GP receptionist - report or let it go?

[6079SmithW]

I’ve just come off the phone with the GP surgery.
I had an appointment today which due escalating problems at work I needed to move to next week. It’s for a timed (28 days) injection so it’s really not convenient to move it as I will be outside of treatment for a week, but I didn’t feel I had any choice.
(Full disclosure - I also had to ring them yesterday because I had written the appointment down on different days in two different diaries).
After changing the appointment, and presumably after she thought the call was disconnected, the receptionist said (to person unknown) “She’s a right bloody nuisance ‘6079SmithW’ with her bloody injection”, then realised and hung up.
I rang the surgery back and told her that I had her comment and she apologised. I explained that I would love to be able to drop everything and just attend but that as I work full time, I have to balance priorities. She said “Well we struggle for appointments so it’s just a good job we could for you in”. I felt that the apology wasn’t genuine and she was just trying to justify herself.
I appreciate that we’re all busy and we all have work stress etc. but AIBU to think that a GP receptionist shouldn’t be slagging off patients (within earshot of god knows who)? Furthermore would you report her or just let it go? My inclination is to leave it there, but I feel like she hasn’t taken the incident seriously and probably just slagged me off a bit more once she got off the second call !

I would report it

Not only is she rude, she's unprofessional, she is not allowed to discuss your medical history or situation with anyone else, a fact she should know full well.

Sorry but I'm sick of us all just putting up with desk dragons at GP surgeries. It's not our fault the system is grossly mishandled and underfunded. It's frustrating for us too.

So yes, too right report her. She at the every least needs retraining regards patient confidentiality.

She was venting her frustration to a colleague, or maybe you are a nuisance sometimes, many patients can be.

Frustration at what? Something which is part of her job? If she gets that frustrated about people ringing to cancel an appointment, maybe she shouldn’t be a Doctor’s receptionist!

She probably spends all day explaining to people that she’s got no appointments available and here you are wasting your slot.

Well there’s a win, then. The next time someone phones up, she can tell them there’s an appointment available!

It's literally her job to deal with appointment changes. Literally.

Absolutely this

They may have other examples of similar and it would be helpful for performance management. If it’s a one off then she won’t get severely disciplined but it’s part of building an idea of work behaviour.

You sound fairly robust but to someone else who is having a terrible day hearing something like that might be the straw that breaks the camels back iyswim and could be really harmful.

She was unprofessional (and also said your name in a presumably at least slightly public area in a derogatory way which is another issue)

I am a GP and I would want my practice manager to be aware of this even if it’s just to remind the reception staff that things like this matter and reflect badly on the practice.

Oh come on OP, like you've never called someone a pain in the arse before 🙄

I'd think it was funny if this happened to me and I certainly wouldn't be phoning back or complaining!

In a work environment it is not appropriate

😆😆😆

Id be concerned about her saying your name and the treatment you were booking in to whoever happened to be in the room. That's a breach of confidentiality. Id be gutted if someone said "donotshushme is a right nuisance about her anti depressants." The whole room doesn't need to know i have depression.

to hear yourself as others see you op!

Let it go.

Absolutely zero is going to come out of your complaint apart from upset to the receptionist, taking up the precious time of the practice manager and you getting at best an 'I'm sorry you felt upset' response.

Reality is that you were really annoying, you've had an apology and a sensible practice manager is just going to support her staff.

It's not a confidentiality breach - no they can't broadcast your details to the waiting room or tell their friends and family, but having a vent to another team member? Healthcare would die overnight if we couldn't do that anymore.

I agree with this, the graveyards are full of indispensable people, work can wait unless you are saving a life on the operating table.
I know all to well what the results of people putting off vital timed medical intervention can be!

I would otherwise they carry on.

Its a tough tough bloody job but they can’t be rude about patients.

being king costa nothing, I’m kind to the receptionists - I don’t moan if they are running 30 minutes late, I always say please and thank you etc or costs nothing.

GP and their staff are paid and part of that is not making you feel like you are a pain in the arse.

Else the next time you won’t make an appointment or go or whatever and it could be your life

I'd not bother about complaining- you'll get nowhere, unfortunately.
It does sound as if you have made quite a few calls about this injection.
I hope, and no doubt they do too, that more calls will not occur!

Do this ^. You have no idea if this person has form for doing this. Completely unprofessional in my opinion.

Report. I have let things go in the past, but realized it just lets the person think they can get away with things and their behaviour does not stop, or just gets worse. Let the practice manager know.

Everyone slags everyone off and it does sound a bit annoying! She was unfortunate you heard her but am sure she won’t be so obvious in future!

@Strugglingtofindclothes Why flag it to them though?

Some of them are awfully rude, but do I want to be responsible for a mother losing her job and then her whole family and children suffer?

It's not well paid work.

I'd let it go. She made a mistake and apologised. What she said was perfectly valid, you were a nuisance but it was unprofessional to say it to (in ear shot of) you!
My guess is that when you called in you were raging. Maybe she apologised but you continued to comment, then she explained how/why you were a nuisance....because you were. I'd guess she wasn't genuinely sorry, just sorry you heard. If you were to report her, what resolution do you want? For her boss to remind her of her professional obligations? She'll probably do that but the key message will likely he 'be careful'.

I'm in a minority and don't even think it's that bad! You sound like you have been a pain writing down the dates incorrectly - and then changing it a second time. It's not the end of the world and neither is what she said.

No, not all of them are, the ones at my practice are very good. They also work at a practice in a deprived inner city area, which I am sure you can imagine brings its own challenges. I went through something awful a few years ago that meant a lot of appointments and I was distressed at times. The staff on reception were unfailing kind and polite even when I rang in a right state. I was so grateful I took them some nice biscuits and a card.

To be fair you do sound like a nuisance. Every minute they're on the phone with you they can't sort out another patient who might be having an urgent problem. And cancelling your appointment on the day is awful, it's as bad as not turning up, another patient could have had that appointment if you'd even cancelled it yesterday. And then ringing back to tell her you heard her. And not satisfied with that you want your half a pound of flesh by complaining.
Jesus. I feel sorry for this receptionist.

All complaining will achieve is to enhance your reputation as a right bloody nuisance. And trigger the automatic apology form letter a pp mentioned. Don’t waste your time and energy. Be the bigger person.

My GP receptionists are so cr*p that they mess up appointments so people miss them, then mark the patients down as DNA.

A hospital once marked me as DNA even though 2 weeks in advance, they asked me to confirm I'd be attending & I said no I wouldn't as I didn't need the appointment any more.

I'd guess quite a few 'no shows' aren't the real thing. This means NHS data is unreliable, & charging patients for DNAs would be unfair.

Let it go. I think you’ve embarrassed her enough by ringing back and tbh you got an apology. You do sound like a nuisance though cancelling on the day etc and keep ringing, understandably these receptionists get pissed off too. What’s your end goal here? To get her sacked? You’ve been a busy body enough.

I think it should be reported. The post is an important position, if the receptionist isn't capable of being professional they should find a different role.

They interact with the most vulnerable people in society, they need to behave properly.