Really upset by GP's receptionist attitude

Today 17:40 Aepgirl

Aepgirl “My sister used to say that Dr’s receptionists were ‘failed brain surgeons’ meaning that they had ideas way above their station. Can you imagine a restaurant keeping its customers if we were ‘greeted’ in this way? “

Have you any idea how insulting a comment this and many others in this thread are to the many of us GP receptionists who are working extremely hard under pressure at this time? I’m not in UK, but in Ireland, and try unfailingly to be calm with patients who are at times anxious, distraught, worried, suicidal, over familiar, impatient, rude, very polite and gracious, stupid, not listening, entitled...... the list is endless. Now more so than ever, we are instructed by overworked, exhausted, impatient GP employers to try and sift out what’s urgent, what might be COVID symptoms by someone hiding them, what might be a severe mental health problem, etc. If we are short or curt with you, which we shouldn’t be, it may be that the previous patient shouted at us, or that we had been told about a sudden death, or that another patient was knocking insistently at the door, another phone is ringing at the same time, and our colleague was in the loo feeling unwell and wondering is it Covid!! As well as Covid admin work, the list of routine work is too long and the day is too short to ever get everything done as efficiently as I would like. And no, I am NOT a failed brain surgeon, but an extremely experienced secretary of 20 years standing with a pretty comprehensive knowledge of most routine symptoms and illnesses, which as an intelligent and interested employee I couldn’t have failed to pick up over the years.

Rant over! I’m genuinely sorry that you had an upsetting experience, OP.

My sister used to say that Dr’s receptionists were ‘failed brain surgeons’ meaning that they had ideas way above their station. Can you imagine a restaurant keeping its customers if we were ‘greeted’ in this way?

I think you should complain to the Practice Manager. This woman needs to change her attitude.

While rudeness is inexcusable, it’s frustrating to offer appointments to people who knew when they would become due for their 2nd covid vaccination only to find they have decided to go on holiday. I’ve been flat out organising covid clinics since December and if your surgery is anything like ours they probably don’t have anymore Pfizer vaccine scheduled which is why you can’t book in unfortunately. You will be able to book via 119 at a mass vaccination site if that’s happening in your area. Sorry you’ve had an upsetting time

Lazypaws

While you were on holiday, you obviously had access to your mobile why didn't you book up a date then?? You could have avoided all this upset. Receptionists think they're gods and many of them act like the surgery is THEIRS any you're damn lucky to be there. Don't let her get to you, or if you want to take it higher, write a letter of complaint to the Practice Manager. I belong to the PPG at my doctor's surgery (Patient's Participation Group) and if I make a comment about anything, it gets actioned straight away.

I think it might help if you read the opening post properly re booking

While you were on holiday, you obviously had access to your mobile why didn't you book up a date then?? You could have avoided all this upset. Receptionists think they're gods and many of them act like the surgery is THEIRS any you're damn lucky to be there. Don't let her get to you, or if you want to take it higher, write a letter of complaint to the Practice Manager. I belong to the PPG at my doctor's surgery (Patient's Participation Group) and if I make a comment about anything, it gets actioned straight away.

I can see that you were upset about being kept waiting for your physio appointment. I wonder if the receptionist even realised what had happened, as the physio called you in directly. I am sure that the receptionist wasn't just twiddling her thumbs and wonder if she was undertaking another task and so forgot about you.... It happens.

The discussion re.vaccine was probably because the receptionist really couldn't tell you which type they would have next: surgeries generally don't know until arrival, which one they will receive and if it is Pfizer, go into a mad scramble to contact patients, as it is time critical.

Perhaps you were still riled by the physiotherapist business so not entirely your normal self.

It doesn't seem as if there is too much to worry about here, people do make mistakes and you won't know what the receptionist had previously to deal with. Of course, if she is always abrupt, that is another matter.

I would be a little cross but put it down to 'life'. Sometimes events can overwhelm us and feel larger that they really are.

I would not complain but if you still feel it appropriate to do so then have a word with your Practice Manager.

Yes rafichgran, we will definitely do that if we are able. We visited New Zealand just before the Covid crisis hit, we did the cruise from Sydney to Auckland. We both loved it, and feel sure that they will love NZ too. Obviously I’m saddened that my girl and her family are leaving, but the bigger issue is the loss of staff to the NHS. That is very worrying. Many GP surgeries are simply unable to recruit enough staff, particularly doctors but others as well. They’ve done a marvellous job managing Covid but the future........

Sorry Grandma Trisha about your experience with this very rude receptionist. I don't know what it is with some of these people. They have a job to do, which they get paid for, its
' not much to ask that they carry it out in a caring way without rudeness. To put it bluntly some of them are right rottweilers. They must get a kick out of being nasty.

Maddie when all is well, who knows when that will be, take your self on a lovely long break to see them. That will break up the two years.
It will fly by, time does.

rafichagran Firstly thank you for the good wishes for my daughter and her family. They have taken a two year contract so they can escape from the stress the NHS is under at the moment and give their three young children a more normal life. We will miss them more than I can say, my eyes are filling up now as I write this, but we hope to be able to go out there at some point, if the borders open up, as we are now fully vaccinated. I’m crossing my fingers, but whatever, we will keep in close touch. Their plan is to come back, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Racism is very different to an abrupt receptionist, or an over tired one, or a stressed one. I would would overlook any of those and try to be the bigger person, but racism cannot ignored. To start with, it’s against the law, though I appreciate, difficult to prove. As I said up thread, the answer to an unsatisfactory practice is to move practice, as we did. I didn’t want to, I liked my GP, but I needed to get to see him, or another medic, and when it became so difficult, we moved. We haven’t looked back. My daughter tells me the first surgery’s problem is that they cannot recruit sufficient staff.

This sort of attitude makes us frightened to even ring the doctors, never mind go there. I have recently had to see my doctor for an ongoing problem and the first receptionist- sorry - primary care navigator - gave me a grilling worthy of the Gestapo. I don't like being asked what is wrong with me and I knew I needed to see a doctor not the practice nurse that she was going to direct me to. When I said this l was told, very brusquely, that she would have to write "did not want to see nurse." When I said that this was not the case but that I knew l needed to see a doctor l was somewhat rudely told that this was what she had to write. I was left feeling as if I were a troublemaker. I put off making the return appointment l needed until yesterday out of sheer fright. Thankfully, it was a different receptionist and a totally experience.

This is the kind of situation that gets GP receptionists a bad name. I don't know if training is provided but it should be. Our practice is regularly closed for an afternoon for staff training and I have never had anything but helpful courtesy from the receptionists.

I advise you speak to the practice manager as her attitude isn't professional, and she's probably like this with other people too. I don't think the problem is you going away, it's solely her attitude to her job.

I have had both my Pfizer Vacs exactly 12 weeks and one day apart due to Pfizer vaccine shortage organised by text and given at my GP surgery. We even had Police protection whilst waiting on the ramp outside the surgery whilst a guy raved about the damage it would do us. The organisation has been fantastic both by the medics and the volunteers. Well done to our overstretched NHS

Personally I would not dream of making a complaint over this but that is just me. The receptionist is clearly not too skilled and it is really a training issue. I will be 64 next month, with.a number of health issues. I had to cancel my first appointment for the vaccine as I felt ill and unable to cope that morning with the prospect.of having to go.and also look after 3 year old grandson. I have consequently had to see more fit and able people being vaccinated twice.while I have only had one. I don't agree that GP surgeries still need to carry on operating the way they do as I think.it is endangering people's lives.

Report her to the surgery manager.Or failing thatthey should have a complaints form online to make a formal complaint.l am convinced there is a special receptionists training centre where they are taught to deflect any requests to see a gp or any difficult requests.They think they are demi gods.

This is the attitude I have from my GPS. I booked my vaccines through the nhs website because I am so scared of the reception staff. It's sad at my age. I did have to see the nurse recently who sent me to speak to reception, through a closed exterior window, they really didn't want to talk to me. I feel so sorry for anyone who is ill now.

Sorry you’ve been upset. But lucky you, at least you’ve had a holiday. The receptionist might have been treated badly herself by some abusive patients, of which there are far too many. During this past year a lot of unfortunate things have happened. I think I would give the receptionist the benefit of the doubt. There are two sides to every story.

If you know her name I would definitely write a complaint to the ptlractice manager - there is no excuse fo bad behaviour or bad manners!

muffinthemoo

@Jaffacake

I too have longstanding ovarian troubles and for many years it was believed I was infertile. This caused me enormous pain.

I went to the GP for a problem that was suspected to be vaginal cancer (thankfully it was just ulcers in the end) and had to take a pregnancy test inbetween the appointment and blood tests that I was to have.

I returned the result of the pregnancy test to the GP reception as instructed. The reception is open plan. The receptionist opened the damned envelope in front of me and boomed out, “YOU’RE NO PREGNANT, DO YOU STILL NEED THE APPOINTMENT”

Shocked but also inappropriately angry - she has no idea what I was there for and also that is extremely sensitive medical information, I hollered back “JUST AS WELL I’M NO HERE FOR AN ABORTION EH”

I have a different GP practice now

I hope your daughter has a good life and prospects in New Zealand.
I will complain about rudeness as there is no need for it, you said in your thread especially you, I have look back at the posts and there are others who would complain too, and some have posted this more than once.
I have come back today after driving to another part of the county where my partner, who is West Indian went to have is second covid vaccination. He went to the hospital, because one of the admin staff at our surgery treated him appallingly. It was lucky the hospital called him due to him being treated there before. It was clear racism, as she treated the white person in the same circumstances very very differently. It's too my partners credit he remained polite and calm. He is very angry about this, and will consider leaving the surgery. No matter how stressed, how much pressure, racism is never acceptable.
I cannot and will not cut her any slack, however I will leave my partner to deal with that. I always respect his desition.

Personally I would not book a holiday until three weeks after my second vaccine. We are very fortunate to have such a good vaccine program in this country.

What a shame! I went for my second jab appointment on Wednesday, only to discover to my horror that I had mixed up the dates & was a day late. The people dealing with me were so kind - they could see I was upset. (I had apologised several times for my mistake.) I was slotted in there& then & got my injection within 5 minutes. I can’t praise all the NHS staff I met that day highly enough.

Absolutely agree Maddyone (Thurs 19.41)

Grandma Trish, why didnt you come home from your caravan early to have your jab? This time last year you would have gone anywhere.