You’re the receptionist. What would you have done?

MT63... That or a wee dram 🤣

I'm not really sure I'd believe that explanation. I've never known a doctor office that would wait for a patient like that. On the chance it is true, then the late patient should wait for a window after you.

I do usually allow for doctors to run late. 30 is pretty normal. Sometimes they do have to squeeze in emergencies.

Plevey08

It's probably the consultant's preference as he/she would have had the other person's notes up and would have done a recap on what he wanted to discuss. Crikey! I don't think I'd have had a taxi waiting for any NHS appointment....too unpredictable.

Wonder if he had a cuppa whilst he was waiting 🙄

Quite often the receptionist gets the blame for just following the instructions of the doctor or consultant….

Maybe the consultant had already got that patients notes up and couldn’t switch to you? Had they contacted the receptionist to explain that they were running late? We used to have a rule that a patient was allowed to be ten minutes late but after that time the appointment was cancelled. I can understand your annoyance, though, given that you made a point of being early.

It's probably the consultant's preference as he/she would have had the other person's notes up and would have done a recap on what he wanted to discuss. Crikey! I don't think I'd have had a taxi waiting for any NHS appointment....too unpredictable.

She should have been made to wait.

If the room was empty until the latecomer arrived, then you should have been allowed to go in first.

It’s difficult.
Did they know she was going to be 15 minutes late?
IMO You should have been seen first.

If they didn’t know how late she’d be and the 5mins stretched to 10, then 15, Thats harder to decide.
I hope your visit had a satisfactory outcome when you were eventually seen.

Zurely, the receptionist would be acting on the instructions from the consultant or the accepted protocol

Normally a late patient, unless held up by an ambulance taking her, would wait until there was a gap such as a no show. You should not have been penalised.

I would be amazed if she did ring through because normally it takes ages if at all.

Were you waiting for 15 minutes whilst the consultant had no patient in the room, or did somebody else come out after 15 minutes, then the patient who was late went in?

Impossible to say without knowing why the first patient was late. May well have been circs entirely beyond her control and that she had phoned ahead,

Surely it would have been better for you to have gone first to save time. The late person might have been a no show. Not fair for you to be penalised for not being late . Receptionist should have shown a bit of common sense!