I upset a lady at GP surgery today

[TheQuirkyMaker]

A queue of five people in front at surgery. Waiting room pretty full. Only one receptionist available. An elderly lady at the front was telling the receptionist that she had just picked up meds at the chemist, and they had been changed from her regular ones to different ones. There was back and forth discussion, and every few minutes the lady would say, "but nobody told me they would be changed". I asked the lady in front of me how long this had been going on and she said "about 10 minutes". After a full further 15 minutes I said "Look, this is getting us no where, none of us will get to see a doctor if we can't sign in". I got a bit of condemnation along the lines of "she was entitled to her time", but I said, "this is reception, not a consultation. Just repeating that she wasn't told her medication would be changed is getting us no where. This could go on forever".
People got a bit sniffy with me, and I got a few stares, but I was right, wasn't I?
I get we should be tolerant of older people, but there has to be a bit of give and take.

I can't believe there are still surgeries in existence in the UK that don't have screens you check in yourself?!? There's always people waiting to speak to the Receptionists in my GP surgery, dear God, if you had to wait behind the weird and wonderful queries, you may as well bring a tent and flask with you...Next time you get the annual 'what's your GP like' survey, tell them to get with the early 2010's when most surgeries introduced touchscreens... EDIT: I've just seen a following post where it says your GP does have but it was broken!

YADNBU
It boils down to the lady lacking any sense of awareness or complete selfishness to disregard the queue behind her. There are a lot of people like this.

Having said that, the receptionist needs to up her game and do her job properly in respect of moving her along appropriately.

Oh I follow you.
That don’t me I’m stalking you lol but I understand what you mean.

Yes by the lady can't get to the GP without going through the receptionist! She doesn't have their personal mobile. She needs the receptionist to get her someone that can help/speak to the Dr

Receptionist should have shut her down. Theyre normally quite good at being rude and unhelpful!!!

I would have done that after 2 minutes you where good waiting that long ! If the old lady had difficulty understanding what was happening maybe she need extra care and someone with her

I often collect medication that has a change in supplier/packaging but this would have absolutely thrown my mum (even distressed) in her dementia years. Fortunately she had those weekly packaged pop out pills delivered so would only know if the actual pill shape, size or colour had changed. I know this isn’t the point but just illustrating why someone with a cognitive problem needs tolerance to be shown. It was absolutely the receptionist’s problem to deal with and she should have had the nouse to be able to do this. Advise practice manager that some relevant training is required?