Bloody doctor's receptionists.

No problem granjua - you are right it's a serious issue and needs to be dealt with.

As a specialist nurse I have many of the problems you are all discussing getting medication for my very ill patients. I have even been told that the electronic system for patients notes that we share with the GPS is not good enough for 1 practice - they want a fax as well?

As a retired G.P. receptionist/Secretary let me tender a rebuttal to some of the remarks. The doctors make the rules, if they say it takes 48 hours to get a repeat prescription, it takes 48 hours. Anything written on your prescription was not placed there by a receptionist. If you are hoping to waltz in and get one right away, good luck. Much as we try to help, and we do, we have to get your doctor to sign it in the middle of a busy surgery. They don't like being interrupted. As a receptionist we have little or no clout. We aren't trying to 'protect' the doctor from you. There is a strict appointment system, we cannot slot you in without the doctor's say so. They don't like to be interrupted. There are difficult and uncooperative receptionists, but there are many more patients who feel a huge sense of entitlement as they 'pay their taxes' . So from a receptionist point of view , we do our best under really difficult situations.

I will say that our GP surgery is very efficient and well run but yet people continue to complain. There is a letter in our local paper this week from a lady complaining that she couldn't get a GP appointment (with her own doctor sic) for 2 weeks. There are 16 other doctors and appointments available daily. As they are all qualified and experienced medical professionals that one can see under the NHS I couldn't see the problem. I don't often stick up for GPs - they don't need me to either I thought I would juts give credit where its due.

I have read the posts on this thread with interest, irritation (at the attitudes some of you have experienced with doctors/receptionists), and I have had similar experiences.

We've had the one where - "you can get the practice to send over your prescription to the handy chain store pharmacy for you" suggestion too. But when they can't fulfil the script with the "we'll owe you some, and you can pick them up when our delivery comes" - tomorrow afternoon!! We - well, to be honest I decided that whilst still able I'll just take the script to any pharmacy who can do the job - fully.

Mind you, our practice has evolved into a business that now closes on random days during the week for "staff training" - not even a phone service on this occasions. Some good receptionists, some I would cross the street to avoid - although I do have some sympathy, they just seem to be learning all the time, about how to communicate in particular.

A recent fascinating development is that the practice has now assigned me a doctor I've never seen, and not the GP I registered with when we first moved here - I wonder if that's a new type of lottery.

I think overall GP practices - now they've become a business - you will always get that mixture of helpful staff, and those who are barely able to string a sentence together. Management too seems to be a variable, and I think that is something they are still learning.

Sorry for the length of the post - but sometimes I just despair at the way what was once a "Family Doctor" service, and they would know you has turned into a lottery - "next patient please" - who are you way of 'treating' people.

Interesting riposte dorsetpennt. I think some of the points you make about Doctors setting the rules emphasise my thoughts about them trying to run it as a business.

Doctors by and large do not make the best managers, and perhaps nor should they, and with the arrival of "fund holding practices" it meant they were having to act as financial managers too. So learning the business of management whilst trying to be medics was not an obviously smooth approach perhaps.

The framework within which the practices operate has been set by politicians though - and we're all very confident in their capabilities I think.

Totally agree zephrine! Was an A&E receptionist for years so know a bit about it - damned if you do and damned if you don't. The patients attitude also makes a difference because they are only human and there is just so much they can take day in and day out.

I think I must be really lucky. I've been with my surgery for 2 years and have never had any problems. I usually book my appointments and request repeat prescriptions online which is incredibly easy. It is only a small practice but they do early appointments from 6.30 am on 2 days each week, one late evening and Saturday morning. There was one receptionist who was a bit brusque but she's left and the others couldn't be more helpful. There is talk of a few local surgeries getting together into a large medical practice but I hope this doesn't happen because it sounds as if that's when problems may start

My husband rang our practice with a very reasonable question regarding the potential need for two separate blood tests. The receptionist did not let him finish one sentence - I was in the room with him - and consequently after about five minutes of cutting him short and butting in she still had no idea of what he wanted and then started saying 'I am not a nurse' and 'I've got four phones to answer here'. Had she let him explain that particular call might have been finished some time earlier. We are generally made to feel that patients are rather a nuisance by the reception staff, although fortunately the GPs are very good and we rarely need to visit - thank goodness!

Also, the receptionist DOES NOT have any need, or right, to know why you want to see the doctor. She is an administrator, not a medically trained person, and patient confidentiality requires you to tell only your GP.

That is terrible coolgran, I am sure that half the time, these recepitionist 's like that little bit of power, "The recepitionist say's noo" It took me, from December.2015 until March, 2016 to get an appointment for a routine blood test, and when I finally got one, was then told off, by the Practise Nurse! Gone are the days when, if you felt ill you could ring for an appointment, ,now you have to make it weeks in advance!!

Sadly this appears to be the 'norm' nowadays, I recently changed doctors hoping for a better service but alas that hasn't happened. Notices state that prescriptions take 2/3 days but you are advised to check up as the system usually goes wrong ie the presciption can't be found, no doctor is available etc - basically the computer says Nah!!!

I now have my repeat prescription sent through to Tesco's pharmacy and they are great and will ring the doctor themselves if any problems. Before this was set up, I called at the surgery to pick one up that I had ordered by phone and was told loudly and rudely that I couldn't have it as I needed to have it reviewed with the doctor. The receptionist told me that it had been written on the last box - it hadn't as I checked when I got home. I'm not usually a complainer but when I did get to see a doctor I said I really objected to being spoken to like a naughty child. The response was that they did have some dragons on reception and he could only apologise. Haven't seen her there recently!

My practice mixed my notes with those of another patient with a similar name and I was given bad news. I "sat on" it for five days before the GP rang to apologise. Later I found there was still a mix up and went through my notes on the computer with the practice manager and found I had been allotted a husband. I am a widow. The practice manager seemed to find it amusing. I requested all my notes (hospital etc) from the local health authority and they arrived addressed to the other patient. It has quietened down now and I can only think that the other patient is deceased. I've just felt my pulse and I am still warm and breathing.

I had an appointment with my GP and he asked me to find out some information and phone him back later in the day. Well, when i got through to the receptionist she said "the doctors are too busy to take phone calls". I told her he had asked me to phone. She was very sniffy and reluctantly put me through. They tell you in their information pack that doctors can take phone calls between 11am and noon. Just don't try to actually use that service!

I have been with the present practice since around 2000 and I am loathe to consider leaving to a practice very close to my home because everybody is so helpful. At present I can drive but when my driving days are over it will be a mini cab which can be expensive.

Yes, I do wait a month to see my preferred GP but that is my choice. I can appear at the practice on the same day if I need an emergency appointment knowing that I will be slotted in to see any GP. That is fine.

The receptionists are always pleasant and polite- hearing what they have to put up with at times I take my hat off to them. Not a job I would choose and stay sane.

i use an online pharmacy and have done for years. at the start of using them they ask for your repeat prescription items [helps if you've had a recent prescription!] and then, every four weeks they email you to ask you if you need any of your items.

you log on to their website and tick against the items you want and then, after pressing enter a couple of times, your items have been ordered!

they then send the request to my doctor [presumably via email] and, when a prescription is received [presumably again by email] they make up my order and send it to me first class post [signed for - which is a pain sometimes].

only once have I had to email them to ask them to send me the usual request [somehow they forgot] and, several times, I've forgotten to include one item on my request. they are wonderful and respond within minutes.

not sure if I can say on here who the pharmacy is but, if I could, i'd recommend them. and, being over 60 I don't have to pay for any item - or postage. and no having to go to the doctor with my repeat prescription to have to go again in a couple of days to pick it up. what a blessing they are!

Upon phoning our surgery for an appointment one is asked what are the symptoms and most of the time one has to see a nurse . To see the doctor whom I have known for thirty years I have to wait at least three weeks.. The problem is that the village population has grown so much and there is difficulty to get more GPs. Also the practice is run like a business with many administrators.

Why leave it so close to your Veny olio running out in the first place? I always do a repeat at least 10 days before I run out in case of delays etc. It's your responsibility not the receptionist to make sure you get it in time

I've recently been in hospital for an unexpected and complicated operation and now, 4 weeks after my release, received a letter from the doctor's: they had my discharge notes from the hospital. Could phone to make a telephone appointment. I did. The 6th of may was the earliest - for a TELEPHONE appointment?

OH and DS recently changed practice after 20 years - I'm still there pending PIP tribunal, just in case I need medical assistance (currently being assessed for heart issues). Never any chance of being seen within 2-3 days, frequent repeat prescription issues. I really object to the receptionist asking why I want to see the doctor - that's my own business. But with about 1000 households on the practice list on an estate of 3000 households and a dreadful reputation (they have another practice roughly the same size some 4 miles away, equally abysmal) only one GP is consulting at a time at each practice. They refuse to do home visits, out of hours emergencies are handled by an on-call service and in general we're not happy. But the receptionists vary from brilliant and friendly to the typical dragon.

Dear H went for routine yearly blood test one weds and receptionist rang fri to say GP wants to see him. No book able appoints till week after next but luckily already had one booked next week so that was ok. He saw GP who told him he wanted anothe blood test done, didn't say why but as I was there I asked. Possibility H wouldn't have asked! Psa-prostrate reading high. Oh! Second blood test following week on weds. Blood test done we waited till Friday and no phone call so phew!
Following Tuesday phone call while we were out asking to ring back. So I did, grumpy receptionist looked at notes and said no one had rung.....oh no the GP had rung. So does my H need to make an appointment? No it's not marked urgent and next book able appoint is week after next. Pointed out H is carer for our son and me, makes no diff. Ok so booked it. Really not happy. And H worrying himself. So I rang next morn hoping to speak to receptionist known twenty years.was lucky and told her I knew what wS for. She looked and said yes can get one week earlier. Went to cancel other one and found not even with our GP! And only ten min appoint when needs twenty for examination. But she sorted all out. So now waiting for appoint on Tuesday to see what GP finds. After first blood test on 24 th Feb till gp examination is seven weeks. You'd think that once blood test result comes back not good they'd get on with it.

Hey you got it lucky ..My Doctors is Awful , You are told to ring at 8:30 am to get appointments , but the phones always engaged when you finally get through at 9:45 all the appointments have gone Three weeks to get an emergency appointment ! ...I was actually in the doctors surgery hands swollen with bleeding ulcers and I asked to see a GP as an emergency , was told by the receptionist , to go home and ring for an appointment with the duty doctor , when I said he's here can't you ask him to see me now she replied , I'm not disturbing him before surgery ...So I went home rang up the doctor rang me back made an appointment for me to go straight there and see him ...Bloody waste of time as the doctor sent me to the hospital need two digits removed all because of their new appointment system

Ive just had a similar experience to you Antheacarol. My doctor of the last 22 years retired and sold the practice to a neighbouring one and it's gone down hill fast. DH and I used to get three months worth of prescription medicine, collected by my daughter who would then bring them to wherever we were, but since our doc's retirement things have been missing, quantities less and it's just been a load of hassle to sort. So we are taking the plunge and going to do what a lot of other live-aboard Boater's do - register as a temporary patient at whichever surgery we are near and get our prescriptions that way.

One more remark from me regarding all the moans and groans about GPs You get excellent care in the U.S., if you have lots of money or good insurance . I lived in New York , with two children , for seven years. I had my son in London with all the ante,during and post natal the NHS offers . With my daughter, no midwife and or health visitor to call by or to call on. Everything via your paediatrician, each visit costs. This was in the early 1980s, so each visit for my kids for various ailments cost forty dollars per child, each injection cost, medication at the drug store, cost. My son's appendix operation was $1,500 we weren't covered for his anaesthetic . We were lucky, we could afford the insurance, we had to cough up at the doctor's then claim it back which took time. During my whole time there I, nor my then husband, ever visited the doctor for ourselves. We learnt to self treatment. Too much claiming raised your insurance costs. Worse case scenario, you are dropped. So come Brits, stop being whinging Poms and thank God for the NHS.

Shazmo I don't know if your comment was for me or not but if it was, I haven't put my repeat in at the doctors because my dad died two weeks ago. I have been run off my feet sorting out funeral, finances, his flat etc and then trying to rest up inbetween. Unfortunately this didn't help much because now I am down with infections and a rash and temperature. So, I tried to use the Ventolin and found none in. I am usually on the ball but I think in this instance I can be excused not being, for once.

Crafting My tablets have just gone onto the blister pack system but inhalers aren't included and like I said, due to being busy over my dad, I've not yet got round to sorting out the repeat for these. I don't know about being on stronger steriods because I am very reluctant to take steroids on a regular basis. I will wait until the dust settles in the next month or two and then think again about my medications but for now my health is suffering due o the stress of it all and it needs time to come out of my system.