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?

Well if you called the surgery for an appointment for a headache that you haven't had for long, haven't tried taking a paracetamol for and is 'just a bit of a headache' then you'd be a bit of a silly billy wouldn't you...

If you explained that you've had persistent or recurring headaches that haven't responded to painkillers, or other concerning symptoms, then of course you'd be offered an appointment.

Surely you don’t believe that the receptionists ‘decide’ … They take details, send it to a medic who then actually triages.

Clue is in the job title..

That is awful, horrible for you to hear and truly terrible for that poor woman.

@BakedPotatoBeansCheeseColeslaw
Rather than think about discretion - I am feeling really bad for the receptionist. I can't imagine how stressful her job must be - managing the flow of people, and being the first contract point.
It it not her fault that there is no private room for intake of new patient's information. It is not easy to multitask under pressure and deal with mentally instable patients - and it is also not always safe. The receptionist has no medical degree and most likely has no special training for these situations.

Personally - I think she is doing the best she can in the situation that is not in her control. She is speaking as loud as she needs to in order to do her job - which is to get the information required to get this poor woman the help she needs.

There was a time when this triage did not happen.
You were able to get an appointment with a fully qualified GP. Your conversation was with them.
I have witnessed this at my surgery. Some poor woman had to explain she was having a mental illness episode. And yes, everyone then knew her name, what her problem was etc. It must I think, break some sort of data protection policy somewhere. It feels quite wrong.
The people responsible are the practice managers. And GPs. They set the process and systems the staff work to. Rarely, if ever seen proactively managing. And leave the receptionists to follow the required steps. And GP’s do not have enough appointments available. And not enough of them. Too many work part time. And paying for more eats into the surgeries profits.

The receptionists are not medically trained. It is an issue.

Triage via computer? you submit a request to see the doctor online so you dont have to verbalise it out loud then you simply say your surname and they can bring up what you've written on the computer

Triage in a more private space?- eg no queues allowed. People wait in a completely different area whilst patients are called up one by one in a screened off area thats private (much like they do at pharmacies currently when you need to speak to the pharmacist privately)

Fuck me, this is hardly rocket science is it? we have sent people to the bloody moon, are you really suggesting there is no earthly solution to this? 🙄

Except meningitis develops extremely quickly so you are fine in the morning and seriously ill in the evening.

Yes, exactly. The receptionist should have the sense/training to realise when people are giving away sensitive info because they're not thinking straight, and either find a private room or find a doctor immediately.

Some are - and I wonder if the job wares their compassion down - but honestly saying everyone in a certain profession is a bully is obvious nonsense.

They are doing a job - often in poor set up with sick upset people who often aren't always very clear communictors - there usually being prompted by computer systems to ask questions - systems they haven't designed. I really don't think most are out to upset patients - they just care about getting to next bit of the job.

Yes I've met some who triage wrongly or being very rude for no obvious reasons or given on complete wrong information - and I have complained to practise manger where appropiate - I've also met one who went above and beyond to get things sorted.

If your GP receptionist are bullies out to getpatients complain - I had a practise for a while where the receptionist were absolutely bloody awful everyone hated dealing with them locally enough complaints went in that they were re-trained and some left - and that experience stopped happening.

Current one at now GP pratcise are fine but there is a lack of privavcy - no rooms to go to but they do try.

Both the independent chemists where I live have a small room for private consultations.

I only found out when I went to one of them to get something for a wasp sting on my thigh that had gone all manky. The pharmacist asked if she could have a look at it and I was about to hoick my skirt up to show her, but she looked mildly shocked and said "Oh, please, in the consulting room" and pointed to a door which I had previously thought was a cupboard or something.

Agree with this. There are solutions if people are willing to find them. I reckon that poster you quoted thinks people should just put up and shut up, judging by their other responses.

Same in the pharmacy where they ask you to confirm your address...why not something that isnt a risk...last 4 digits of NHS number or something?

Surely they could have a system that can be used on an iPad or similar now? My opticians turn the screen round with all your details and ask you to just confirm if they are correct. The physio I saw recently showed my info on an iPad and again, asked me to confirm correct details.

No need for me to share anything aloud. No need for extra rooms, extra staff etc.

I completely disagree with you, and quite frankly, as someone who used to work in the NHS, I am sick and tired of hearing this nonsense about “poor” NHS workers. Guess what? They applied for the job. NHS workers are not conscripted, and if they find themselves in a position where they are actively upsetting patients then they need to find another job.

In no other industry would people think it’s okay to cut corners due to difficult working conditions, yet when it’s the NHS the expectation seems to be that we just put up and shut up.

I absolutely do think people with certain character traits go for certain types of roles (this happens in all industries), and the overwhelming character trait I have witnessed when it comes to GP receptionists is an inflated sense of self importance that often manifests itself in bullying behaviour.

Surely it wouldn’t be that hard for a receptionist to be in an office just off the waiting room.

If the patient is presenting as anxious and loud then I imagine the receptionist is unwilling to take her somewhere more private because that could present as a difficult situation.

Unless you are taking copious notes of the loud conversation OP then you probably won’t remember it in twenty minutes time. I quite often overhear very personal conversations on buses and trains, some people are very indiscreet, especially when they are on their mobile when for some reason a lot of people seem to think they are in a soundproof booth!

Or in pedants' corner?

Try being a hearing impaired receptionist who if she wears her hearing aids all she can hear is the blaring radio or her colleague on the phone around the back and not the patient standing in front of her but behind a glass screen.

Same with the pharmacy. There’s 5 people behind me and the pharmacist wants an explanation why I’m buying Caneston and to confirm my home address. 🥴

TBH the only way this will change is is enough people (posters!) make their opinions known at the time.

If everyone here made the point at a pharmacy, it might help change things.
Or asked for more privacy when discussing medical stuff.

They can do it in the private health care system, so it's not out of order that other providers can do the same.

Nonsense,you don't need to be directed to the person "most suitable" because you already have an appointment with a doctor/nurse.
you should not have to discuss your medical problem with someone who is not medically qualified.

I feel the same in the chemist when they ask for the first line of the address before handing your prescription. All those people waiting now know where I live.

You try and handle someone having a mental breakdown by whispering and you’ll find out

The receptionist attempted to do this to me but after I’d seen her force a much more elderly lady than me to disclose all her private information and prescriptions (it was clear this woman was literally dying of cancer) I said the second it was my turn to not even think of asking me the same questions as I would either disclose this information in a private room or I could write it down for her if she wanted. It was a long queue of people and I said it loudly and firmly - and then everyone in the queue after me said the same

we were all literally horrified at the treatment of this elderly lady