to expect my GP receptionist to not block me from seeking treatment?

[GoldenCagedBird]

Been dealing with a thrombosed, prolapsed pile since Saturday. It’s my first one, never had one before nor a history of poo problems. Came on very quickly. (I have been moaning about it on another thread in chat-
sorry for the constant threads about my bumhole)

In agony. Can’t walk properly. Can’t parent properly. Can’t sit. Breastfeeding, holding my baby, pushing my pram- all hurt and put pressure on the area. The pile has just got more and more blue and angry. I constantly feel it pulsing.

Spoke to a doctor on Monday who prescribed me the prescription-only steroid cream, painkillers and other stuff to ward off any constipation. Strict instructions to call back if the pile doesn’t seem to be improving in 48 hours.

It’s been over 48 hours. The strong painkillers manage the pain, but I can still ‘feel it’ pulsing and need to stay topped up with alarms. No shrinkage, if anything it’s gotten bigger (plum sized)

I called back today and this was how the exchange went.

Me- ‘Good morning, just calling the doctor back. My name is xyz abc. Date of birth- 11th novembuary 2003. I was prescribed some steroid treatment for a severe pile and was told call back in 48 hours if it hasn’t improved’.

GPR- ‘Hello there, we are only doing acute illnesses and emergencies today so you will need to call back tomorrow. Goodby-‘

me interjecting- ‘I have a blue, pulsating pile protruding from my anus the size of a plum, I can barely walk, I’m struggling to look after my child, I’m in constant pain without the naproxen, the doctor told me to call back if the steroids prescribed hadn’t improved the situation.’

GPR deep audible sigh - ‘I’ll put you on the list for the doctor to call you. Bye.’

Is this a common exchange now? I’m in quite good health and haven’t had to call the GP in a while. My first appointment on Monday, the receptionist at least asked what was wrong and triaged me accordingly.

I completely get that gate keeping needs to be done as they are so stretched, but it just felt really mean and unhelpful.

I see what you did there 🤣

MN is really weird about GP surgeries.

@Cheeseandlobster

That is her fucking job. A GP receptionist should not be sighing when hearing about 'unsavoury' health problems. What planet are you on?

The wrong one I guess. Oh well back to the space ship for me

Get a grip OP, the GP is ringing you back 🙄

Gosh that sounds awful, op. Hope you get a call back soon

Yeah OP, get a grip. Our national healthcare service has deigned to give you a phone appointment for a potentially serious issue and you only had to fight a little bit.

Perhaps pick your bar up off the floor before you trip over it.

I had my GP receptionist try and stop me from booking a smear.

I put in a complaint.

I get the NHS is under extreme pressure and these people are probably dealing with a million patients a day and only 5 slots, but I dont ask for medical advice from a receptionist.

I wouldn't say she tried to block you, she was rushing her job and not paying attention, but once she did pay attention you got your appointment.

Yep, basically unless you are assertive/beg you get nowhere. On the rare occasions I've had to ring for my children for serious issues once I'd managed to actually get through to a doctor/see them, we were sent to a+e. This has happened twice now. On one occasion I was told I couldn't even have a callback and to ring am the next day, when I did I managed to get a callback booked in, the doctor rang me back immediately just after 8am and said come in now. We were sent to A+E. The receptionist with no medical training having been given the same symptoms the day before told me I couldn't even speak to a doctor, the doctor having the same information said come in now and we were on our way to hospital shortly after. All wrong and dangerous.

It seems they are trained to try and stop you getting an appointment, it's job well done if they get you off the phone having not booked you in. I think the whole ring another day is so you don't bother. I really feel for older people who maybe aren't so assertive. It's wrong.

The NHS is a joke.

The receptionist did the right thing. You telling her you have a pile isn’t classed as an emergency so obviously she was telling you to ring back that’s normal.

then you interrupted and let her know how bad it was and she’s put you on the list. It’s normal now they don’t book you in straight for an appointment anymore unless it’s an emergency which yours isn’t. Bear in mind in most doctors waiting for a call can be up to 72 hours so if you don’t hear by the end of tomorrow I’d be making a 2nd plan. All depends on what they get coming in. Fingers crossed you sort it .

My God. Why are people being so rude to OP?

@Cheeseandlobster

'I see what you did there* 🤣'
*
😳🫣😬

Jesus Christ, all the people saying "but she put you on the list for a callback" are completely ignoring the fact that she was actually about to hang up on you, had already started saying "goodbye" and that you had to be quite bolshy to get your word in.

When I was younger and shyer than I am now, I would absolutely not have felt confident to interject like that. She would have just put the phone down on me and I would have just thought "oh, a plum-sized pile and being in so much pain I can't operate obviously doesn't count as acute then, they know best" and been too unconfident to try calling back.

Absolutely unacceptable, rude, and most importantly, that behaviour could prevent people from getting the treatment they need.

I understand they are under pressure but if they aren't actually LISTENING to the patients they are attempting to triage (and triage shouldn't be done by a non-medical professional anyway) then they quite simply aren't doing their job properly. Complain. This one is not "doing her best in a bad situation", she's not doing her job properly at all.

I expect the patients are afraid to call the GP receptionist. Rudeness in healthcare is a very serious issue - it’s not like rudeness in Tesco, as if the cashier is rude to you, you’ll still go back for food as you can’t survive without it. However in healthcare, being rude and mean actually can kill people because they don’t go back for the treatment or tests that they need.

I don't think it's safe for patients, and very unfair on receptionists for GP reception staff to be traiging patients. MIL had an incident recently where 86 y/o PIL had a fall and was stuck in bed in agony. MIL tried to get an appointment, receptionist asked to speak to him and he told her "he felt fine" so MIL was refused an appointment for FIL, not even a call back. FIL spent 24 hours in agony until MIL, encouraged by DH & BIL, got the courage up to call the surgery back. Following the eventual GP appointment, he was hospitalised for 2 days. This could have been a lot worse and incidents like this make receptionists vulnerable to blame & practices vulnerable to litigation , in addition to risking patient safety. This is not a dig at receptionists or GPS at all, another example of the way under funding & policy is impacting on the NHS

I despair at some of the answers. People think it’s perfectly fine to have to fight for basic care for something that sounds reasonably serious, and having to put up with sighing and bad attitudes to get it. Who needs the stress and aggro when they are already not well?

Doctor’s receptionists are notoriously rude. The ones at Bridge Street Surgery in Burton on Trent (yes I am naming and shaming) used to take the absolute cake when I lived there 20 years ago, it was like they had weapons training in being as mean, scornful and unhelpful as possible while dealing with vulnerable and ill people.

Ultimately their job is to gatekeep resources so they’re being like that for a reason.

It’s a sign of how shit the NHS is these days. Doctors surgeries are not meant to be for top priority patients only, they’re meant to be for everyone no matter what.

She hasn't blocked you. She has done her hob as bosses have asked her to do. You have a phone call today after explaining the problem. What more can she do? She can't give you an appointment if the bosses (the GPs) have told her to do it this was.

But when I was a child (80s) my mum used to leave me behind the reception desk with the receptionists when she went into her appointments, they used to give me a chocolate biscuit, I remember it to this day (I would have been 2 years old). Can you imagine that happening these days!

Yes i know

thats why i agreed with the OP when she said ‘she absolutely didnt triage me AT FIRST’

YANBU. My experience of the NHS is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Which isn’t how healthcare should work. It shouldn’t be survival of the loudest and most assertive.

My DS has severe lung issues and has such strong steroids we have to call and see a GP to be granted access to a prescription for them.

Since two years ago, I've had argument after argument with the witches on the desk at my surgery.

They have told me to go to the pharmacy for cough syrup. They've said to place a prescription request as I can't expect the GP to see me as I've forgotten DS meds. I've been fobbed off at every opportunity.

These women do not care that I'm an unpaid carer, they don't care that I don't make the rules around this medication. Their singular job seems to be solely to block anyone and everyone from speaking to, much less actually seeing in person, a GP. They always have an excuse of why I should not be calling or should've gone to the pharmacy or that it's some how my fault.

I've even had to call 111 (itself a fucking nightmare) to get an out of hours appointment which resulted twice in the locum contacting the surgery to say speaking to a GP should be a priority for DS of I'm requesting this medication. They totally ignored it both times and one went so far as to say "well, he's not OUR GP so I don't care what he said".

This is why so many people feel they have no choice but to present at A+E or minor injuries. It horrifies me that the government seems to think giving these utter cows training to help ease pressure on GPs is a great idea. It's a stupid and frankly dangerous idea. Becky certainly in my experience, with these cretins the more time they then get told off for fobbing is off, the nastier they get and more they get off on blocking and being appalling rude in retaliation.

At least you managed to get a phone call. I would suggest explaining to the GP the issues you had accessing that and felt you had to discuss delicate and private info with her to even get a call and ask that they can send you urgently to a consultant.

there's a lot of unnecessary sniping at the OP.
TBH i think if a doctor says "call back in 48 hours if it's not better" it would be helpful to take the 20 seconds to put the patient's name on a "will poss call back today" in the calendar for 2 days later? not sure, i don't work in a surgery

OTOH it could be the receptionist/practise's way of making sure only those who really really need to have an appointment stick it out to do so?

All this call back business causes delays for those who need treatment today. Whilst the call back system has its good points I think we need to go back to more face to face visits. This is why people go to A and E unnecessarily because the GP practices won’t necessarily see them. I have needed an intimate examination for ages for urinary symptoms but I’ve not had one at the GP surgery. I attended urogynae at the hospital who have diagnosed a cystocele, fairly mild, luckily but only found out because I had a proper examination. Treatment can now start. The hospital has been wonderful (I live in London). I am also under orthopaedics who have also been helpful. I am so grateful to the staff.

I hope you get seen today OP you sound in such pain.

I worked in the NHS for 25 years, recently retired, and am appalled at how things are going after so many years of neglect by successive governments.