Medical Receptionist

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Caleo

Receptionist are empowered to triage when necessary, and receptionists are empowered to steer patients to the appropriate member of staff: doctor, pharmacist, health care assistant, practitioner nurse, practice manager.

Receptionists should not require patients to justify requests for help and advice.

I don’t mind receptionists asking why an appt is necessary, and steering to correct professional.
What I object to is being asked about symptoms, some of which may be personal, and/or embarrassing in sight and sound of the waiting room.

MayBee70 I buy viscotears, haven’t been able to get them on prescription for years.

Baggs

dragonfly46

I make friends with the receptionists at our practice as it does pay dividends whe I want an emergency appointment. After all they are on the front line doing a difficult job.

Hear, hear!

Yes, a couple or three of ours are great.
However, it's difficult to be friendly with one or two as even being pleasant elicits a snappy, defensive response.

Lots of medication is no longer on prescription. I was surprised that I can still request dry eye gel but it wouldn’t surprise me if that’ll not last long. One bottle should last a month but if I use eg hypromellose it goes everywhere but my eye; viscotears is much easier to apply.

dragonfly46

I make friends with the receptionists at our practice as it does pay dividends whe I want an emergency appointment. After all they are on the front line doing a difficult job.

Hear, hear!

I honestly can't remember, FP. But if my method had been the issue he should have told me. One can't know what someone else is thinking if they don't tell one.

But, tbh, I think it was because it was an expensive anti-migraine therapy. I seem to remember the whole prescription was only a very few tablets (fewer than five or six).

We had only used one or two and they didn't work.

I make friends with the receptionists at our practice as it does pay dividends whe I want an emergency appointment. After all they are on the front line doing a difficult job.

How did you 'get rid' Baggs? That was probably the issue.

I do get your point(s), caleo.

she also quizzed me about why I thought I needed more eye drops, how often I used the eye drops, and when I used them.

Could this not have been so that she could report the information back to the GP? Part of the triage process?

Receptionist are empowered to triage when necessary, and receptionists are empowered to steer patients to the appropriate member of staff: doctor, pharmacist, health care assistant, practitioner nurse, practice manager.

Receptionists should not require patients to justify requests for help and advice.

It was unnecessary for the receptionist to advise me about use of eye drops as all I had asked her was whether I needed to make a telephone appointment with the doctor to increase the amount prescribed. I had not asked for a lecture on how not to waste the eye drops.

I don't suppose anyone asks for lectures about not wasting eye-drops but the receptionist may have been advised to describe an efficient way of usung eye drops because the doctor or pharmacist thought they were being used up too quickly on many occasions. This may not have applied to you, caleo, but the receptionist won't have known that. This is just me surmising anyhow.

I once got ticked off by my GP because I'd got rid of some medication that had been prescribed for one of my daughters. I replied that I'd kept it until it was well past its expiry date.

PS she also quizzed me about why I thought I needed more eye drops, how often I used the eye drops, and when I used them.

I am currently quite an easy patient and need very little medical care. However I will become more reliant on the surgery the longer I live, and I'm fearful that I will have to justify my query to the the receptionist when I make a simple request for information.