Really upset by GP's receptionist attitude

Also, i was told this wk that people who were born here but now live in other countries) have been sent out invites for appts, so this means that someone's son, who has lived in Australia for some years, and is now an Australian citizen- where they are NOT doing covid vaccines- has the right to still come over to England (which he does often to see his mum) and he still can take up the offer of the vaccine! While I'm in favour of everyone having the jab to keep themselves & everyone else safe, that still seems like a flaming cheek to me! Why wasn't his name removed from our NHS databases once he became an official Aussie Citizen ??

I can empathise with you. I was booked in for my second jab at 7.45pm on a Saturday night. I actually fell asleep while waiting to set off so I wouldn't be too early. I didn't wake up till 9pm and just went straight to bed. The next morning I woke up, sat up in bed and thought bugger it i have missed my second jab. I was mortified. It has taken me two weeks trying to find out what I can do and then while I was out yesterday I got a text message to apply for it. I replied straight away and got a same day appointment at my local hospital covid hub. And I got a sticker. Lol. They were doing both the Pfizer and the Az Vacine there. It must be frustrating for the GP receptionists but it still doesn't excuse rudeness. X

Hi
Keeping you waiting outside all that time, and the receptionist attitude, is not acceptable, I would call and speak to the practice manager.

Best wishes
Junie

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

Absolutely agree Maddyone (Thurs 19.41)

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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........

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.

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.

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