To expect the Doctors to be taking calls at lunchtime

[OwwwMuuuum]

It’s my lunch break. I called the doctor for blood test results.

First, a message stating “due to staff sickness” they are not staffing the phones over lunch break (unless it’s an emergency). Variations of this excuse have been peddled since the start of the winter.

Second, a long message about respecting phone appointments and the decisions of advanced nurse practitioners etc etc.

The phone to reception then just rang out, there is no other way of retrieving my blood results and I can’t call back when I’m working.

YABU - busy doctors Surgeries shouldn’t have to plan their staff rotas to cover lunch breaks, when most patients are trying to contact them.
YANBU - patients should be able to reach their doctors surgery over lunch times.

So you can have a lunch break but they can't?

I never tried to ring my GP at lunchtime, so don't know about this, but while I was working at NHS dentist, we were closed for lunch and we had outgoing message that we're closed for lunch. Phone was ringing like crazy (and people banging in the shutters 😂), but it was as it was. We were only working through lunch (taking rotas) when some emergencies were booked at lunchtime. I think every surgery has its own rules, so it's hard to expect anything.

Our PAs have to arrange their lunches so at least one of them is covering at all times for phones, visitors etc. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask that a surgery should operate in the same way.

Our GP office only has one person at reception/answering phones/checking people in. They get a lunch break so no one answers on the lunch hour.
Unless your GP is one of those surgeries with 6 doctors, and a variety of nurses, ANP's and a lot of reception staff then you are being unreasonable.
Take an early or late lunch if you want them to answer.

I’m not sure lunchtime is when most of their patients are trying to get through, earlier is much busier and when they prioritise staff being on phone lines. That said, organising staff rotas seems more of a fire fighting exercise at the moment anyway so I think they do what they can best manage.

If there are two receptionists and one is on leave, do you think the other one should not have a lunch break? They are already covering the work of the absent colleague.

Also... when is "lunch break". In my old job that could be anytime from 11-3 depending on shift times. How many "lunch breaks" should they be expected to be covering?

You're allowed a lunch break. Why are the staff at the Doctors allowed one?

My doctors has always been closed over lunchtime.

If it's just your blood test results you're after can you see them on the NHS app?

I work in a GP practice and lunch times are tricky. The doctors are often out doing home visits (yes, really. We have 4 home visits on the screen today and 4 doctors, so they all have one each). Other staff teams also often swap shifts at lunchtime. We are chronically short staffed so those who are here all day need a break. While we will always have a receptionist on duty it may well be only one of them so it can take a while for a call to be answered.

This.

I can't think of any profession where it is impossible to make a phone call during work hours except teaching, and they can call at 3.30.

Selfish doctors wanting to eat lunch during their busy day.... the cheek of it

In Ireland all doctors offices (and other offices such as tax offices etc) close for much from 1-2ish! They deserve a break!!

Our surgery tells us that they will contact us if any tests come back needing further action - we get a text message. Also, the NHS app should have your results on it.

So it’s fine for you to have a lunch break but not a doctor? Ok then. YABVU!

You can’t think of any job role where someone is required to not have their phone on their person during their shift?

My old GP’s practice was like this, it was so annoying. Even for routine appointments you could not phone at lunchtime and, by the time I had finished work, they were shut. Some surgeries do not seem to realise that some people have to work for a living!

I work on phones ironically and can only take breaks at my allotted time as my stats are monitored. I work part time though so I’m lucky so be able ring on my days off otherwise I’d find it quite tough!

I don't think OP meant Drs shouldn't get a lunch break, I think she meant reception should be covered.
But I think that depends on the size of the GP surgery. If I go in to mine there are generally three receptionists behind the desk, so I would expect them to arrange lunch so it's covered apart from instances of sickness etc where they can't (and since they don't close the phone line at lunch, I assume this is what they do). A smaller surgery with fewer receptionists might not have the capacity to do this. So I guess it depends how big the surgery is OP.

Well, no. The idea is presumably that they stagger their lunch breaks. It's hardly unusual, and it's what my surgery does.

That's quite bizarre. There are loads of jobs where people can't make personal phone calls during working hours.

If they only have one receptionist then they can’t cover lunch. Or if they have one on the morning only and one full time etc etc.
They are obviously going to try and cover their busiest periods if at all
possible.

'That's quite bizarre. There are loads of jobs where people can't make personal phone calls during working hours.'

But they can - go to the loo and make a call from there.

You seriously can't think of any? Off the top of my head... doctors, nurses, pretty much any NHS customer facing roles, TAs, construction workers, guards, drivers, those who work in secure areas where you're not allowed a phone (more people than you'd think), people in all-day client workshops. I'm sure there are many more.

@Patineur even staggering lunch breaks doesn't mean they will match the timings of lunch breaks for every job out there.
When I used to start at 6am I had my 'lunch break' about 10ish sometimes.