To think the GP receptionist should have asked, 'Are you ok'?

[shonapop]

My mood has been slowly spiralling downwards. I've had many gentle suggestions from family that perhaps it's time to think about increasing my anti depressants.
I've been really putting it off, trying to fix myself with all the usual exercise, meditation, etc. Just getting worse.
Plucked up the courage to call the GP today, feeling like a total failure and on my way to rock bottom.
Told the receptionist 'I think I need to tweak my antidepressants' she said 'I can't get you a phonecall with a GP until next week ' that was it. Didn't ask if I was ok, was it an mental health emergency? Or even what direction was I wanting to tweak them.
What if it was someone AT rock bottom? Suicidal? Can't believe the lack of compassion.

Sorry you're having a hard time. But maybe that's where you'd say I need seeing sooner I'm not ok, I'm at rock-bottom. You could literally use this example for so many scenarios, it's on the caller to tell them how desperate they are if they can't wait.

@TurnipSurprise Have you looked into Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder? (PMDD) I only ask because I have this exact thing, but the GP's only solution was to get the coil. I didn't get proper help until I paid for a private Gynae consultation. She referred me back to the NHS to get monthly triptorelin injections to basically put my ovaries to sleep for a bit until I started to feel better.

And sorry if this is already stuff you know. But I didn't understand before how my body's extreme sensitivity to hormone fluctuations was triggering suicidal thoughts every time I ovulated. Sending hugs x

On the automated message before the call was taken it said 'you are about to talk to one of our highly trained receptionists' I would have thought that the mention of anti depressants should be something that would make her ears perk up.

It's probably because you told her exactly what you needed and she didn't need any more information.

If you'd have said no and broken down (which is what I'd likely do if I was struggling) she doesn't have immediate resources available to help you.

It's crap but she's in a tough spot. It might be worth calling first thing every morning in case you can get a cancellation appointment sooner.

Agree with previous, people don't call to see their GP unless they are in some way unwell. The receptionists are extremely busy and have loads of tasks to do in addition to answering the phone. If they pick up on all the cues patients drop then they wouldn't be able to do their job. They ask what they need to ask to try and book you the most appropriate appointment available or signpost you to other services when not.

Highly trained in emergency mental health care?

Lucky you...!! Our surgery you are lucky if you get a call back a week later!

You need to be more open I'm afraid. GP receptionists get so much flack for being too intrusive. If you are really low you need to make that clear and say you really need an urgent appointment for an antidepressants review if that's the case.

One you don't have to be trained to show a bit of empathy. After all she is working for the medical profession. And I think that answer is no use to any one @afinishedkiss . I hope you are feeling in a better place soon. @shonapop

GP receptionists are notorious and certainly at my surgery they live up to the stereotype - at my surgery they seem incapable of talking to people without soundings like they are fighting with you!

BUT in this case, while I absolutely sympathise with what you are going through right now, I don't think their is merit in the complaint. They can only give out appointments when they are available and they probably don't have time and / or feel like it's appropriate to delve into detail about why everyone they talk to needs an appointment and in fairness one if the main complaints you hear about the gp receptionists are about them demanding details that people feel they should only have to tell the Dr!

I do hope things get better for you

Hi op,I think you've taken this to heart as you wanted a friendly ear and she was simply professional,you're comment about tweaking could be interpreted either way so I don't think she's done anything wrong.
Can you speak to MIND or a similar charity in the meantime?
Have you any idea of the cause of your low mood?
Have you considered CBT therapy?
The root of your happiness would be better addressed if that's possible.
🌈

The mention of antidepressants wouldn't even make their ears tingle, it's a completely normal and routine thing to be seeing the GP for.

She probably had twenty more callers on the line waiting to get through. If she asks you if you’re ok and you say no, then what does she do? She’s not a trained counsellor. What about the next person who rings up saying they’re in pain? Or the mum worried about their baby not feeding well? Should she be asking them if they’re ok too?

What about the person with mental health issues who can’t get through at all because it’s taking too long?

Sorry OP but her job is to try and triage everybody as efficiently as possible. There are many numbers like 111, local mental health crisis teams, Mind, Samaritans etc. for people to ring who need mental health support who can handle it far more effectively than a GP receptionist.

Hey @shonapop, so sorry your struggling. I totally get where you're coming from. I've made that call several times to the GP. The previous posters are right though -- you have to tell them you are in crisis and need an urgent appointment to speak to your GP.

Millions of UK residents are on antidepressants. That means the receptionist has likely had dozens of calls that week about people wanting to adjust/review/increase/switch their ADs.

Getting the right mental health support seems impossible sometimes. But I promise you that if you call back and say exactly how bad it is, you won't get fobbed off. You may not get a same-day appointment, or they may refer you to 999 if you are at risk of danger. But you will get help.

It sucks. I know it does. But keep advocating for your care, and don't misplace your anger on the receptionist. They are simply doing their job. Take care, and get better soon 💐

GP receptionists are not counsellors, they are not trained to ask if you are ok regarding your depression unless you give them a reason to think you are not ok. They are not qualified to help you and they are not mind readers and just saying you want to ‘tweak your medication’ isn’t going to make them think anything other than you want to tweak your medication. They are there to book appointments and make sure you are booked in with the correct person who will then be qualified to ask those sort of questions. Receptionists handle a huge volume of phone calls and face to face enquiries on a daily basis and most people they encounter are not ok otherwise they wouldn’t be contacting the GP practice.

@afinishedkiss what a tone deaf, insensitive response...

Sadly, some GP receptionists aren't the most compassionate - I have rung up and literally said, I am severely depressed I need help and I need an emergency appointment (something I've been told to get by the GP when I'm in crisis) and been told 'well I hardly think that's an emergency is it'. Saying I think I need to tweak my antidepressants could have meant something like they were giving some nasty side effects, or even that you want to decrease the dosage. So it might just be that she didn't think about it.

Unfortunately the reality of how the nhs works what your asking isn't possible I think 1 in 4 gp appointments are about mental health and I would think about a 1/3 of any drs patients lists are on antidepressants. There's a good chance the receptionist herself is taking them. If you are in crisis and need urgent help you literally need to say the words and to be fair, even then you might not get much help but you would have a better chance

Since you have posted this on AIBU I’m going to be honest and say you are being completely unreasonable. Sorry you’re feeling so bad, but you’re being completely unfair to expect an underpaid, overworked GP receptionist to offer a listening service on the basis of “I think my antidepressants need tweaking”.

I worked in this sort of job in another life and I also am a long term user of antidepressants so I can see both sides of the coin. GP receptionists get the most vile abuse and shit for things completely out of their control, and you’re being incredibly unfair to someone doing the job they’ve been trained to do, which is not that of a counsellor.

When I’ve needed urgent mental health help I’ve said I’m struggling, I usually sound like I’m struggling and I’ve always been offered a same day appointment. I can’t fault my GP for that.

Why are you rolling your eyes at someone who is clearly having a very difficult time?

Plenty of people have made your point without being a dick.

Hi @shonapop
I started a thread recently about the current ridiculous system most GP surgeries have in place for getting an appointment. Well done for even getting through on the phone.

What exactly did you expect from the receptionist? They are exactly that - receptionists. Not healthcare professionals. It is not their role to ask if patients are okay. There are probably several dozen more trying to get through. Genuinely curious what you expected from the receptionist - ask if you are ok then what, signpost you to what? They aren't trained to do this. I also think they aren't trained to triage but that's another issue. They are basically a medium through which you can get an appointment because its not a good use of GP time to be answering the phone.

Wow never thought I’d feel sorry for a gp receptionist!

Sorry you’re having a hard time but your expectations are way off. It’s not their job to support you, and someone else may have found the follow up questions you suggest very intrusive.

Some GP receptionists should have a kinder tone; many can sound so rude. But as it’s so endemic, I presume it is the result of a wider issue. They are the front face of the surgeries and probably end up with all the unfiltered rudeness and frustration of patients. I am sorry if she was rude.

But she is in no way a trained MH clinician. She cannot do a brief risk assessment on the phone. Indeed it could be more risky for her to do so. Are there crisis lines where you live? That would be more suitable if you are in crisis. The way things are currently, the fact you got through and were offered an appt next week, is not that bad going ☹️ Things are awful and even worse in some places. It’s not right though.

Good luck OP. But try not to dwell on this. It’s the wrong focus for your negativity right now.

If you had told her a bit more I'm sure she would have been more sympathetic. Tweaking your medication could mean bringing the dose down not up. I'm sorry you're not feeling low and hope you feel better after a dr app xxx