Is there such a thing as a reasonable, well-adjusted, non-dysfunction, normal f***king doctor's receptionist?

[Caligula]

Or is that a myth like King Arthur will return when Britain is in great danger?

DS has been ill all day. Can I see my GP? No, I have to phone the out of hours emergency service and drive 8 miles. Even though the surgery is open, and I've said I don't mind waiting for a gap when someone turns up. The costs to the environment is irrelevant; the fact that if I didn't have a car and it would cost me £20 is irrelevant; the fact that I'm supposed to have a personal bloody relationship with my GP and the government keeps telling me that I need a GP because of a personal bloody relationship that doesn't exist, is irrelevant.

Why do I need a GP at all, if I can never see him? Why can't I just go to any old doctor? I just hate this gatekeeper system, and I hate the f*ing bitch who considers herself the gatekeeper to the doctor, even more. Seriously, every single time I have asked to see a doctor when this woman is on duty, I have been refused. It must be some kind of record. I wouldn't mind if I could just go to the out of hours service every time, because I don't like my doctor anyway, particularly, and would much prefer to keep any doctor I ever see at arms length (personal relationship my arse) but no, they tell me I have to see my GP when he's open. They're really annoyed (with me, not with the receptionist) that I'm coming to see them when my GP's surgery is open.

Ah, feel better now I've got that off my chest.

Yes ab that's the one!
Blimey do you live local to it?? I am not far at all.

BOTHER i'm deleting that sorry pruni far too much detail
no i'm not that near, i'm near the branch surgery

OTOH I have no doubt certain types do exist - as you say Caligula, it needs a certain type of person to do such an unforgiving job.

I have had a run in with a battleaxe receptionist in more recent times, and I wrote a long moany letter to the practice manager.

She was always nice as pie after that, calling me by my first name etc.

Ohh how I enjoyed her squirming....

acnebride I had no idea
prunepruni at hotmail dot com if you fancy a coffee

Not a doctors receptionist, but a receptionist in A & E.

I went in after slashing my finger with a stanley knife. Sat in A&E waiting to be seen and finger wouldn't stopped bleeding. Asked receptionist if she could get someone to dress it while I was waiting for stitches etc and she said in stroppy -your being a nuisance tone of voice - "Can't you just use some toilet roll".

WTF????

we have to phone at 8am the monring you want to see teh doctor. so you sit there with the redail button praying for fuck that some old fucker with corns hasnt got there first ( live in old people area seaside town) by 8.15 you get through - the DAYS APPOINTMENTS have gone. GONE

if my child was sick enough i would go to the hospital a&E and make shit up

We've got good receptionists, along with a choice of four decent doctors, have never yet had a problem getting an appt, either for the boys or ourselves. The main receptionist knows who we are when we ring up, and yes occasionally we have to answer questions as to how urgent the request is, but it's never stopped us getting an appt that day where appropriate.

School receptionist is fine too - altho that could be because we've been known to socialise with her...

hehehehehehe
I once had a doctor's receptionaist tell me off because she said I had told her the wrong name
she shouted "Annabel X! AnnabelX!" Xbeing my last name and I said sheepishly well, I am A___ X...
and she said VERY stroppily WELL YOU TOLD ME YOUR NAME WAS ANNABEL!
which i really really didn't actually
stupid cow

ours are OK - the first doctors I've ever been too where that's true though

Have to say that since having children I've had a glimpse into world of wonderful eager to please receptionists. Of course as far as they are concerned I could be turning blue and still wouldn't get an appointment but....oh.....the thrill of ringing up and asking if the GP could possibly see my children and being told "YES". Quite intoxicating after years of waiting 3 weeks for non-urgent appointments and having to have limbs actually falling off to get seen on the day as an urgent case. Love love love my GP by the way. She is fantastic and has been my doctor for 30 years (since I was 2).

I've had 2 horrendous experiences with receptionists. One was after some, ahem, intimate surgery following childbirth. I started to bleed very heavily, rang the hosp and they said go to doctor's first. I made an emergency appointment - a task in itself - and fled, wih baby to docs. The receptionist refused to allow me to take sleeping baby in pushchair into waiting room and made me sit on steps in foyer for almost an hour (no offer of a chair obviously) until she agreed I could see a doctor. The doctor was horrified to see how heavily I was bleeding and I was rushed to hospital where I spent 2 weeks being treated for an infection. The doctor was mortified - apparently the receptionist had told her I wasn't really ill, just an hysterical new mum . I did get a written apology, but not until some time afterwards...

that's REALLY bad fullmoonfiend. what a BITCH. why on earth couldn't you take a sleeping baby into the waiting room??
never mind an apology I would have wanted her SACKED for that. and a massive bunch of flowers. i would have been round to the local press as quicl as all that.

Another time, my son was very very poorly and it took a whole day before the stroppy receptionist cow agreed to put me through to a doctor for a home visit. She kept stonewalling me and suggesting what might be wrong with my son (just a cold...maybe flu - since when did they have medical training?) Incidentally, I had never asked for a home visit before. My son, had flu which developed into meningitis...luckily dh and I trusted our instincts and whisked him down to A and E before it got fatal. That was 4 years ago and I now get gold star treatment at that surgery :)

Must say, I have become a little more assertive since then , Not so much of a shrinking violet as I was then.

HC - you can't take a buggy into the waiting room - it might mark the carpets

Fullmoon
I'd have sent in a written complaint to both the Practice Manager AND the trust director about that receptionist. She should really be sacked, particulary for that incident w/your son. Imagine how it could have worked out had you not gone to A&E?

Hi

Haven't had time to read all posts but just wanted to add....NO!
My Dr's receptionist is always trying to press you to tell her what is wrong with you. Well, when she has a medical degree, I'll tell her, otherwise it's between me and my Dr.
Also have had similar experiences with receptionists cr*ppy advice. DD had temp of 40 degrees she said it was just the heat (we were having a heatwave at time) ....ahem...since when does hot weather bring on a temp that hot? (in fact she had nasty ear infection)

Ah, I feel better after a mini vent too!

Maddie
x

As a medical secretary (I work for Consultants, not GPs, and I am not a dragon ) I am totally appauled at these stories. Who on earth is training and supervising these receptionists? I would have thought it goes without saying that you don't give medical advice to patients, but obviously not.

Custardo, i have to do that too! By the time i drop off dd1 all the appointments have gone!
I now do ringback and it works every time!

I am always amazed though as all the early appointmenets have gone but apparently NOONE can book before 8.30 so who the f* has all these appointments??

My doctor's surgery has a note up saying that * number of people missed their appointments last week, so when I had to miss one, I rang up to cancel. The receptionist then gave me a lecturer about giving enough notice, etc - so I told her that if that was the response when ringing up to cancel, I wasn't surprised that people just didn't turn up.

They also forgot to refer my dd to hospital - TWICE!!! When I rang up to chase them, they blamed the hospital - but I also saw the date on the letter of referral - it was the date I phoned the f**king surgery.

They used to be really nice people, but then they moved and became a "Health Centre" - the service has taken a nose dive since then.

Fullmoonfiend - wow, I am truly horrified.

totally agree that people should make formal complaints and try to address behaviour which could result in a really sick person not being seen. I tend to ring my surgery after I've tried various things (eg calpol/nurofen with hi temps) and then call and say it didn't work..can you pass on symptoms to dr, who ususally phones back between patients (last 2 times they've wanted to see dd right away). i think gp's phone-triaging (with proper time set aside for this) could save a lot of heartache and practice managers should be encouraged to see that it saves their precious resources and improves relationships too

Nope, I tried to get an appointment other day coz I couldn't breathe and fainted several times over. Too busy, could I drive to next town? Er no, been fainting, driving not a good idea! So no, no appointment for me . Have since realised was panic attacks, but surely I still should see a GP?

The out of hours back home was awful.... I managed to take the top off mu finger with a hand belnder doing food for DS1 the day before I was due to sail for Morrocco on honeymoon. Went to the clinic, and then to A&E (same building)- both had shut early as been a bit qquiet . Was dressed the next day by a practice nurse, who was telling me off for not getting it stitched. However, it was a fifteen mile bus ride (and a three mile walk to cashpoint first- days before link points) to get there, with a tiny baby, in the March rain.

GP's I have had tend to be nice though: apart from one doolally locum but there you go. My Nan, however, was told off for wasting GP time with a flu bug ..... she had suffered a heart condition for a decade and died as a result of that bug . Her GP yelled at her for being a time waster sos he didn't go back.