To be annoyed at the GP receptionist for being arsey about this?

[SneakyGremlin]

Had a GP phone appointment booked for 13:10 today, for something that needs sorting today (think medication review/replacement). Took my break at work from 13:00-13:30. 13:35 came, still no call, so I went back to work.

Finished work at 4:00 p.m, checked my phone and saw a missed call at 13:41 - so I rang back asking could I possibly get the GP to call me now as I'm not longer in work.

GP receptionist huffs, says she'll try but I should have kept an eye on my phone as they can't always help when it's the patients who missed the appointments. When I then point out to her that actually they rang half an hour after my scheduled appointment, which is why I missed it, she said that that shouldn't be relevant and I should always be by the phone because it's known that GPs run late sometimes.

AIBU to want to complain, or at least mention to the GP who I'm still waiting to call that some of us can't stop doing our jobs and wait for a call just because THEY are running late? If they'd sent a text or something that they were running behind I could have taken my break later and probably kept the appointment.

It feels like I'm being told off like a naughty child because THEY were late.

Also working in McDonalds or any supermarket or shop on the tills, or carers, or kitchen staff/school staff/teachers etc. Or any kind of call centre type job, or anyone on a reception kind of job,... And I know several people who work in a bank/building society who work on the front, and they can't just randomly take phone calls willy nilly. Some people don't realise how fortunate they are.

I'm retired now while this is annoying it it less of an issue for me personally but when I was working it was an impossiblity as I was a community based mental health worker. There was no way I could take personal calls when out and about doing home vists, attending MDT meetings, or having to go on to an acute ward to see a patient. We could not have our personal phones switched on unless on a break and on a hectic day there were no breaks! There must be very many people whose work role means that they cannot take personal calls

My gp doesn’t even give you a time, you are at their mercy! I’m a teacher and have had to give my phone to our secretary to answer for me and then she runs down the corridor to me 🤷‍♀️
It’s not like our secretary doesn’t have a heavy work load without manning my phone and begging a gp to hold the line.

Same here - just told AM or PM and that it could be between patients or the end of surgery… so a 5-6 hours window!

I would have called them after waiting 10 minutes and explained you're at work on your break.

Honestly your attitude stinks. It’s no different from a face to face appointment when they are running late

you should have kept your phone on, explained why to your manager

they don’t just get to 10 minutes or whatever and put the phone down, and they won’t say omg I have sneakygremlin on the list I had better call her on time

as to the receptionist ok complain about her attitude if you want to, but yours is no better

I'd probably have spent the rest of my break in the queue though, from experience I'm usually waiting 30 mins just to get through

As stated earlier I'm glad your manager would be cool with you doing that, mine wouldn't. I'm unable to keep my phone on me all shift just in case they ring at some point.

Well I’m a teacher. Funnily enough I can’t just step out of teaching year 9 to discuss my latest menopause symptoms and ask for my HRT to be adjusted.
I can’t have telephone appointments because my GP surgery just say ‘morning or afternoon’ for them and can’t do a time slot or even ‘after 3’

I’m a receptionist (in the NHS🤣) usually just me on reception. My half hour break is covered. But there’s no chance I’d be able to take a call on my personal phone whilst working. I’m either on the work phones or dealing with people face to face for their appointments.

I really don’t understand why they don’t get it - GPs can hardly take their own medical calls when at work dealing with patients.

Yep, pretty much identical to me. Manager covers my break but other than that I'm all systems go my entire shift.

I’m a GP and I locum in a few practices. Most don’t give specific time slots for phone calls. However. Where I can, if I’ve tried to call (at least twice, on both landline and mobile, if I’ve got the numbers) and not got an answer, I’ll send a text asking if the patient still needs to talk to me (sometimes they don’t).
depends on the practice tho, as not all of them have this type of texting available.

honestly, most of the time in clinical practice is so stressful - I try to run to time, but it’s frankly impossible. So I do sometimes ring earlier or later on phone calls. But I try my best to facilitate giving the patient time to talk and in an appropriate environment. Sometimes makes for an odd few minutes where someone is finding a place to park, etc. telephone calls are super handy, but have significant limitations…

I'm in social housing and have tried to explain that I can be home all day aside from two twenty minute school runs at 8.15 and 3 and they refuse to even make note of that. Dh works full time.

No you have a think @QuinqueremeofNiveneh

Most of us are fully aware of how stretched the NHS is and appreciative of the fact that we even have it.

However, GP receptionists are notoriously rude to patients seeking healthcare.

If you had read the original post properly you would have noted that OP’s primary complaint was about the receptionist’s attitude.

No need for your patronising “take a deep breath and think” statement.

I’ve had this when working in retail and in a call centre.

Look I'm sure health care workers are doing their best, but I have had to raise and escalate complaints to PHSO twice in the past year just to get basic healthcare for myself and my child. Investigations into my own chronic illness are still to be escalated to a hospital six years after I first presented with symptoms. My child has only got treatment for a severe ongoing health concern because of my willingness to escalate complaints and ability to pay private drs to confirm the severity of the condition. NHS is in an appalling state, and the appointments system is a clear example. What happened to 'come to the surgery at 2pm and you will be seen within the hour' as a system it is unreasonable to want back?

I'm a lecturer and can't take calls when teaching, or in a meeting/tutorial/supervision e.g. most of my working hours.

What planet are you on?

No way are f2f appointments the same as telephone appts.

For a start, if op was in the surgery waiting for her appt, she is physically there, so no receptionist can make it out to be a ‘missed appointment’.

And seriously do you not get that any role where you are customer facing or work with people, you can just say ‘oh sorry i’m going to stop talking to you/serving you as i have a call’.

@SneakyGremlin is a receptionist in a hotel, the same as the GP receptionist really. How many of you would honestly be ok with a receptionist cutting you off mid conversation / obviously being on their phone when you arrived at reception. You wouldn't be happy and would say it was unacceptable and receptionists know they are front facing and so should do these things on their breaks. There's many roles where you can't just swan off to take a call - any cashiering role for example.

@SneakyGremlin by missing the call you helped the doctor get back closer to schedule. That's a plus for her. I agree you should complain to the practise manager.

@Jk987 And to all those others asking what job you do that you can’t have your phone on you.

I work in a prison. My phone isn’t allowed in the building with me. It has to stay in my car. It takes at least 10/15 minutes to get out of the building and the same again to get back in.

So whilst we can take a gp call during the day, it would need to be pretty timely. And I work in admin. Prison Officers would have a hope of getting off shift to go out to their car and take a call.

I'd be interested to hear from those on this thread who thinks I'm being unreasonable if next time they show up to check in at a hotel they wouldn't mind waiting half an hour while I take a call? After all the same posters think I should keep my phone glued to me apparently.

Interesting crossover between this thread and another I'm on about a teen being gifted a phone. There seems to be a definite divide between those who can't imagine a world in which you can possibly exist without a phone in hand at all times and those whose jobs mean they are separated from them for hours at a time and seem to survive. The incredulity from some that a manager wouldn't allow an exception or that you cant just listen out for the call...its really interesting.

I think your missing the point not everyone can have there phone next to them to be ready to take the call. The dr slots the time in so they should try to stick to that appointment or text to say running late a f2f isn’t the same as you well know it. It’s so frustrating sitting next to your phone but not everyone is this fortunate so op isn’t in the wrong to complain also if your a shop assistant and serving on a till do you think it’s easy to have a call about private medical issues whilst serving on the till staff are not allowed to be on there phones it’s not black and white.

I'll ask my manager to pop on and confirm at this rate honestly