I notice Northern Lurker hasn't replied or acknowledged my post. I expect the GP's receptionist's behaviour was a bit too indefensible for you to say anything arrogant and hectoring positive about.
To say that I complained and they changed their procedures does not wipe out the stress I went through for months, as the carer of a dying partner with two young children and a job to cope with as well. Because my husband's condition was so rare (an inoperable brain tumour) everybody in the practice knew about it, and yet the recpetionist still behaved in an unforgivable way.
My husband was also, incidently, had shoddy treatment in hospital - he was subject to unnecessary and painful procedures, nobody realised how ill he was, he was put in the wrong ward and the consultant lied about coming to see him when she had not, he was not properly accessed, and his family and I were treated with contempt when we complained.
But of course, what would I know, I'm just a pig-shit thick NHS user taking up a 'victim postion'.
After he died I complained to the trust - was not happy with their replies but unable to cope with taking it further, there is a six month deadline on doing so, which is very convenient for both the NHS and the Government, hundreds of complaints must be stymied by this.
No doubt that will earn me your contempt - well what do you expect if you don't have the gumption to follow our super NHS complaints procedures? - after a terrible death like my husband's you are surviving from minute to minute, you are certainly not able to cope with the stonewalling and arrogance which I encountered - it takes too much emotional energy which you need to survive for yourself and your children.
My brother in law is a GP and he was also extremely shocked by what happened.
To all those replying/reading this thread, don't trust the NHS to look after you when you are dying, or show compassion - they won't. They'll just try and cover up their mistakes.