What do GP receptionists ask intrusive questions?

[jeaux90]

AIBU to not expect to tell the receptionist more details? She asked me the nature of the appointment. I said it’s a gynaecological issue, she asked if I could share more information I said no, I’m not comfortable doing that. It wasn’t an emergency appointment and I asked for a female GP. Surely she didn’t need to know anything more?

You get a letter for your smear test. And we see the nurse for that. Plus at 54 I know I needed to see the Female GP for what I needed which was not an emergency. Nurses can’t give you a prescription the GP can so I needed to see the GP.

Agreed.

I wasn’t horrid, just said I’m not comfortable disclosing more information on the phone.

I am grateful that they ask tbh.

It can take a couple of weeks to see a doctor at my surgery. However through triage the receptionist has got me in with a nurse within an hour of me ringing up and the issue has been resolved that morning. Another time the nurse has been able to put me in for a referral for another specialist, which is exactly what the doctor would have done a couple of weeks later.

Do you really think the receptionist has time to dwell on your condition , no matter how embarrassing you think it is.

I'd sooner tell them and get help for my condition than act like a coy child who doesn't like talking about body parts.

Many nurses can write out prescriptions, asmidettly not all but mine certainly does.

A nurse practitioner can give a prescription and different GPs have different specialisms. Gynaecological problems can be vast and varied. But, even without the information hopefully you got an appointment and all will be well.

We have to ask to book you in with the right person. Also when we make the booking we have to put a brief description of the problem so the medical professional knows what you're coming in with, they look in your notes before they see you.
If you don't want to tell the receptionist fair enough just say its private, you don't want to say. We're really not interested in your vagina or any other body part but it is part of the job to ask.

We're told to by our employers, the GP partners.
Do you think we're asking just to be nosy? Do you think we don't have a million other things to be getting on with? Work is literally piling up while the call queues are being cleared.

Sometimes it's to ensure you see the correct clinician. Dr so and so specialises in menopause, one nurse doesn't do contraceptive implants, one doesn't see under 16s, a double appointment may be required, etc. Sometimes the Dr will look at what we've wrote and just write a prescription if it's appropriate, to save giving an appointment.

I know it's a pain but can you just let them do their jobs so the practice runs efficiently.

Having said that I also feel uncomfortable phoning my own GP practice so I understand.

So they can palm you off on seeing someone apart from the doctor as though you are too stupid to know when you need a doc rather than pharmacist, nurse etc

@notacooldadcoy child? Could you be any more patronising? For those of us who have had children we know exactly that our “body parts” are often put up for public display during child birth and smear tests, mammograms etc. This also make us very aware of when something is urgent or not.

Having worked in healthcare (and left) it's a thankless job. I have zero issue telling the receptionist why I want to see someone. They are given a set amount of appointments and have to allocate accordingly.

We have an online system now called PATCHS. You fill out a form, then the GP will contact you within 48 hours, usually the same day. It works well and is much easier than having to speak to someone who doesn't really need to know.

Sorry! I didnt mean to imply you were horrid. Nothing you said suggested you were.

Its just the way our gp phrased the faq as they clearly get a lot of patients complaining about doining this, and had some phrases about patience, respect, be polite.

Its clearly something lots of people dont like sharing.

I don’t feel uncomfortable calling. I told her it was a gynaecological issue. I wasn’t being coy. What I dont want to disclose is the finer details. I was polite.

Unfortunately a lot of people don't know an urgent problem from non urgent and the receptionist doesn't know you. My nan swore blind it wasn't urgent when she was literally dying. I know a friend who begs for same day appointments every time she gets a cough 'so it doesn't go to her chest.'

They need to triage. Just get on with it. Paying a medical professional to book appointments would be a waste of time and money.

I have to say, as someone with significant sexual trauma who struggles with this, the comments about coy children and “we don’t really want to know about your vagina” are incredibly insensitive, unhelpful and cruel. But I suspect those making them are well aware of that.

Some people are not medically savvy enough to know who they need to see. I have often found nurse practitioners to be more experienced than some GPs.

I imagine a fair few people say they need a GP when really they might not.

At my surgery you wouldn’t have a receptionist triage you over the phone because they won’t even speak to you - direct you to the e-form. It’s ok for me but I get frustrated when sat in the waiting room and they refuse to book an elderly person an appointment - instead they pass them an iPad and sit with them while they fill it in. I get it’s the ‘new way’ but can’t they make exceptions for the vulnerable who clearly find this difficult?!

Do receptionists triage now?

They're not qualified.

They will type the words into their computer which will then advise using the algorithms.
Pretty much what 111 and 999 do sometimes.

I often don't know if I need to see the GP or it can be dealt with by the nurse much quicker, so I'm more than happy to be directed to the best person.

Our receptionists give you the third degree and then five weeks later when you actually get to see a GP, they haven't the faintest idea why you are there!

I very much agree with you here. I’m so sorry you went through this.

I have a question about how medical receptionist 'triage' works.
So the receptionist asks some questions to gather information in order to determine priority, type of appointment and who with.
If they are not medically trained, how do they know? Do they follow a checklist? It cannot surely just be done on the basis of them figuring it out themselves. I wouldn't think that is fair on them or the patients.

If you are likely to need a vaginal / internal examination, they will book a double appt. If you are unwilling to say, they will assume a routine 15 min appt. So you going, the Dr says I need to do an exam, book a double appointment - call tomorrow. But hey you kept the reason secret.

Also if your complain is not appropriate for a GP, such a sore tooth, or eye related, then a GP is not the correct person to see. Pharmacists ate medically trained, can prescribe some items and speaking to them saves go appointments for those who need them.

@VikaOlson please read my responses. I knew I needed a prescription and I knew I needed to see a GP to get it. What I don’t need is to detail the gynaecological issue I had in detail over the phone to a non medical person. I told her it was gynaecological. That should have been enough.