My GP receptionist's ask 'why' patients want to see their Dr as practise policy.

youtu.be/79yV8h8XReI?feature=shared

I do see my GP occasionally, since Covid I phone and almost always I am asked for details and am told the GP will phone back. I don’t see a problem at all with that, I’m sure it’s much more efficient than before

I live outside a small village and the local surgery always asks what is the reason for seeing the doc. One of the receptionists is very nice and actually says if you'd rather not say that's OK but the other one insists on a reason and as she lives in the village and is a real gossip I don't feel that there's any privacy involved. I've never been questioned by her yet.

I have a personal problem, slight incontinence. I want to see my doctor but my husband sits in the same room when I phone and I don't want to say it in front of him. Just a matter of pride really.

It is not just about advanced warning to the doctor. It's all about seeing whether a doctor is needed or whether a nurse practitioner can deal with it. I asked to see a doctor when I had a suspected chest infection. It was handed over to a NP who diagnosed that I did indeed have chest infection, she prescribed antibiotics which cleared it up job done. Have you ever thought about phoning to make an appointment if you don't want to say what it is about infront of others?

I am surprised that so many people see Nurse Practitioner. I have only seen a nurse for vaccinations. Most appointments, and medication reviews, are carried out by a pharmacist and on the phone. Do other areas use pharmacists to replace GPs?

Don't let me start on this! Absolutely horrendous where we are - asked to make a face to face with a GP a few weeks ago and was given an appointment for 8 weeks ahead! 8 WEEKS!! It's on 22nd October so still some time to go. I have not seen a doctor since my hospital stay for pneumonia in February and there are several issues that need to be addressed. Certainly not emergencies, but need to be sorted in much shorter timescale than 8 weeks.

Elusivebutterfly

I am surprised that so many people see Nurse Practitioner. I have only seen a nurse for vaccinations. Most appointments, and medication reviews, are carried out by a pharmacist and on the phone. Do other areas use pharmacists to replace GPs?

I've seen a pharmacist at my GP surgery.
All that happened was he had to call the gp in, so it seemed a waste of both their time, really.

Babs03 we have the same in our area.
I often email to request an appointment but always the email answer is we don’t make appointments by email.

When I’ve tried to request an appointment by ringing at 8am, once with RSV last Christmas and with an ear infection last July, was told once to go to A&E.

I’ve not had a face to face appointment with my GP since Dec 2019.

I haven’t needed to see a doctor for ages🫰but just out of curiosity I went to the website to see if I could book an appointment online. It highlighted the date I was looking at and a box appeared saying that there was no appointments available for that site. When I clicked on the box to cancel it I was sent back to the homepage with no option to try another date. The box appeared immediately the appointment page appeared, so I couldn’t choose any dates other than the first one. So it appears that I have to ring if I want to see a doctor. So much for modern technology.

In my surgery the receptionists sit at the back of an office with a window for the patients.
When I have approached the window one receptionists in particular remains at her desk across the room and asks me to state what I want.
I find this extremely rude and have no intention of raising my voice so that she can hear so I cup my ear and pretend that I can't hear her. Then has to leave her desk and come to the reception window.
A lot of receptionista behave like little gods. After all they are clerical and I wonder what training they have to judge my complaint.

Neither of us see the doctor often thankfully but my husband had a really nasty cough for a few weeks just before Christmas last year. I nagged him to call the doctor which he did and they arranged for someone to see him at 4pm that day, he was examined and given a 7 day supply of antibiotics which didn’t have much effect and in the end it cleared up. I haven’t needed to see a doctor since before lockdown. Out DIL is with the same practice and sadly she is living with cancer since May last year, the doctors, nurses and the pharmacy next door to the surgery have all been absolutely wonderful to her, she gets immediate attention.

I have discovered that if treatment is urgent, 111 is the best number to call. The operators have without fail offered precise and timely support. (Urgent but not a complete emergency). 111 will contact the gp and arrange for an almost immediate appointment if needed.

If you ring GP, you have to go through triage. Have to explain to receptionist what the problem is and then GP will ring you and if you are lucky you will win the surgery visit lottery. Not allowed to send photographs which surely would speed up consultation. Not allowed to see only female GP unless my male GP (who is dreadful) gives permission. Anything which is embarrassing to discuss, I self-medicate. Awful situation. Would happily see a nurse or GP practitioner for minor female problems and reassurance. Wish they had a post post menopause clinic for over 60s.

I had a blood test which showed my iron level was a bit low. A nurse practitioner gave me a prescription for medication. I read the leaflet inside and it told of interactions of drugs that could not be taken with this particular medication. I was on two of them.
How can a nurse be as knowledgeable as a pharmacist or doctor after doing a course.
And don’t get me started on the infrequent siting of the lesser spotted general practitioner, whose habitat obviously isn’t its place of work. Covid definitely gave them a new way of (not) working.

I can remember phoning to ask of I could just have a prescription, before covid, and it was most definitely not allowed.

I made an appointment over the phone to see a dr receptionist asked me what was it for . I said I have a lump that has appeared in my armpit. Oh it’s probably a bite, the receptionist said! I was furious and said oh you’ve been promoted have you, you are now a dr!

We all need to register at the practice on ‘Doctors’ (BBC). A different universe

Definitely ninat474. Home visits, same day appointments, doctors actually on the premises. That was a reality not that long ago.

Being a doctor's daugther and having answered the practice phone once I was an adult, I see this from the point of view of the doctor and receptionist.

They do understand that patients can feel embarrased having to mention upset bowels, menstrual problems, male impotence etc. and are not asking for the patient's reasons in order to embarrass anyone.

It is done, and always has been to assess how urgent the matter is. Anyone who has developed alarming symptoms that could be a sign of cancer or some other dangerous illness wants an appointment as soon as possible and the woman who fears she is miscarrying needs a doctor or ambulance immediately, whereas the mother who needs to discuss the fact that her 11 year old still wets the bed could wait til next week to see the doctor.

So please do not be offended by this question - if you know it will embarrass you to mention your husband's enlarge prostrate gland or your own incontinence, phone for an appointment, rather than dropping in to book one face to face with the receptionist. Or e-mail. Doctor's receptionists, the practice nurse or the doctor who reads you e-mail is dealing with a routine matter and is not going either to show your e-mail to anyone else or go around talking of your symptons. Doing so would cost them their job, after all, quite apart from being so unproffessional that they would never dream of doing so.

I thought every GP practice now ask for details of why you are requesting an appointment. I used to find this quite embarrassing/intrusive in particular once when speaking on the phone to a young man who sounded about 14 who told me to ‘head on down to my local pharmacy’.
Availability of appointments was quite shocking for a long time round here but access has improved for those of us who are computer literate since they bought out an online form which I can complete in the morning. However this facility is only open for about 15 minutes at 7.45 am. You also phone up at 8 am - that involves joining a queue of an hour before it’s answered or you can ask for a call back but when they do call back they tell you all appointments are gone and to phone 111 - who then at the press of a button are able to to give you said appointment. ?!
I do find it annoying that after having told the receptionist the full details or filling out the comprehensive on line form when you get to see someone the first thing they say is …….. ‘What can I do for you today’ - I feel like saying take a look at the notes if you want to know 😬

I had a very good reason for a doctors appointment a little while back but the waiting time was very long and 10 mins discussion would be useless so I took a deep breath and went private and the next day I was in the hands of a doctor for a whole hour. She listened to me carefully and asked lots of questions. She read the wodge of notes from my usual surgery and asked questions, wrote notes and in a nutshell she was amazing, very down to earth and so helpful. In fact she was right up my street. She encouraged me to write notes of how to improve my health and I've never ever had a doctor like her. It was the first time I've ever had a smile of relief on my face after talking to a doctor and it was worth every penny. If my problem comes back I know who to see! - so I'll start saving just in case!

You can ask to speak to the receptionist in private. They should have an office or room to take you to for privacy

@Babs03 this is exactly the same where I live. Have been given the wrong advice/information at least twice by a nurse practitioner.

I think it’s disgusting that someone without medical knowledge or training can decide if and when we see a Gp
I have tried many times to book an appointment on line only to see a message saying there aren’t any available.
I have received two letters and a text asking me to book an appointment with an HCA I have finally managed to get one in six weeks time