Doctor's receptionists

MayBee70

I worked with one like that. When people came into the waiting room and he was covering for another doctor I’d warn them and they’d leave. He was horrible.

He was someone who was coming to the end of his career and couldn't be bothered and would just mutter a few comments and hand over a prescription note. Also there were rumours he was a bit " hands on" with younger female patients.
OTOH the doctors and receptionists in the successor practices have generally been far superior and will really try to help you.

I also think we forget how medical science has expanded and how much longer people live with a number of complex illnesses that not long ago would have killed them. None of this comes cheap. I've got a pacemaker that gives me an almost completely normal life with a condition that night have killed me, I am surrounded by friends and family who have had life threatening cancers or heart conditions. All of this costs money and this idea we've paid for it whilst working, the fact is that most of us haven't. Doctors aren't saints they are professionals doing an increasingly difficult job with sometimes some pretty disatisfied patients. Would doctors like better resources and more time with patients? Yes of course that's why most of them became doctors.

I worked with one like that. When people came into the waiting room and he was covering for another doctor I’d warn them and they’d leave. He was horrible.

I know people go on about how much better the NHS was in the past, and yes it was better when doctors did home visits and getting an appointment was easier, but I do recall the original practice my family registered with in the late seventies and how we dreaded it if a certain doctor was on duty.
Obviously I won't name the doctor and the surgery, although both are long gone, but his customer skills left a lot to be desired, being both abrupt and unhelpful, and he couldn't wait to get patients out of his consulting room.

My sister and I have both been given wrong test results by receptionists who read out a previous result.
We don’t expect receptionists to be highly trained so they should not be giving out important information.

My poor mother, who was a highly sensitive and private person, was once mortified to have a receptionist call at full volume across the waiting room, ‘Is it about your waterworks, dear?’ 😱

I too have noticed that doctors' receptionists are more tactful and not bossy and opinionated than they were formerly.

I now find Doctors' receptionists exceptionally helpful within their remit. My only complaint is it is hard to get to speak to a receptionist who is not a recorded voice but a person.

Interesting point, Allira and I must admit that I honestly don't know the answer. If I find out I will let you know.

Tizliz

Can't praise our surgery enough. Yes the receptionist does triage but they say 'one word will do' so you don't need to go into detail. Dr phones back and makes an appt if necessary - often same day. All the receptionists are friendly.

I know we are lucky but my doctor must be getting near retirement and I am not looking forward to that.

Just announced her retirement 🥲 hope her replacement is as good

Had a brilliant receptionist at my old GP practice in London. At the one I am at present not had any problems in six years except one a couple of months ago.

I had left an askmygp message for an urgent appointment with my GP for my extremely painful knee that was seriously affecting me, even in moving around in my flat. She phoned to give me an appointment later in the week, but then told me it was at the secondary venue which there is no way I could get to, as I could to the main one on my mobility scooter. She was very put out when I told her it was no good, and said there would no other appointment available for at least ten days.

When I repeated that as I was in so much pain, etc really needed an earlier one, she snapped that I had refused an appt.

No, I said, I cannot to there. She then told me 'get a taxi'!!!

Telephone call came to an end with me in tears, and no appt.

Later that afternoon, I became so ill, my daughter came round and called 111, who made an appt that day at my surgery, and whilst there I became so ill, they called an ambulance as I had suspected sepsis, and was in hospital for a few days.

Yes I think.you could be right.
My Doctors Practice has many patients in a suburb of a very busy city. They also seem to have lot of staff on reception and when you phone to make a request.or enquiry

l have been a patient there for the past 39 years. I have noticed that some of the younger phone receptionists seem quite young but with a good manner and seems fairly well informed.

My Surgery has changed a lot of the past couple of years. I think mainly due to the departure and retirement of a couple of senior partner Doctors who ruled the roost for years . Who thought they were Gods and very unapproachable

They were only part time, one of them only attended one and a half days per week and was a Professor of Primary Care

A lot of patients just really felt like fodder for research for the this doctors latest grant funded project or while they climbed the medical ladder to become an Advisor to NICE and other top notch organisations.

This Doctor was also awarded.an OBE And is still working as a Professor at a Medical University.

One of the other Doctors who only worked two and a half days per week got a top job with a well known nation wide service.

I am mentioning this because Surgeries have now changed and this old partnership model for.GP's has changed.

And the NHS now employees salaried GPs who.just get on with hands on proper doctoring. Partner GPs still exist but they do rule the roost.

Also Practice Managers are a different breed and much more helpful.in dealing with patients.

I think this new set up has improved my Surgery a lot. It really needed it.

BrandyGran

I’m on many pills a day. My surgery has a Prescription Line which isn’t manned but you just leave your details and meds you need and in two days time Boots send a message to collect. It is a brilliant system.

Our surgery has withdrawn this service.

I love how they phone me from a withheld number then ask me to confirm my DOB & 1st line of my address! However they are very polite and friendly

I’m on many pills a day. My surgery has a Prescription Line which isn’t manned but you just leave your details and meds you need and in two days time Boots send a message to collect. It is a brilliant system.

Not in mine

My surgery has some very helpful, cheerful receptionists and one dreadful one. If she answers the phone then I know it's going to be difficult. I had a telephone appt with a GP arranged for a particular day but unfortunately I missed the call as I was in the bathroom and couldn't get downstairs to pick up the phone on time ( if they'd rung the landline as requested I could have got to the phone upstairs on time but they rang the mobile which was downstairs). I rang back within a couple of minutes of the phone ringing and this particular receptionist answered. I explained what had happened and very politely asked if I could be put through to the GP or if he could be asked to phone again. I was told I had to make another appt, she insisted on this and I then had to wait another 2 weeks or so to speak to a GP.

The receptionists at my surgery are so helpful and polite have no issues with them

Doodledog

I think they are like any other group of people - some are lovely, some are awful and others are in the middle somewhere. Our surgery has a mixed bag. Some are resourceful and very helpful - others ask you to hold and carry on a 'confidential' conversation whilst you wait and can hear every word. Some are condescending and others are respectful and kind - just like people in any line of work.

I suspect that if more worked full-time it might be better. As it is (and as with the doctors) there are lots of them and everyone seems to do about 12 hours a week, so there is little continuity at any level. Maybe that works better for costings, and maybe the job is too stressful for most to do it full-time, but it's not great for the patients. In the old days there were four full-time GPs, a couple of nurses and 'Mrs X and Sandra' behind the desk so there was cover at lunchtime and if one of the doctors needed admin assistance.

Mrs X knew everything and more and was very efficient, while Sandra was willing and keen to learn so that she could take over when the time came, yet was more willing to bend rules and squeeze people in or make allowances for nervous new mums who probably didn't need to see a doctor but were scared as their baby had a bit of a temperature. Patients knew who to ask for what. It's all very different now.

It must be a very difficult job to deal with people who are scared, stressed and ill - particularly when appointments are difficult to get and resources are stretched after such a long period of neglect of the NHS. It's not their fault, but as the front line they get the flack. Also, I don't think they are paid anything like a salary commensurate with the necessary skills, so it wouldn't be surprising if surgeries have to take who they can get in many cases. Obviously that does not apply across the board, but why would someone with the tact, diplomacy, people skills and ability to get a much higher paid role hang around on little more than minimum wage when they could get a better-paid job somewhere else that doesn't involve being abused on a regular basis?

As a retired GP receptionist, thanks Doodlebug very much for your most perceptive post about the demands of the job. What many of you may not realise is that, as the last 20 years went by, we have been less and less able to give the time to each patient that we would like to give - to practice active listening, empathy and find time afterwards to follow up that appointment for them, or to have a quiet word with the GP about a family problem that the patient has entrusted us with. Mostly that was due to the GPs themselves feeling very much under time pressure and more inundated with administrative tasks, form filling etc than ever before, and frustration made them pass the buck to us to be more brisk and frankly less helpful to their patients, rather than damage their own relationships with them. Consequently people took their frustrations with the system out on us. I got so stressed by the time I was 65, that I retired thankfully but sadly.

Some years ago I had to use a GP surgery whilst on holiday. The receptionist must have been responsible for training the SS - she was really awful. Our regular receptionist back at home was lovely so the difference was stark. she moved as the new GP was not nice as she could not work for that man
We have moved and the older receptionist is nice whilst the young receptionist goes out of her way to be unhelpful

The receptionists at my surgery are brilliant, friendly and helpful. A very close friend of mine was a doctor’s receptionist for many years and would have never been rude or unhelpful, although I used to tease her and tell her that the only difference between a doctor’s receptionist and a Rottweiler is lipstick.

My GP surgery has a very bad reputation in my area.
There is a huge turnover of reception staff at the surgery and I witnessed a massive argument a few weeks ago .
One of them was a couple of minutes late and the others stopped dealing with the patients to have a blazing row with her .
When my "posh " accent was mocked on the phone I went in and made a complaint .
The next time I went in I had more rudeness about my missing blood form .
They are snappy on the phone and snappy at the desk .
All the patients are scared of them .
If you lucky enough to see a doctor-they are pleasant enough.
I don't know what the underlying problem is . I suspect that it's a very unhappy place in which to work .

I've yet to meet out receptionists so have no idea what they are like because it's online bookings only and for the few appointments I've been granted I've been sent to 2 different surgeries miles away when my own surgery is within walking distance so it's a good job I drive.

All the staff at our surgery are good, they're not super friendly (which I suppose wastes time) but do their jobs really well. The phones are always answered pretty quickly and they always respond to online messages the same day.

I've worked at 3 surgeries, always minimum wage. The one I am at now has some wonderful people on reception and answering the phone,many have been there years. Management us very good and backs staff and will remove abusive patients and those that miss appointments after a couple of letters

Grandmotherto8

I have frequently read about dragon like receptionists, but in all my decades of speaking to all manner of medical receptionists, I have never come across a curt or rude one. Maybe it's because I am always unfailing polite myself.

No, it is probably nothing to do with you being unfailingly polite.

Some of our receptionists can be kind and helpful, a couple of others are unfailingly rude and downright obstructive however polite your request.
The turnover of some seems high, too.