.

Everyone’s stressed, including sick people. Stop trying to be impartial, your treatment has been appalling.

The NHS is there to protect the people, not the other way round.

I had a hilarious chat with a receptionist the other day. I called to book my regular injection, was told (after 15 years of having them) that I have to speak to a doctor first this time. I said okay. She said how’s 2:30 on Friday and I said “great, thanks, that’ll be a phone call?” and got a “nooo, we can’t exactly do injections over the phone” as if I was some or raging idiot.

So I asked what she meant and apparently she’s booking my jab first and my doctor call second, not that she’d explained it and she’d been clear I couldn’t do the jab first.

I'm fine now but had issues last year when I needed to see the GP a lot over a six month period.
The e-consult process worked well, and my GP would often schedule follow up appointments anyway.
The only irritating thing was the "triage" call to prioritise the e-consult forms, from the receptionist. Maybe they're in place for peple that have only put partial information on the form? I just ended up prefixing any answer with "as I wrote in the e-consult form..."

Complain to the practice manager about this receptionist - it's not her role to judge how many appointments are needed - and I agree with PP that "if the GP had managed to properly diagnose and treat the first time..." is an excellent response.

It is ridiculous that you have to just wait for the call all day - what about if you are working, driving, in the loo!?

Mine have telephone appointments you just book online for a slot, like normal appointments. They sometimes run a bit late but that’s fine, just like in the surgery.