Why tell the receptionist why I'm seeing the doctor

[Eldermileniummam]

Why do they ask this? Is it so they can give you an appointment with the appropriate person or some other reason?

I usually don't mind but sometimes I'm embarrassed to say and never sure how specific I need to be.

It’s not a breach - it depends on what it is needed for. In this case it’s identification so not a problem.

This, I think.

Well said. I am a nurse and I do think that sometimes, gp receptionists dont have a clue. I have personal experience of this.Once when my son was very ill, but according to the receptionist I could go to my local pharmacy instead of seeing a gp because he only had a virus, (turned out he had meningitis). Another time I was told I didnt need a sick note because I had only broken my arm, despite telling her what my job was. When I got to see a gp, she agreed and gave me a sick note for 6 weeks.

I agree but they sort of act like a triage before you speak to an actual doctor to make sure lack of appointments go to the most needed cases or to tell you to go the pharmacist and get something over the counter

You don’t have to share the information. They ask you because the doctors have asked them to do this.
That helps GP prioritise their calls, because a chest pain will definitely take priority over discussing a letter to get your implant removed.

Bahahahahahaha
Practice nurse

Our GP surgery seems to

• give priority to sick children - they will try and fit them in (they might do this to other vulnerable too.)
• one doctor gets most of the women's health ones
• female doctors do smear tests, breast health - I've never been assigned to a male for smear / breast lump in the regular surgery.

See my smear tests were always done by the nurse

My point was and is that it is NOT for a receptionist to assess the need for an appointment, as I said just book it, receptionists as valuable and necessary as they are, are there to book appointments, not sign post or triage, usually when ringing the GP, there is a pre recorded message to say if its an emergency then ring ring 999 for assistance, any patient with an acute abdomen ie severe abdominal pain etc requires emergency treatment needs the emergency services and not a GP. as I said the recorded message informs you of that.
A patient calling his/her GP is ring re his/her health why would they call otherwise?
Again it is not for an unqualified person to decide what the problem is, patronising anxious patients is not helpful either, I have no problem with receptionists per say, I have a very close friend who is a receptionist, I am also aware that people can be quite obnoxious on the phone, have been there and got the tee shirt to quote an old saying, speaking as a retired registered nurse who's last job was GP Out of Hours triage nurse, sometimes on the end of an irate caller who did not need emergency appointment, the reason for a qualified nurse doing telephone triage was obviously for our training, expertise and prior knowledge, a call handler put the calls through and I would triage and signpost as appropriate, a GP receptionist as already quoted is not there to determine the outcome of an appointment request.
I make no apologies for this long winded reply, a need to know basis should be the only reason for requiring details from a patient except for verifying name, address, date of birth etc not their reason for requesting an appt.

I hate it. And no matter what you tell them, you cannot get an appointment. And no, you cannot make an appointment on line, or a phone consultation or any bloody thing else. You have to call at 8am (how supremely convenient for those of us that work!) hang on for at least an hour to be told to call back tomorrow, even for non urgent appointments because they only make those 4 weeks in advance and they’ve all gone. At my GP at least, the “service” part of the NHS has vanished.
I have entirely given up and use a private GP, which I assume is what they actually want people to do. Whilst still paying for the “service” of course. It’s shit.

Fair point, but I was just saying that most people can get antibiotics for a UTI from the pharmacy. These days it is generally nitrofurantoin, but obviously there are some people who need something different.

There are more people wanting an appointment than there are appointments. Don’t know what you think the practice can do.

I also assume receptionists have access to everyone's files so will be able to see everything anyway. I know it's not the same as having to explain to them on the phone though

Not say their new online system is an improvement for a start or fair for working people.

@Whenim63 my old surgery was like that.
I had frustrating call with the receptionist.
me - I need an appointment with GP
her - why?
Me - I have high blood pressure. I’ve seen the nurse but I’m reacting to the meds. I can’t take them.
her - ha yes but we dint have anything. If you don’t take your meds for high BP, that’s serious you know
me - yes I know…. That's why I need to see the GP asap.
we went round like that about 3 times and she finally said:
‘Look this is serious. I’m going to book you an out of hour appointment …. With a nurse….’
(fwiw a nurse can’t prescribe a new med if the first one caused problems…)

Arrived at the appointment and I was told ‘oh we had to reorganise your appointment. It will be 15 mins later. Is that ok?’
Me - yes that’s fine. But why?
Them - you shouldn’t see the nurse but the GP with what you have ……🤯🤯🤯

I don’t know if it will help, but I was told then that if you can’t get an appointment for something to ring 111 and explain. They’ll get you an out of hours appointment. And it will get back to said surgery (as in ‘you’re not doing your job well!)
When I saw the GP, he said ‘oh … you’re at xyz surgery … we get loads people from there …..’

I don’t know.
My old surgery was awful for that.

My new one? I have an appointment in the next week.
On the day of your turn at 8.00am (you take a ticket and wait)
Theres no appointment needed to have your blood taken. You just pop round to see the phlebotomist.
Thats NHS, exactly the same than my old. They’re only a few miles apart. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Lets see. Perhaps open up appointments more than 4 weeks in advance? Perhaps offer telephone appointments? Perhaps embrace some efficiencies?
And what does my practice think people who cannot afford a private gp can do? Just get more and more unwell and eventually need hospitalisation or emergency treatment elsewhere? The level of “care” they are providing is not ok. And yes, I work with the general public. If I treated them the way my GP behaves? I’d be out of a job because my business would fail.

I've never had an issue with getting an appointment. Never called before 9.30am either

Thank you for that. And I’m sorry you’ve had a similar experience, it’s such a waste of everyone’s time??
I really don’t think it’s all gps but when you get a bad one, it’s time consuming and very frustrating. Fortunately I don’t need my gp very often at all but I will bear in mind 111 for the future.

Good for you. We clearly are registered at different practices!

Our GP practise has openly said it’s a triage system but seriously, I think this could be dangerous! What skills do receptionists have to triage or even ask the most pertinent questions. Also people may not answer 100% honestly because it’s the receptionist and not the doctor, especially in front of everyone in the waiting room!

You must have been retired for a long time then, otherwise you would be aware that receptionists are trained to triage and work together with the clinical staff to achieve this.
Must be a great view from that high horse.

What training do GP receptionists receive for medical triage?

The same skills as 111 operators who aren’t medically trained but are able to triage calls.

My point is that receptionists are not there to make an assessment of whether a patient needs an emergency appointment, their job is to book it, with the greatest of respect receptionists are not qualified to make a medical assessment.
When a patient rings a GP surgery a pre recorded message usually plays informing the patient that an emergency ie an acute abdomen ie severe abdominal etc the caller is advised to ring 999, there they will be triaged and appropriate advice and action will happen, this of course varies from surgery to surgery, area to area.
I speak as an Out of Hours triage nurse (RGN) so I know something of what I speak.
The GP receptionist is there to book appointments, not triage and signpost, the patient and doctor relationship and who has access to information regarding a patients diagnosis is highly confidential and subject to data protection.
I am not being critical and am fully aware of how occasionally difficult patients can be, often being on the receiving end when triaging in out of hours but I do know that a patient is often stressed and do prefer to speak directly with a nurse or doctor about often sensitive personal health conditions, preferring to get their appointments without having to tell someone other than a health professional what their symptoms are.