Power crazy GP receptionists

[LittleMonks11]

Is there a safe space to rant about the power crazy GP receptionists?

Disclaimer: not all GP receptionists are power crazy. Many are amazing and will bend over to help - my practice has several - but they are all young 🤷‍♀️

Yesterday I rang up because I knew I had (yet another) urine infection (this is a whole other thread in itself probably for Menopause) but got a call back from a lovely GP at a partner practice who looked at my history and said she would prescribe antibiotics and I should get a sample tested at my practice. It didn't have to be before 3pm (the cut off for sending to the lab) as they could dip it there. I checked.

So I arrived at just after three and this receptionist basically said I couldnt give a sample in because it was after 3pm (poiting to the big sign on the desk). I said it didn't need to be sent away and she said, well there's no one here to test it. So I said, wait, there's no doctors on the premises?

She relented in the end with a massive huff and eye roll - but I really had to push. As I knew it would turn out, another lovely GP rang back and said I had an infection and to start the antibiotics.

I just think she could have been a bit more frigging cooperative and less thinking she knew better than the GP.

Oh my god - a note had been left! It
was all requested - all there. She didn't bother to look! I specifically asked for it. She didn't check the note from the GP.

Many hearing what they want to hear just so they can have a go. That's cool - each to their own.

There's vagifem which is a pessary you insert into the vagina. You can do that with Ovestin too, but it's also more flexible as it can be applied directly to the vulva as well if needed.

I'll try and search as it's been posted about a lot on the Menopause pages.

My OH gets this with his GP receptionists. He has a standing agreement with his GP to have monthly blood tests for his chemotherapy. It's on his notes. Yet, every sodding time he phones for an appointment (they don't do online!), he gets the "we don't do blood tests for hospital" line, and every time he tells them, yes, he knows that, but he's made special arrangements with the GP, and they tut and sigh and finally when they've bothered to read the notes, they reluctantly agree to make an appointment, and they still go on and on about how they don't normally do it, how it's the hospital's responsibility, etc etc., even thought it's in black and white on the screen in front of them that the GP has authorised it! If they didn't waste so much time arguing, they'd be quicker and other people wouldn't be queuing as long!

@kizziee If you scroll down to jinglinghellsbells posts on this thread, she's really knowledgeable:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/menopause/4043779-Superdrug-Vagifem

Not specifically aimed at you, no. Just a general rule of thumb I think. If you want the best out of people treat them with respect

I work in a small surgery and I would remember things like this and I'd just do it automatically. My colleagues most probably wouldn't remember anything about the patient they dealt with 10 minutes before.

My memory for names, faces and voices is exceptional and for recalling information I sometimes only need a trigger word and I remember exactly and it might be weeks or months ago it happened. Some of my colleagues can only remember the time they clock off.

Thank you @SparklingLime - really appreciated

If she didn’t bother to check, how do you know one was left?

@Jazzappledelish you win. Ok?

Hooray! 😂

Team Receptionist!

Except she hadn't got health anxiety she has a UTI

You sound like my GPs receptionist the one that demanded to know why I needed my annual blood test booking apparently "so I don't die" isn't the answer she is looking for 😬

Well unconfirmed at that stage!

I remember when I turned up for DS3's vaccinations and the receptionist nearly stopped me from coming into the surgery (this was during covid when we had to queue outside) whilst insisting she take DS3 away from me because I was clearly abusing him by having him on home oxygen. She kept yelling at me, asking where did I obtain this medical equipment, to hand DS3 over to here and she will be calling the police.

Never been so mortified. In front of loads of people too. I managed to keep calm, explain he was premature and had Chronic Lung Disease. She accused me of making this up. I insisted she look at his red book, which she thankfully did (taking it away into the back room) and then she never re-appeared, instead someone else came onto duty and acted like none of that had ever happened.

Oh my god. That's horrific.

It's just a mystery why there's such a high turn over of staff in GP surgeries with people like OP about!

What did the OP do wrong?! She was just following the GP's instructions and informed the receptionist that the GP had said it didn't need sending off. She was not rude, unlike the receptionist. Huffing and eye-rolling at patients is pathetic and unprofessional, especially ones who are only doing what they've been asked to do.

Test sticks available on Amazon….to make it easier next time, if of interest…

I've had this disease for 25 years hence the annual blood test so it is absolutely confirmed

Don't worry @Theunamedcat I believe she's referring to me and my phantom UTI

Many moons ago, I had a chest infection. I had no idea at the time what was going on. I'd been coughing all night and taking cough medicine like it was going out if fashion.
I rang the docs after a few days of this, to be met by a receptionist giving me the first degree. She asked me how long I'd been coughing for, so I told her. She told me I hadn't been coughing long enough!
I waited a couple more days and got an appointment, to be told it was a chest infection.
Not long after that I heard that there had been numerous complaints and She disappeared from reception.
Then when I was having my blood tested due to a blood clot, there she was having trained to be some kind of nurse.

I once asked for an emergency appointment and explained that no matter what u was drinking, I was still dehydrated. According to the leaflet that came with my medication, that's an emergency. According to the GP receptionist, that can't possibly be the cause, it's not an emergency and no, I'm not getting an appointment. I was also told to stop googling.

I finally got an appointment. Had a blood and urine test done. It was the medication.