To NOT expect doctors receptionist to tell me to come back an hour later as the doctor could not see both my children at the same time?

[notnice]

My doctors have a new phone system which you book appointments through. I booked an appointment for DD2 and then tried to book an appointment for DD1 at the same time - the booking system was playing up. I tried to ring and speak to someone but the phone line was constantly engaged and I needed to make the appointment I had booked. DD2 has a chest infection and is being sick and DD1 has an ear infection. I turned up at the doctors and explained that they both needed to be seen, receptionist told me I'd have to bring DD1 back an hour later which would mean dragging them both home and then out again. I said that the doctor would need to see them both as there is no way I was coming back - she said he could only do this if appointmant available which it was'nt - I said that he WOULD be seeing them both. I am pregnant too BTW. When I went into to see the doctor - he said it was no problem too see them both and was very nice as always. AIBU? I feel bad now even though the receptionist was in the wrong.

I find people have a lot more empathy with people who are pleasant, rather than peopole who say that their child WILL be seen, regardless of who else it puts out. Yes, the OP was in an unenviable position, but there may just have been someone there who had a far more serious problem. Agree the system is flawed when the OP couldn't make a double appt, and can't comment on how long/ how many times she tried phoning and it was engaged- another potential flaw, but I still don't think she went about getting her child seen the right way.

babylovessants - I think the bun fight, such as it is, might be started by your rather rude comments TBH.

Not agreeing with the OP does not make anyone sheep-like. It might in fact make them correct?

hear hear, I wouldn't be all holier than thou about bun fighting after making the comments you have, babylovessanta!!

Or maybe you like to stir and run?

Anyway sick whingy child is calling.....

I dont think you ABU

The receptionist sounds all jobs-worthy to me. Drs receptionists in the NHS always are.

You had a second appointment an hour later and so the schedule would have caught up.

nothing like a sweeping generalisation!

I find all the receptionist in the NHS that I work with to be pleasant, hard working, conscientious (sp), caring and underpaid.

They also have to put up with a lot of abuse, and deal with it very well.

The receptionists at my surgery are lovely. Very helpful, friendly and considerate. So there!

yabu. The receptionist was trying to do her job. I suppose it depended on her attitude when she explained to you.

You shouldn't have assumed you could cram two kids into one appointment.

yabu
and it was nice of doctor to see both kids

My surgery has the same official line- no appointments made for 2 people at once, but the unofficial line is take both kids with you and the doctor would not refuse to examine them both as long as they have the time.

~I once had both dd's ill, one had blood in her nappy and the other couldnt keep anything down.

I called receptionist and explained situation, was told no double appts available, but after explaining situation to call back later after she had spoken to dr.
She spoke to dr, I was asked to go in at end of surgery hours, left with everyone happy (and an a and e referral, but besides the point)

YABU. You could have tried ringing back, you could have stayed int eh surgery, you could have said,
'fine, I;ll book an appt in an hour' taken them both in adn asked the gp to havea quick look and then cancelled it, but no, you got snippy with someone who has no control over the appts system.

I once booked 2 separate appointments - because of the apparent 1 appointment, 1 person rule - and when I turned up for the 2nd about 2 hours later, I was actually told off (in a nice way) by the doctor for NOT dealing with both things at the same time.

( oh and I agree it was a pita, but that is not what you asked!)

My surgery, the doctors are lovely and the receptionists are bitches. I cringe when I hear the way they speak to some of the patients.
I'm sure that in other practices receptionists are great.

my doctor wouldn't let me have two problems at an appointment as they only have 10 minute allocations. i was the last appointment and the first problem only took 2 minutes to be dealt with

Whether YABU or not, you aren't being very nice.

The only reason the GP said it wasn't a problem to see both children there and then was because a, he's a reasonable person, b, it sounds like you were rude and he probably thought he'd better see them both and get rid of you.

It's the GPs decision as to who he sees when - if the receptionists just let patients see the medics whenever they wanted regardless of appointments made because patients insisted on it the surgery would descend into chaos.

Maybe the receptionist would have buzzed the dr & explained had the OP not presented with a stroppy demanding & 'the world must revolve around me & mine" attitude!

She is completely unreasonable if she talks to anyone that way, let alone someone she wanted/needed a favour from!

A tip for everyone - if someone wants a favour at our practice, ie to be seen after they have missed the appointment - if they are nice and polite and apologise, when i ask the dentist if they will see them(yes it isn't up to the receptionist), they 9 times out of 10 see them...if I ask and they have been arsey, shouting and demanding they usually get charged for failing and don't get seen.......

I think your automated system is a bit rubbish (not allowing you to book 2 appointments together). But I don't think you should have just turned up and expected both children to be seen. I'm afraid I don't believe that it was genuinely impossible to ring through to the surgery at any time before the appointment - yes it was doubtless busy first thing before when everyone was booking appointments but would surely have calmed down later. If you'd rung in advance and explained the situation I'm sure the receptionist would have been more amenable and/or have been able to talk to the doctor.

Also it's crazy to think the receptionist could have done anything anyway.

The only person who really had any say is the dr, and he saw them any way, so really, what is the big deal?

What has happened to "notnice" anyway?