GP receptionists?

[cherrypied]

They are called care navigators.

I’m so poorly and fed up but they seem to want to do everything tiny to not give me a an appointment with a GP.

Is this part of their training?

Well, sometimes they're full.... How are they supposed to magically create another emergency appointment?

Plenty of people. 🤷‍♀️

I get that. But if someone is ill enough to need medical attention then they will be referred back to the GP if they've called 111 because the GP has a duty of care to see their patient if they are open. This thread is about receptionists triaging patients isn't it? Not having enough clinical staff is a different conversation.

So if the GP has a duty of care. Why won’t they give you an appointment but if you call via 111 they will?

I’m struggling to reconcile the logic.

On three occasions I have seen/ spoken with an GP. But it was a lot of hoops to jump through.

The appointments are there they are just being gate-kept. I was called at 3 pm but the nurse and then given a GP appointment at 5.30.

Why? Because they don't do technology. Just because I do doesn't mean I want them mithering me to do it for them! I live hundreds of miles away, have a family of my own and work. I know plenty of 80 year olds with tablets etc - doesn't mean they know how to use them! I'll order the odd thing for them off Amazon (as it's free postage and ndd) but can't be arranging all their appointments for them!
I think GPS etc need to recognise some older people are stubborn and old skool and the only way they can contact them is via phone or face to face.

This doesn’t really land well. I don’t want to do lots of things but you do them for your own good, actively choosing not to is choosing to disadvantage yourself. People born in the 1940’s and 1950’s were not even over 60 when technology came into our lives from the 1990’s onwards, they have had 20 years to adapt with the times it’s not happened overnight. My relatives are in their 70’s and I think it’s reasonable they can help themselves by using tech where possible. They might not have the most up to date tech but they can manage the basics. They all managed to use bloody teletext and cefax didn’t they? They can read? Use a TV?

It’s a small minority of people who are financially disadvantaged, cannot afford WiFi or a mobile phone, those with physical disabilities such as sight or hearing loss or a learning difficulty who need help and support. Saying ‘I just don’t want to’ isn’t really acceptable.

No! Of course they don't use ceefax or teletext - do those even still exist?! They never got an answer phone because they didn't want people bothering them! They are rural country folk and don't do technology.
I appreciate they're at a disadvantage but they think it's the devil's work.
For some reason once you hit 70 you can do whatever the hell you please, or so it would appear in my parents' world! They appear to to have reverted back to toddlerdom and if they don't like it they just won't do it! And the naughty step just won't work on them!
They live a very basic life, living off the land, think "the Good Life" , kind of life! Maybe it's just my parents....

When is the last time any doctor did house calls. I remember one with my ex but that was 1992.

If you get through to a GP receptionist who is simply looking at the computer and reading the message that there are no more same day appointments available, they won't consult with the Duty GP and will continue to decline the patient no matter what the problem is. That patient can(should) phone 111 and they will be assessed in more depth and depending on the problem, if the duty clinician feels that patient needs to be seen, they will contact the patient's GP surgery and advise that. 111 could also choose to call an ambulance, or advise another pathway such as a non urgent GP appointment or pharmacy. The thing is, if the GP receptionist who hasn't got the skills or experience to work out that there's a high possibility that someone needs to be seen, they won't consult with the Duty GP, the GP will not know. Sorry if this is waffly 🙃

111 have an algorithm via computer software for assessing urgent needs

GP surgeries do not have this

That is the main difference

The software isn’t isn’t suitable for a GP surgery as primary care is not an emergency service (believe it or not)

111 and the GP surgery do interact with a crossover but their systems are completely different

NHS England mandated primary care to take a small number of 111 calls ‘in hours’ because so many people ring 111 when it’s not an emergency (ie not appropriate for 111)

I need regular appointments due to ongoing treatment post cancer.
I dutifully ring at 4 seconds to 8 and get through to find I am number 13/14/15 in the queue.
How the fuck has that happened?
Request a call back( place in queue is kept)
Call back comes at 8.50.
No appointments or phone appointments left.
No point in ringing earlier as you just get a message saying the practice is closed.
I honestly think that if I was to throw myself dramatically on the floor in reception that the receptionists would just step over me.
Having met with the practice manager on several occasions( and referring to the personal letter I received from the practice stating that they would do everything they could do to help re my diagnosis) , when I finally met the Dr he was great.
Just wish it wasn't such a battle to get there!
And the annoying message on the phone- " due to an unprecedented number of calls we are exceptionally busy" should be banned!

Yup, my OH has cancer and regularly gets referred back to his GP by the oncologist, but it's a sodding nightmare to get past the receptionists who often argue that it's the oncologist's job to arrange a scan/x-ray or a different drug to be prescribed - as if a receptionist knows better than an oncologist! When he finally gets a message "pinged" to the GP, it's usually dealt with quickly as mostly he doesn't need an appointment (neither phone nor in person) and all the GP has to do is a few minutes setting up the new prescription or a few key strokes for the referral and then ping a message to OH to say he's done it, but by God, OH has a very hard job getting past the receptionists who just don't listen.

I’m sorry you’re feeling poorly op. I hope you get seen soon.

I have to say the receptionists at my GP are excellent. One even rang me back last week to see how I was.

There is no way to even speak to a receptionist at my GP practice. It is on the East Sussex coast and yet all calls go to a call centre in Manchester. The call centre staff do not have any medical knowledge and deal with numerous other types of businesses. I find the situation ludicrous and frustrating. Emailing the surgery is not possible either btw.

Me neither. Seems they are fair game in a way no other profession is? Always wonder if it's because it's a job that is 99% female workforce.

I really don’t want to pick holes as I do understand it’s frustrating but it’s not your GP’s role at all to do tests for a consultant. The clinician who wants the tests is legally and clinically responsible for ordering them and reviewing the results, there is a whole entire NHS policy enshrined in the NHS contract about this. It’s not actually safe…However, consultants push back to the GP for the ‘donkey work’ - putting more and more and more pressure on primary care. Which is breaking

consultants are not more senior to a GP. Thry are more specialist, They can’t instruct a GP what to do. They aren’t the GP’s boss man. They don’t rule the medical world with GP’s at the bottom taking instructions. There are clear guidelines about this. Consultants choose not to pay attention to it

A patient’s wife rang our surgery last month to book in as an urgent appointment with a GP.
Crushing chest pain and breathless. All the classic signs of a heart attack.

I think my colleague was on the phone to his wife for 15 minutes pleading with her to get off the phone and dial 999.
in the end one of the nurses dialled 999 as we couldn’t get her off the phone due to ‘needing to see a GP’ about her husband chest pains!

Being a GP receptionist, these threads always make me feel awkward. We don’t like turning people away for appointments believe it or not. But if you want an urgent on the day appointment for something you’ve had for months, you’re not going to get one as we ask ‘why is it now urgent after x amount of time’. People call for urgent on the day for their kids/themselves, and when given a time they say they can’t make it as their at school/work. If you can attend school/work it’s not urgent. I think people ask for urgent as they just don’t want to wait a week to be seen.

One of ours is awful. Truly awful.

DP had a run in with them last year. Now just hangs up the line if they pick up, and calls back until he gets the good receptionist.

To avoid this dance he finally downloaded NHS app. Saw his notes for the first time. This crazy receptionist has added a load of comments about discussing patient compliance with him. 😭 😭 😭

A real piece of work

I wonder if it is the one who left, was dismissed from my surgery that you have. Had to get practice manager to remove some inappropriate things she had written in my record. Funnily enough the new team are amazing, now she has gone. It runs like clockwork, and it's so efficient. They are great, lovely and friendly, and I'm incredibly fortunate to be registered there.

While 111 are pretty insistent that patients go back to their GPs, you have to be insistent back

Reiterating that the GP has no further appointments and that you need to see a GP somewhere else can get you an emergency 111 slot at another GP practice or one of the reserved out of hours slots

Maybe!? DP couldn’t bare the call dance so we don’t know if she’s still there.

I will tell him to have a browse when he goes in and if the nice receptionist is there maybe to mention the strange comments on his records.

Correct @Gingernaut

GP was full so I called 111 and got an appointment ….. with my own GP.

There are 111 slots at some GP surgeries that the staff there cannot book, unless it's very close to the appointment time

Anyone who's close enough to get there can call 111 and get it booked - turns out your GP surgery was full, but for the 111 slot, which could be booked by the 111 people