Medical Receptionist

Unfortunately I think there are always a couple of 'difficult' people that work in public facing roles, whatever the industry but I think the reason people react differently to medical staff is because they are frightened and in a state of anxiety. It doesn't make it right though.

Also I'd expect someone who worked in a care or health setting of whatever nature, would actually care and have kindness as part of their character and when you are faced with the opposite it is upsetting.

Now don't go wasting those eye drops Caleo

FannyCornforth

BlueBelle I always thank the receptionists too.
In fact I’ve just rang them for an appointment and she said how busy they were because half of the doctors were off sick.
A few weeks ago this happened to the GP surgery that I used to go to.
It was trashed by an angry patient
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1715771/gp-surgery-waiting-room-Wilson-Street-Surgery-derby/amp

There is something really tragic about the tinsel in that photograph and I really hope whoever upset it, noticed before leaving

I worked at a Gp surgery for many years.
When the receptionists were instructed by the GPs that they must ask all patients the reason for seeing a doctor or nurse most of them objected and said it wasn’t right to expect them to ask patients for personal information like that and they didn’t want to do it, They were completely overruled by the GPS who said they must do as they were told.
Also if anyone turned up for ear syringing (which we have stopped doing now) without putting oil in, the receptionist was blamed.
If a receptionist speaks about a private matter across a waiting room or so others can hear then the fault lies with the surgery bosses either in the design of the waiting area or in their instructions to staff. In my surgery you we’re hauled over the coals for any breach of confidentiality or going against the instructions of the GPS.
For those who have never worked in a surgery you would be amazed how many of those nice kind doctors you meet turn into the most arrogant, dictatorial and rude bosses you can imagine. Equally, there are others who would do anything they could to help you and are kindness itself.
Like all walks of life you get all sorts.

I’ve just returned from a hospital check up. My OH commented that he’d learned far more than he ever wanted to know about an elderly gents prostate and testicles. The waiting area was directly opposite the reception desk.

I find the NHS eye drops come out in great blobs whereas the OTC ones just give one drop.

One of the receptionists I worked with gave out the standard info that we were instructed to give on D&V but the patient had appendicitis. The surgery blamed her and ultimately she left. One of several reasons why I decided to quit.

Witzend

GPs around here don’t do ear syringing any more - you have to pay privately and they invariably tell you that you must use olive oil drops for at least 5 days beforehand.

The worst receptionist I ever encountered once asked at the top of her voice across a crowded waiting room, ‘What’s it about?’ To which I replied, I’ll discuss that with the doctor, thank you.’ Ages ago now - I knew her slightly - she was just obnoxious and unbelievably nosy.

Ditto my intensely private mother was once highly embarrassed by a receptionist asking out loud across the waiting area - ‘Is it about your waterworks, dear?’ 😱

We had a pharmacist in our town just like that. I was once in the shop, he came out with a prescription said a man's name and asked if they were for putting in his nose, the chap very quickly replied no my ar.....
We had an extremely noisy receptionist who new the family. My DH went in for an appointment just after I had a second DD.
She could not resist saying "I hear you have two the same our H.... has one of each", my DH replied, "A left and a right for H....then."It was reported back to us by a cousin.

They can be ignorant and rude. Our DD couldn't be vaccinated against measles because she had fits as a new-born baby. One day when she was three, it so happened that my DH's uncle, a GP, had come to visit us. DD was obviously not well so the uncle had a look at her and said she had measles. He told me to ring our GP as it is a notifiable disease. So I spoke to the receptionist at the practice. She just said that there was nothing the doctor could do about measles and she didn't know why I had called. She did change her tune when I put DH's uncle on the line and he told her her fortune.
But the worst one was the young woman at our GP practice I spoke with to inform them that my DH had died. At the end of the conversation, she said to me "Have a lovely day." I did scream at her that it was actually the worst day of my life. Which it was.
I do hope that she and her colleagues will stop and THINK before producing this formulaic and actually meaningless utterance.

Doodle

I worked at a Gp surgery for many years.
When the receptionists were instructed by the GPs that they must ask all patients the reason for seeing a doctor or nurse most of them objected and said it wasn’t right to expect them to ask patients for personal information like that and they didn’t want to do it, They were completely overruled by the GPS who said they must do as they were told.
Also if anyone turned up for ear syringing (which we have stopped doing now) without putting oil in, the receptionist was blamed.
If a receptionist speaks about a private matter across a waiting room or so others can hear then the fault lies with the surgery bosses either in the design of the waiting area or in their instructions to staff. In my surgery you we’re hauled over the coals for any breach of confidentiality or going against the instructions of the GPS.
For those who have never worked in a surgery you would be amazed how many of those nice kind doctors you meet turn into the most arrogant, dictatorial and rude bosses you can imagine. Equally, there are others who would do anything they could to help you and are kindness itself.
Like all walks of life you get all sorts.

And those very doctors are usually all sweetness and light when chatting to the patient. My take on it was that it was the patients that actually paid my wages and they were the ones I was working for. And I often put my neck on the line for them. I did work alongside some very unpleasant receptionists as well, though.

FannyCornforth

BlueBelle I always thank the receptionists too.
In fact I’ve just rang them for an appointment and she said how busy they were because half of the doctors were off sick.
A few weeks ago this happened to the GP surgery that I used to go to.
It was trashed by an angry patient
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1715771/gp-surgery-waiting-room-Wilson-Street-Surgery-derby/amp

I missed that earlier, that's dreadful, FannyCornforth!

I've not actually heard anyone being abusive to staff at our surgery. However, I do know that if certain receptionists are at the desk or answer the phone, it's a relief because they're polite and helpful. But there's always an exception to prove the rule.

We are lucky where we live now,I had to have a nurse's appointment and the receptionist looked at my address and told me to set off early as there were bad road works which were making her late for work.
Another thanked me for understanding when I thanked her for her help.
The receptionist also phoned DH back after they had stopped stringing ears out and she had looked to see which place was the nearest to us.
They are a world away from the ones that were in my home town.

MayBee, I know eye drops in small dropper vials are expensive, as I did buy them for a while, until my son persuaded me I really ought to have them prescribed. Compared with some of the costs of keeping a 90 year old in working order , the cost of eyedrops is not exhorbitant.

Doodle

I worked at a Gp surgery for many years.
When the receptionists were instructed by the GPs that they must ask all patients the reason for seeing a doctor or nurse most of them objected and said it wasn’t right to expect them to ask patients for personal information like that and they didn’t want to do it, They were completely overruled by the GPS who said they must do as they were told.
Also if anyone turned up for ear syringing (which we have stopped doing now) without putting oil in, the receptionist was blamed.
If a receptionist speaks about a private matter across a waiting room or so others can hear then the fault lies with the surgery bosses either in the design of the waiting area or in their instructions to staff. In my surgery you we’re hauled over the coals for any breach of confidentiality or going against the instructions of the GPS.
For those who have never worked in a surgery you would be amazed how many of those nice kind doctors you meet turn into the most arrogant, dictatorial and rude bosses you can imagine. Equally, there are others who would do anything they could to help you and are kindness itself.
Like all walks of life you get all sorts.

Totally agree Doodle. I worked as a doctor's receptionist in two different surgeries for many years. Eventually I took early retirement due to the stress of taking the flack for the doctor's decisions. Of course some were lovely, others not.

I was bullied by one doctor for years. I only stayed in the job because I loved it so much.

My receptionist had instructions regarding oil and ear syringing which she had to give to people making appointments. They were written by the Treatment Room Nurses under supervision and signed off by the GP. This is fairly common. Eye drops are a different issue altogether.