Why aren’t doctor’s receptionists more discrete?

[BakedPotatoBeansCheeseColeslaw]

I’m waiting in the doctor's surgery this morning for something routine.

I woman has turned up wailing that she doesn’t feel very well and asking to see a doctor. The receptionist is doing the “triage” with her but it is extremely public. The woman herself is extremely loud but she’s clearly not mentally very well as she has announced to the room that she thinks she is having a nervous breakdown. However the woman on reception is practically shouting the questions.

I know this woman’s name, date of birth, first line of address and what medication she is currently taking. It’s all very embarrassing.

AIBU to think if doctor’s receptionists are going to ask questions about your medical problem, they should do so privately and not to a room full of patients?

This, the receptionist won’t really care that you are smug and feel self righteous in your “shutting her up”. She’ll be waiting tor the next person and you and that person won’t be even be a memory!

given the level of aggression that some feel appropriate in directing towards medical receptionists, I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to be stuck in a private room with patients!

I am acutely conscious of this when I am on reception. If I’m answering the phone I’ll pull the screen across and will always ask the patient to confirm their name and first line of address if necessary (the phone system picks up their details).
If I’m handing out a prescription and we need them to confirm information (and I’m pretty sure I know who it is) then I’ll just say “Are you at number 7?”
Sometimes we have had people come in in an absolute state and I’ve always flagged it to a team member, hopped up and dragged them into a side room with me, for example.
It’s not acceptable for half the waiting room to know someone’s medical information.

Absolutely, but the nosy parkers in the waitimg room might file it away and gossip later. That is the issue.

If this lady can't transfer information accurately from one written form to another, how does she cope in the job and how on earth did she get the job in the first place?

She is performing a useful service.

I mean I don’t disagree. But I do feel like there are far more fundamental issues with GP surgeries that I’d prefer were resolved first.

Like the utter inability to get an appointment in the first place (at mine anyway).

One surgery I was in had a separate room if you wanted a private chat.

The one I’m at atm doesn’t. But then you get an answer within half a day with an eConsult, appointment the next day for an urgent case (it would treated as such)

GP surgeries generally dint seem to care about confidentiality.

I always think this when collecting prescriptions, I don’t want to everyone knowing the first line of my address thanks ! You never know who’s listening.

the stranger is also anonymous and it’s good to be able to avoid making mistakes. Or is it better to let the person be judged silently by loads more people in future?

My GP's receptionist told my mum I had test results waiting to be picked up! I was an adult at the time and couldn't believe it.

I've often thought this at the doctor surgery.
Where's the GDPR?
X

It Akso both ways.
Because when you’re given the wrong information, information changes to fit THEIR script etc… theres no wonder why people are annoyed.

Fwiw I was in a surgery that was crap. The woman at the head of it was known to go onto our town FB page to berate patients who weren’t happy because they could not see a GP - think asking a 78yo on chemotherapy to come and start queuing at 7.30am (the latest) to have an appointment re side effects of the chemo. In winter. Receptionists were awful too. And it leaked onto the GP too.

Then I changed surgery. You get same day appointment. If needed they give an OHH appointment. Receptionists are not a problem. GP and nurses are 100x better in their bed side manners.

Management here is the issue.

I genuinely think they get a kick out of it. It’s a power play, and a pathetic one at that. They prey on people at their most vulnerable and force them to practically beg to see a doctor.

It’s utterly mad - here in Ireland we have GDPR rules re privacy yet we are supposed to give so much private information orally to doctor’s receptionists or pharmacy assistants in a room full of people.
If you are in the waiting room at my GP you can overhear half of a phone conversation with the receptionist and garner quite a bit of information about whoever is ringing and their ailments.
Likewise returning something in a shop you may be asked for personal details with a line of customers behind you.🙄

Yeah, I always speak to practice managers to get ahead of it. If receptionists ask me about medication, I say I don't discuss that in public and will need a private room.

The worst GP I had, they had the poor lady on reception taking calls facing us all, it had been refurbed to be super open, glass everywhere, and she would be repeating people's names, details, diagnosis.. so uncomfortable. We all live locally to each other - this isn't some anonymous big city. It's appalling.

Wait until you realise anyone can call with your name, DOB and address and get any info they want about you. I once asked if I could add a password to my account, same as you know: every other business out there manages, and they said it wasn't possible.

No safety at all in our deepest, most personal information.

But then how would they ever learn? She's actually doing them a favour.
I think there should be a Society for the Protection of English Spelling and Grammar.
We’d all sleep easier in our beds.
Disclaimer: a SPESAG may well exist, I hope so.
Further disclaimer: I'm a retired journalist and editor and yes, this does matter and not only to pedants like me. Employers tend to value it too.

I was also going to say we need more dicks on the internet but thought better of it.

@BakedPotatoBeansCheeseColeslaw I had a booking in appointment with the midwife (first baby and a surprise) and the receptionist said loudly "take a seat, the midwife will be with you shortly".

I live in the sort of place where everyone knows everyone so low and behold some raised eyebrows. And then I spotted my BIL in the waiting room! Mortified.

Thankfully they now have a touch screen to sign in for your appointment.

The same could be said about doctor’s ward rounds in hospital. I have excellent hearing and when I was in hospital a few years ago, I could hear all the other patients conditions on the ward. My daughter said that in her hospital, the other patients in the ward had to wear ear phones when the doctor was talking to them

I agree. Same with hotels. I ask to do a silent pick up / check-in now. So write everything down and ask them not to verbalise anything. I haven't had any issues with this, surprisingly.

I think there are limited amount of appointments and forms that request information that they need to fill in.

I think it's the system - it's just not been thought about or priotised and then if there are complaints is well there are bigger issues or what can we do -or it's always been this way.

DMum refused to change GP surgeries to a nearby one till driving became a pain because she grew up with a village GP and people could hear in waiting room and people did gossip.

I often object to non medical triage like this- receptionists are not medical professionals so they have no need to know what is wrong with you, because they are not qualified to decide how serious it is- therefore they cannot triage.

There are ways and means of doing these things, and most GP receptionists most of us have interacted with are bullies. They show no care or consideration to patients, and seem to revel in distressing people. This is not about the system.

Triage just means "to sort".

If they don't know roughly what the issue is, they can't direct you to the most appropriate person to deal with it. Not everything needs a GP appointment when the team also contains Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Practice Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Physiotherapists, Clinical Pharmacists, Social Prescribers, Secretaries, Admin support and Prescription Clerks, for example.

And whilst not medical professionals they do have training and direction from the clinicians/GP partners as to what needs booking where.

I was ordering my dd adhd meds she is 12 and the receptionist kept saying I couldn't order them a week in advance because they are CONTROLLED MEDS repeating CONTROLLED MEDS over and over I felt she was trying to embarrass me, I was not embarrassed as I know the good these meds make to my dd life, but I did complain to management there as others might have felt uncomfortable. You shouldn't have to give personal information in a public space.

In one of my old surgeries, there was a consultation room right next to the waiting area.

I felt so bad when I couldn't help but hear a fellow school mum's long appointment regarding her anal fissure in great detail. The waiting area was in two parts, but the other part had an infectious child waiting to be seen. I couldn't move to sit with them as I was on immune suppressants.