Doctor's appointments

There are ways to talk to worried patients and ways not to. We have two lovely receptionists who do their best to help and two rude receptionists who make no effort and have left this patient at least in tears of frustration. I never get aggressive on the phone or in person but I am not surprised that people do get angry when they are spoken to so rudely. If receptionists are leaving in droves it’s not the patients causing the problem but the system and the way some receptionists choose to treat the patients .

I've had my battles with doctors receptionists and feel (almost) up to the task but feel worried for older very polite people who don't stand a chance, esp if they don't understand technology and aren't familiar with using a laptop etc.

My daughter is a GP - before Covid she was often seeing 60 patients a day - and still does but sometimes phone consultations now- followed by mountains of paperwork which meant she didn’t get home until 9.30 ish - She was worried that by the time she got to patient number 60 , she was tired and perhaps might miss something important. She said that from a medical point of view, 65% of the patients didn’t need to be there - in other words, could have gone to the chemist for advice and over the counter medication. She had no lunch break ( and still doesn’t) and works from 7.30 am to 8.30pm - at this rate she could not safely work full time - so now works part time . There are simply not enough doctors to satisfy needs - perhaps too, we, the general public, need to use a bit of common sense as well.

My understanding is that a receptionist cannot deny an appointment so stand your ground ladies.

Our GP practice seems to be functioning pretty well, so far but one thing I do object to is being expected to tell the receptionist what the problem is. Some medical things are deeply personal and I'm not keen to share them with the office staff. It's not as if they're qualified to decide whether whatever the problem is needs a doctor or not.

My local surgery had already implemented a telephone triage system before the pandemic hit and I know (because I’m on the PPG and see the data) that it has been successful in helping GPs to manage their time more effectively and thereby improve the patient experience.

Just a query for those people who are not happy with their GP services, have any of you considered joining the local Patient Participation Group? The PPG is made up of patients, carers and GP practice staff who regularly meet to discuss practice issues and to improve the service to patients. Since April 2016 all GP practices in England have been required to form a PPG. I sit on our PPG to represent the views of my clients who are primarily disadvantaged people.

Our PPG works pretty much as a ‘critical friend’ and has influenced the training of not only receptionists, but clinicians too. I would say that we now have a thorough understanding of the strengths and constraints of the practice and we also have a good understanding of the patient experience generally.

And if there is a problem we are in the best position to ensure it’s addressed.

I recently changed gp practices due to problems getting an appointment and that was before covid! The new practice seems much better. They answer the phone quite quickly which took an age at my last practice. I was even able to book a face to face appointment last week on their online booking app. I saw a gp trainee but she was very nice and I was happy with the outcome.

I had no problem getting face to face appointments the two times I needed them, during lockdown! And they had both been preceded by phone consultations. The second time the doctor offered an appt the same afternoon. And in both cases, with two different doctors, the diagnosis, for two different things, were different from what they had thought on the phone.

France and Greece are two countries which don’t operate a gp system of health care. My Greek friends use the local pharmacy first, and are very proactive with health care issues. A specialist doctor is used when needed without gp referral. So many layers of administration do not exist therefore!

Common sense has indeed been lost. Receptionist at my surgery tried to book me in for a telephone appointment to replace a ring pessary!!

So much for our wonderful NHS??? What a dappy comment if there ever was one, you want someone to blame, blame the underfunding by our 'wonderful' government. The Tories are purposely allowing the NHS to get into trouble so that it will be easier to sell off!! Our NHS IS wonderful...the staffs hands are tied when its treated so terribly by those who control the pursestrings!
Makes me so cross when folk don't realise how amazing our NHS is!!

I changed surgeries a couple of years ago as it was impossible to get an appointment. Unless it was very urgent. By the time I got an appointment, I’d self treated with various drops etc from the pharmacy and had ended up with a huge abscess in my ear which burst and I had a perforated ear drum. It. Was. Agony.

That was the end for me. The receptionist said to me “if it’s an emergency you can go to A&E. if not, ring in at 8am. When you rang it was always engaged and when you did get through “we’ve no appointments… try tomorrow at 8am”

My new surgery has been wonderful. The receptionists don’t get all stroppy and whilst Covid has meant a new reality in terms of GP services, you can still get a face to face or at least a phone call, within 24 hrs.

I was a Drs Receptionist for 10 years and found the job so stressful yet so rewarding. Don’t shoot the messenger is what I say as that is what the receptionists job is they have to do what has been asked by the Doctors themselves and the practice manager. I wish if it was not for confidentiality that the general public could find out what it is like to work from the other side of the fence before they judge.

My experience this morning, rang for appoint. Lovely receptionist asked for name, dob, symptoms. Said Dr will ring you this morning, has just done so, prescription ordered, and will see if problem doesn’t go away. Very lucky, as this has been a good surgery throughout all this, never been unable to see face to face if needed. To be honest this suits me, I appreciate not all surgery’s are so well run, but if one can why can’t others.

I can never get through on the phone. I was 49 in the queue yestetday. After an hour I can never get through on the phone. I was 49 in the queue yestetday. After an hour I gave up once I got to 30. I went on to the the NHS app and filled in the form which took approximately 12 minutes. I received a call from the doctor later that afternoon. It seems thats the normal route now. I went on to the the NHS app abd filled in the gorm which took approximately 12 minutes. I received a call from the doctor later that afternoon. It seems thats the normal route now.

I DOaccept what you say lemsip up to a point. However, some receptionists really do take the mick and there is no truer stereotype than that arrogant mature spinster receptionist woman in Call the Midwives who needs a sharp kick in the pants - especially when she dictates her foibles to the gentile doctor chap.,

How about this?!

Our practise says that it is overwhelmed, but most Drs work part time and often go off to other practises. Not sure what they earn, but was told it was about £700/£900

Going online to order our prescriptions we noticed that the practise is advertising for new patients.

My surgery has a AskmyGP system on their website. It works so well. You do the preliminaries my phone or email and then if doctor thinks you need face to face you book it...often same day. I am thinking that all this is really unusual. I have used their AskmyGP system several times over past 4 1/2 years with no problems.

Something needs to be done before things get really serious. Maybe if you could get test results texted or phoned to you instead of having to get an appointment to speak to a GP would help to ease things, together with relaxation of percription requirements. Loads of drugs could be just sold at the chemist without need for percriptions, those with free percriptions just giving proof. Even some stronger drugs could be authorised quicker by checking patients notes. For example i have just fractured my knee and the hospital send me home on Friday with medication for 4 days.
By Monday I had 2 days left so tried to ring the surgery. Told must ring at 8am but hung on and finally gave up.
Next day same thing with an offer to speak to doctor on Thursday. Finally my partner rang and complained and they could see the medication on my hospital notes and sent percription to chemist. This could have been done on the first call rather than waste everyone's time. Similarly in the hospital my observations were that if things were done in a more logical way there would be fewer problems, less staff needed and less waste.
The NHS needs good management not more money.

I think the telephone appointments are an excellent idea, if they're used sensibly.
Some patients do need to be seen.
My neighbour was told her copd test was going to be conducted over the phone!

The real problem of course is the shortage of GPs but that doesn't look like improving in the near future. Pity we can't have some from the EU.................................

My sadly retired Greek Cypriot GP was recently awarded the CBE for services to medicine. I wonder if he would have come over here now.

Knspol, your surgery sounds very similar to ours with one lovely, helpful receptionist and one who was apparently trained by the Gestapo. I know someone who does not attend our surgery but was there for professional reasons and who saw Atilla the Hun in action. She said she could not believe how rude this woman was. There really is no need for it.

Lucky not to need services often and yes its annoying. A recent acute health issue meant receptionist giving me a phone appointment for 3 weeks away and then GP saw me the next day by which time i was fine. Advised to contact 111 next time as I would have met criteria to be seen straight away. Seems I had a lucky escape with my condition as it could have had serious consequences. Phew!!

Having worked in customer service for many years, I think that I would have lost my job if I had been spoken to in the same way that my GP's receptionists have spoken to me in the past!
They really have a thankless task, but the way that the system has long been set up is also in the wrong too.
Why should they be expected to decide the urgency of the need of an appointment when the majority are not medically qualified? True that some patients are downright rude (and it has got worse over the past few years) but answering like for like only makes the situation worse! I learnt that to let the person have their say, then politely and firmly explain how it is worked a lot better than being rude right back !

My tiny grandson was diagnosed with chicken pox by their GP over the phone and relying on a picture of the rash from a mobile phone! It wasn't correct, he ended up going to A and E and actually had a severe allergic reaction!
I too hate having to describe to receptionists whats wrong with me! Knowing that all and sundry can over hear the call! Ours also asks if its urgent which is a ridiculous question as I am not medically trained and cant know!