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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to really have it in for GP's surgeries...

350 replies

mersmam · 25/02/2009 18:14

Had an appointment with my community midwife today (I'm 30 weeks pregnant and haven't seen her since I was 16 weeks, which was when she made the appointment.)
Got to the drs surgery to find it locked and a notice up saying that the surgery is closed this afternoon for staff training! As far as I'm aware there has been no attempt to contact me about this! I rang the midwife's office straight away but could only leave a message and have so far had no response.
Am really annoyed as have arranged my whole day around the appointment (and DH had arranged to work from home so he could come too).
Generally I am just sick of the whole GP system - I can never get an appointment at a convenient time - when I do I always have to wait at least half an hour (no joke with three DCs under 5) and the staff on reception are rude.
I asked for a home visit once as I was ill along with all the DCs and you'd think I'd asked for the moon...

The thing with the midwife today feels like the final straw...

Should I change surgeries to somewhere further away (which would be less convenient?) or are they all like this?

OP posts:
Original poster
mersmam · 25/02/2009 20:27

Cass66 - I do not blame the GPs for this (although I do for some other things I've mentioned!) - it is obviously the fault of someone in the surgery though - midwife/ reception staff whatever - I just do feel that I am justified in complaining to SOMEONE!! Can you GPs/ receptionists etc... not see my point at all??!

OP posts:
mistlethrush · 25/02/2009 20:31

Our receptionists are lovely - and I can normally get an appointment on the day if I ring up early (although I take pot luck who its with) - appointments might run slowly sometimes - but that's life - but I've never had problems with mw appointments like that - I do think that they should have rung you and if they didn't get through, to write to you to change the appointment or ask you to ring to arrange a new one.

I found the A&E receptionists good too - pity about the person doing the assessing and initial treatment - if he'd done it when I arrived with anaphalaxis rather than asking if I could breathe OK and saying he'd see me later, it would avoided having to be admitted 20mins later when things had got worse....

littleducks · 25/02/2009 20:32

well there are good surgery and bad surgeries, the midwife prob made the appointement without realising the surgery was shut-are her appointements linked into the computer system for the surgery?

my surgery is fairly well run, they release appointements for the following surgery, both routine and emergency ones at 8 am and 1.30 pm so if you arent bothered who you see you get seen promptly (good with kids) but they do always do their staff training on the same aftrnoon once a month as baby jabs which annoyed me when taking ds as they then had two weeks worth of prople for that session and it was first come first serve

FiveGoMadInDorset · 25/02/2009 20:33

Our receptionists are lovely and helpful, also the nurses and the ladies in the pharmacy and so are the majority of the Dr's.

Original poster
mersmam · 25/02/2009 20:35

The midwife had to go to the surgery reception desk to make my appt - so i presume they must be linked.

It's good to hear some happy surgery stories The drs at my surgery are generally nice when you eventually get to see them!

OP posts:
missorinoco · 25/02/2009 20:36

That does sound very annoying. I think it would be worth looking at changing surgeries. Some are fantastic. Mine offer same day appointments and the two times they had to cancel appointments on me they did so with as much warning as possible and were most apologetic. (Not meant as a brag, more as an example of a great service you can get.)

Also worth letting the midwife know how inconvenienced you've been, she may be able to fit you in to a mutually convenient time for the rescheduled appt.

Original poster
mersmam · 25/02/2009 20:38

Thanks missorinoco, am definitely going to look at changing surgeries... from the reports on here it sounds as if mine is below average!

OP posts:
gonaenodaethat · 25/02/2009 20:38

Northernlurker I love you too and agree with everything you say.

TsarChasm · 25/02/2009 20:42

YANBU. Ours have been terribly rude to me in the past.

They are not the only people to have busy stressful jobs

Sawyer64 · 25/02/2009 20:43

Thats just what I was going to say Cass.

Midwives/Dieticians/Physios/Counsellors etc all use GP Surgeries,and have their own appointments that the surgery have nothing to do with.

The MW cocked up,not the surgery.

Like in all jobs,some people aren't really cut out to deal with the public,but this is difficult to tell without them working for a while,and dealing with all types of problems.

Maybe some of the receptionists that you have dealt with are also having a bad day being blamed for things that are beyond their control,they aren't "Healthcare professionals" who have learnt through experience how to tolerate certain types of patients,who just want a row,or to cause trouble.

Maybe the surgery was shut for the staff to have in house training on how to deal with "intolerant and angry patients"

Original poster
mersmam · 25/02/2009 21:02

So I am 'intollerant and angry'' because I am upset that an appointment has been cancelled and I have not been informed????

As I mentioned the midwife had to go to the surgery reception to make the appt - so they must be linked.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 25/02/2009 21:08

Not all surgeries are shite and not all reception staff are either. Mine once fitted me in when they'd stuffed up my MW appointment and I cried in the reception area.

Northernlurker · 25/02/2009 21:17

Without knowing your surgery procedures it's very hard to say exactly what's gone wrong - and yes I do see your point that it's not been your surgery's best day BUT it doesn't justify you saying that you're sick of the whole system and you 'really have it in for GP's surgeries' I have interpreted your op in particular as showing little intention of trying to appreciate the difficulties your practice faces in delivering their service. Yes it's their job - and they do it very well by and large. If you look at admin jobs as a whole - well in a bank or a shop or a library - you can mess up somebody's day or their business. If, even as an admin person, in the NHS you get it wrong then you can mess up somebody's LIFE. It is a hard, hard job - at whatever level and whilst people should apologise for cockups you can't expect perfection and you do need to apply a little persepctive to this.

(Slightly scared to have some of you professing love btw - obviously mumsnet is full of beleagured NHS types as well as patients! )

BlameItOnTheBogey · 25/02/2009 21:19

Gosh I read threads like this and thank my lucky stars for my wonderful, wonderful GPs surgery. It's a inner city London one which must have loads of difficult issues to deal with but the GPs are great, the receptionists are lovely and they have done everything they can to make life easy for you (they send text messages as appt reminders, run an open surgery every morning and will always find you an early or late appt). If they can manage it, not sure why others struggle so much.

Original poster
mersmam · 25/02/2009 21:35

Northernlurker - Yes I do appreciate what you say.

However, the fact remains that my day has been messed up and I've been left feeling upset (I can relate to your crying in the reception area Soupdragon!) and I think I'm entitled to be annoyed - particularly since I've had bad experiences with my surgery in the past. I doubt very much whether the surgery will care much about seeing my side of it when I ring them in the morning so am not sure why I should try to sympathise them... but hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised!

OP posts:
Heylittlelady · 25/02/2009 21:35

YANBU

I had an EMCS recently and rang up the surgery a week after as my scar had developed a big lump under one side and had gone red. I was worried about it and asked for a same-day appointment as it was a Friday and I didn't want to wait until Monday to be seen.

The receptionist grilled me as to what my complaint was, and when I told her she said very tersely & dismissively: "Well a CS scar WILL be red and bumpy won't it, it's normal. You'll have to wait until Monday for an appointment".

It turned out to be a nasty infection in the form of a large abscess that burst on the Tuesday and required two sets of antibiotics to clear

Since when are receptionists able to diagnose over the phone?

I was and if I hadn't been all postnatal and worn down with exhaustion and worry I would have stood up for myself and challenged her.

vis · 25/02/2009 21:51

no a receptionist should not have made a "diagnosis" over the phone that your scar was "normal " - that is wrong wrong wrong. BUT i believe that many ( receptionists) do the exact same thing- and continue to do so because as patients we do not question there actions AND they probably get very little feedback - ie i bet that particular receptionist has no idea what you went thru as a result of her assuming.( I must add that some responsibility should be held by there employer - re adequate training on what to do and not to do etc

i think in short, if you believe that something is not right ask to talk to a GP - or get them to call you back. always take the name of who you talk to , and don't be afraid to ask to talk to someone senior.

by the way i agree with everyone about how hard it is to be a receptionist at a GP practice- underpaid and overworked.

CarrieBo · 25/02/2009 21:51
unpaidworker · 25/02/2009 21:56

YANBU. on your behalf. Most doctors surgerys that I have been in have rude staff, I am sure that you have to be rude to get the job.

unpaidworker · 25/02/2009 21:58

Northernlurker - Sorry but there is just no need for the way patients are treated. Doctor's receptionists seem to think it is ok to be horrible to patients.

ThingOne · 25/02/2009 21:59

Sorry your MW cocked up your appointment but I'm another one with a great surgery with helpful staff. Sure, sometimes they're grumpy or under great pressure but mostly they are extremely helpful.

vis · 25/02/2009 22:04

OK so can i ask what you have done about the rude staff? Have you complained ? ok and if the practice didn't take your compliant seriously did you complain to the health authority ???

we are very good at " complaining " but not in a constructive way that could improve things. If any staff in any working environment was soooo rude as to the users of that service regularly they may not work there for too long.

ok rambling but i hope i have made sense !

WallOfSilence · 25/02/2009 22:36

My own surgery is fine, the receptionists are usually lovely (apart from the one who told me on Friday my results were 'worrying' & she would get a nurse to call me..she didn't call until Monday & then said results were fine!! She did apologise when I said I had worried all weekend due to receptionist saying results were worrying!)

They try their best to fit you in & are always pleasant.

The surgery my children go to couldn't be any worse with people. The last time they refused to fit ds in (I said any time that day, I said I would go & wait for a cancellation, I told them how I had him at the energency doc in the middle of the night & she had given him oxygen for asthma but I had to take him to his own GP next day for a breath test thingy...She still said "Sorry, it's not a medical emergency, I can give you one for next Tuesday" When I finally sid it was fine, I would take him to A&E she changed her mind and offered me an 'emergency' appointment for as early as I could get to the surgery!

Northernlurker · 25/02/2009 22:54

No, unpaidworker, Gp receptionists do not think it's ok to be horrible to patients. You're just wrong there. Receptionists - and nhs staff in general could be forgiven for feeling that the public feel it is ok to be horrible to them though!

wallofsilence - sorry but your GP receptionist is paid to effectively manage the appointments. She was quite right to offer you the next appointment and then on listening to your distress and concern to fit you in then and there. There was no extra appointment for your child - I assume she squeezed you in to an already full session. Kind of shame then that her responsiveness gets her yet another black mark! As a manager - she did exactly what I would expect my staff to do.

Tangle · 25/02/2009 22:57

I got transferred to my current GP after the previous one moved to the other side of the country. Have to say they're great - they have appointments till 7 at least 1 night a week, have a walk in surgery every day and (when DD bumped her head) squeezed her in that afternoon. GP came out to DH when he had a bad reaction to ABs, and is happy to do consultations by phone as a first point of contact. Receptionists are always polite and usually cheerful and helpful. There are 2 fultime GPs in the practice, both of whom seem lovely. One of them is notorious for running late - but then he never clock watches and pushes you out the door when your 10 minutes are up either. The MW and a physio both use rooms in the surgery - but the appointments are all managed by the receptionists.

That said, I do know I'm lucky - a number of people around here can't get even book a GP appointment until they've seen the nurse, and can rarely do that on the day they call.

A lot of GPs surgeries aren't great, and some do deserve a lot of grief (OPs sounding like they're well into that list) - but they aren't ALL bad by any stretch.