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Original poster

WHY WHY WHY do GP receptionists think it is their mission to keep you away from the doctor????

31 replies

EmkanaCookTurkeyLikeICan · 18/12/2006 09:27

I am sat here waiting for the blooming GP surgery to ring me back because ds has a bad chest again.

There's also another thread going atm with somebody in the same situation.

What is it with receptionists that they try all their might to keep you from seeing a doctor?

And why do I have to sit here waiting, I really have better things to do

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

OP posts:
Original poster
EmkanaCookTurkeyLikeICan · 18/12/2006 09:37

Just me then?

OP posts:
lucykate · 18/12/2006 09:40

all receptionists are the same

i rang our doctors on friday and the next available appointment for my gp is.......................next year!

Quootiepie · 18/12/2006 09:41

Don't you know ~ Receptionists are superior to GPs in every aspect.

Nemoinapeartree · 18/12/2006 09:43

Emkana god knows but I have this battle constantly with DD...last week ended up taking her to walk in centre as receptionist said she couldnt fit her in for 2 days by which time we would have neded up at hospital again. Thankfully rather lovely nurse at walk in got us an appointment for 3hrs later so we didnt end up at hospital. Hate the fact they think they are second to god not doing a job we are entitled to especially with poorly children with proven records of being ill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nemoinapeartree · 18/12/2006 09:44

meant to add hope Sebastian is ok and he gets seen soon

WhenSantaWentQuietlyMad · 18/12/2006 09:47

It is one of the great mysteries of life why such miserable and awkward people are attracted to a job working with ill people and parents.

tissy · 18/12/2006 09:48

hang on, emkana, yes GP receptionists can be obstructive, but it is likely that all their appointments are full for today. Do you expect her to have the authority to overbook the surgery (thus making the GP late for something else), cancel someone else's appointment in your favour, or tell you just to turn up and keep your fingers crossed that someone will be able to see you?

How do emergency appointments work at your practice? For ours, you have to phone at 8.30 am for an appointment later in the morning. If the condition is more urgent than that, the GP will ring back (but often advises going straight to the hospital ).

junkinmytrunk · 18/12/2006 10:00

I was ringing gp from 8.30 am to get dd1 an appt.
Took me 45mins to get thru and guess what, no appts left.

Have to go thru the whole thing again tomorrow...poor dd1 been up coughing and spluttering all night

Original poster
EmkanaCookTurkeyLikeICan · 18/12/2006 10:00

I phoned at 8am, as soon as the surgery opened, hoping to get an emergency appointment.

It's now 10 am and I haven't heard.

OP posts:
tinkerbellie · 18/12/2006 10:02

tissy thats all very well and good
but i find it quite intrusive when the receptionist asks u what is wring with you (it's none of her business)
i have to say no matter what the prob is it is never bad enough to get to see an actual doc
my son had a rash last year and i phoned (i knew it wasn't meningitus) she wouldn't make me an appointment at all, she got the nurse to call me back
the nurse then proceeded to tell me she couldn't diagnose over the phone and i would have to make an appointment (which is what i wanted in the first place)

ThrockenAroundTheChristmasTree · 18/12/2006 10:09

My sympathies. There is something wrong with the system. My DS (3) knocked his front teeth yesterday - to an alarming angle. Rang the dentist - no information about the emergency cover, so rang NHS direct - got put on hold and then cut off . So I rang the doctor, got the emergency cover number, got through - and amazingly the doctor rang back in minutes. Told me to go to A&E because there were orthodontic dentists there (roads icy, main road shut because of an accident - had to go down the back lanes I had just driven miles to avoid ). The only receptionist at the A&E was nattering on the phone - and kept saying I have to go - I have a queue of 6 here now ....
Finally got him seen at A&E - was told to take him to my own dentist .

Rang them - today - told they are not doing emergencies - go to the emergency dental hospital - no-one had even thought to mention that yesterday.

All I want is to talk to someone about what we should be doing and what we can expect to happen.

FioFio · 18/12/2006 10:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

TheBlonde · 18/12/2006 10:12

Ours is full today too
Have to call back at 3pm and they'll squeeze DS on the emergency list

MerrilyTooBuzzi · 18/12/2006 10:15

Ice queens. Dont like going to my GP anymore as mine have had me close to tears before now (with DDs).

Quootiepie · 18/12/2006 10:15

GP receptionists are too busy at my surgery to open the mail, therefore my letter from the hospital to my GP regarding my URGENT treatment is sitting under mugs of coffee I daresay. They really are the most ... farty people.

MerrilyTooBuzzi · 18/12/2006 10:21

A while ago I couldnt get through on phone ( poor DD had a urine infection), so I took DD at 8.25am one morning. To find all early appointments gone.

Told me I should have joined the que early with poor DD, to ensure I got an early appointment. So we had to go back later in the day. Silly cow was still there sneering at me.

So know where you are all coming from. Ice queens.

babalon · 18/12/2006 10:21

Tell me about it! is it an emergency? Well no or I'd have rung a ambulance, but it is urgent and I'm ringing at 8.30 because I need to see someone today.

However they do seem super busy today, I was 32 in the queue on the phone at 8.33 this morning. I'm going to drive down later I think.

Hope your ds recovers super quick

Chandra · 18/12/2006 10:30

It's a nightmare isn't it? I have finally got convinced that unless DS's is bleeding with part of his intestines/bones exposed they would only tell me the only thing he needs is fresh air!

The GPs at the local practice are quite good but the secretary that always answer the phone is quite a right ___. It doesn't matter a particular doctor has told you to book the appointment with him so he can follow up. SHe makes you go on and on about why it has to be that particular doctor and then tells you she's busy for the next 3 weeks. (and I'm sure as hell the fact that she is asking for and comenting loudly on so many medicals details in a crowded reception is and should be reported as serious misconduct. Curious thing about it is that if you ring again when she is gone out for lunch they can fit you in with the doctor of your choice just a day later

MerrilyTooBuzzi · 18/12/2006 10:54

Our local pharmacy now can give you some meds without a GPs perscription (they have a list of things they can give over the counter and still on NHS). You have to sign up and give GPs details and sign for the meds there and then. Hayfever, infant paracetamol etc. Worth going to local chemist to ask about it. Take ID (cant remember if its needed though) and GPs details like address etc.

Obviously dosent help some points on here like not opening mail. poor Quootiepie, thats no good is it .

loopylopey · 18/12/2006 13:05

i complained about our receptionist to the doctor and she was pretty receptive (!!) to the feedback. i said how i was feeling a bit depressed after the birth and that the receptionist made me feel even worse!! good to pile on the guilt i think.
the receptionist is still a rude cow but at least i feel like i've not just sat back and taken it. we all pay taxes, which are their pay cheques, so we have every right to act like customers and complain when the service is bad.

soph28 · 18/12/2006 13:12

my dd (4 mths) had a suspected ear infection a few weeks ago so i rang gp- no appointments, duty doctor called back and prescribed antibiotics over phone!!! wasn't happy so called again next day and eventually managed to persuade someone to see her. had to wait about 45 minutes with my 20mth old ds and dd and when gp finally saw her he looked in her ear for about 2 seconds and said that he couldn't see anything cos it was so waxy and just to give her the antibiotics. I was so annoyed and several people had told me that antibiotics are not usually prescribed for ear infections anymore so I didn't give her them and she got better but I don't know if I did the right thing.

Twinkie1 · 18/12/2006 13:14

soph28 - I have a partially deaf neice becaue the doctor would not prescribe anything for her recurrent ear infections!!!

SantaGotStuckUpTheGreensleeve · 18/12/2006 13:20

Sometimes I think the whole system is organised around putting as many levels of bumph as possible between the patients and the services. The receptionists are employed according to their ability to repel patients from seeing the GPs, who in turn act as a buffer zone between the patients and the specialists/hospital consultants who allocate the really expensive services. Crazy.

BrandyTutter · 18/12/2006 13:20

arf

my mil is a gp receptionist

beat that

soph28 · 18/12/2006 13:22

twinkie1, that's exactly what I'm afraid of but I just want someone to take a bit of care, examine her thoroughly and give me an informed opinion. She is only 4 months and I wasn't even sure if she did have an ear infection- I gave her the antiobotics for one day- she spat most of it back out and had awful nappies.