Bloody rude and unhelpful doctors receptionists!

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  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    Don't you have a triage nurse? At our surgery you can ask to see her, she tests your sample and if an infection shows up gets a prescription there and then, on the same day.

    Im not sure. They do have nurser practitoners there, but I was not given the option of seeing one today.
  • Serenity79Serenity79 Posts: 1,969
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    Our doc's receptionists vary from quite nice to bloomin' jobsworths. There's one in particular who seems to go out of her way to NOT help you.

    I was sitting in reception one day and she didn't realise I was there and she was really going for it slagging off someone who was visiting the surgery for work experience. When she noticed me, the shutters closed with some smack! :p

    I always groan when I get her on the phone as I know I'm not going to get a satisfactory conclusion to whatever I'm ringing about! She's so awful.

    The reception desk is supposed to be open from 9am to 6pm (except for 1-2pm for 'administration' - why don't they just say lunchbreak, because that's what it actually is,) but they bugger off for 'teabreak' every couple of hours and hole themselves up in their little room while everyone stands in reception waiting to be seen to. There's usually at least three of them in at one time, and instead of staggering their breaks or one taking their cup of tea back to reception with them, they all head off at the same time, you can hear them cackling like witches in there. :mad: There isn't even a call button to announce that someone's waiting in reception.
  • rockerchickrockerchick Posts: 9,255
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    I was at the doctors waiting to go in for my appointment, when suddendly everyone heard a conversation over the tannoy about another patient, silly mare forgot to switch it off after calling out the last persons name to go in.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,279
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    I can't stop thinking of My Hero now...............:o
  • ribtickleribtickle Posts: 6,361
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    I had many problems with a doctor's surgery I needed to ring to make appointments for my elderly parents. The receptionists would always immediately ask if it was an "emergency". If it wasn't you'd be given an appointment anything up to 3 weeks ahead.

    If you persisted they would ask you for details of what the problem was and then these unqualified receptionists, who may have been working there only weeks, would act like NHS Direct and determine there and then if it was serious enough for the patient to be seen that day.

    Or they'd try to palm you off to see a pharmacist/therapist person they had there 2 days a week.
  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    Did I mention that our surgery once lost some of my mum's blood tests? And the receptionist had the cheek to try and shift the blame when she rang for her results! Good job the tests were not for anything serious really:rolleyes:

    Other times they have called patients through in the wrong order. Ive walked in and the doctor has said, 'Oh I was expecting Mrs Jones'. Sometimes they have forgotten to call anyone through at all.

    Its very hit and miss with them.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,328
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    In about ten minutes? That would be pretty convenient. This woman didn't even bother looking on the system to see if she had anything available!

    And I agree with Skunkboy, its none of their bloody business whats wrong with you.

    In that case,the OP still shouldn't have got that appointment as there would have been a list in place for those who called earlier and couldn't get an appointment.
  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    Taboo wrote: »
    In that case,the OP still shouldn't have got that appointment as there would have been a list in place for those who called earlier and couldn't get an appointment.

    They don't have a waiting list in place. Its whoever gets through first.
  • LaVieEnRoseLaVieEnRose Posts: 12,836
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    You_mo wrote: »
    One of them had a party trick of loudly demanding, 'AGE?' to the older ladies. They'd say it quietly and she'd say loudly 'DID YOU SAY 57?'. She did that so many times when I was there I began to think so enjoyed it.

    Oh, some of them definitely enjoy it!

    One time I had a severe ENT virus and had lost my voice completely. I was sitting in the waiting room when I remembered I'd had a smear test reminder letter. I'll make that appointment while I'm here, thinks I.

    So I wrote on a bit of paper (as I couldn't speak) "Please may I have an appointment for a smear test next Tue or Wed", and handed it to the receptionist. You guessed it - she read it OUT LOUD in front of about 30 people.

    You should have seen her face when she realised I'd lost my voice - it was clear that she thought I'd written it down out of embarrassment. What a disappointment for her. :p
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,179
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    skunkboy69 wrote: »
    I've had many.What gets me most is when they ask whats wrong with me.It has nothing at all to do with them in the slightest.Having a docs receptionist as a friend I know how they bloody gossip.

    Actually, that is not true. I have done work as a medical receptionist and they are asked to obtain as much relevant detail as possible to enable doctors to make their decisions. So please, try not to judge receptionists in this manner, they are only doing what they are trained to do, their job.

    As for gossiping, they should not be doing this as they are all tied into a strict confidentiality agreement.
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
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    Where I live now, we have a village surgery and it's lovely. You can almost always get a same day appointment. We even phoned once when my son was sick and the doctor came back in especially to see him after he'd already left.

    However, where I used to live, the receptionists were a nightmare. As it was a large, London clinic, I can appreciate their job was probably not the easiest but the head receptionist was probably the rudest woman I've ever dealt with. She would push her hand out towards your face as if to go 'whatever'.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,179
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    Fralie wrote: »
    I find that if you ring and ask for an appointment asap they will often try to fob you off as there are only so many emergency slots available after all the routine ones are taken, i suppose they think that if is is urgent you will insist.
    A sure fire way of getting the appointment in my experience has been just to politely say *thanks for your time, it looks like i will have to go to A and E* It's amazing how they suddenly manage to fit you in :P :)

    Where I worked if someone needed to be seen urgently, we spoke to the Doctor and they would either agree to see the patients after surgery if they were prepared to wait or they would tell us to put them down for a telephone call.

    The fact is that Doctors are often very busy and block release appointments on the day are snapped up very quickly. They work within a lot of financial constraints and in a lot of surgeries, they would need to put more medical staff on but there is not the financial resources to do that.

    I'm not saying that you dont get bad receptionists but really most of them are very good and will do their best for you if they can.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,179
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    newwoman wrote: »
    Where I live now, we have a village surgery and it's lovely. You can almost always get a same day appointment. We even phoned once when my son was sick and the doctor came back in especially to see him after he'd already left.

    However, where I used to live, the receptionists were a nightmare. As it was a large, London clinic, I can appreciate their job was probably not the easiest but the head receptionist was probably the rudest woman I've ever dealt with. She would push her hand out towards your face as if to go 'whatever'.

    That's good that you now have good receptionists. Your senior receptionist in the other surgery was obviously very rude and that protocol is totally unacceptable.

    For anybody here, if you are dissatisfied with a service, there is a complaints procedure leaflet you can complete if you ask your practice manager. They have to investigate your concerns.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,219
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    newwoman wrote: »
    Where I live now, we have a village surgery and it's lovely. You can almost always get a same day appointment. We even phoned once when my son was sick and the doctor came back in especially to see him after he'd already left.

    However, where I used to live, the receptionists were a nightmare. As it was a large, London clinic, I can appreciate their job was probably not the easiest but the head receptionist was probably the rudest woman I've ever dealt with. She would push her hand out towards your face as if to go 'whatever'.

    I have found the opposite to be true. The receptionists at the village surgery I used to go to were miserable jobsworths, and the ones at the city clinic I use now are much more helpful. I think it's easier to get the staff in a city.
  • kaniakania Posts: 6,252
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    Say to the receptionist you have severe abdominal pain. That should get you an appointment pronto.

    I once got told off for being 5 minutes late for an appointment - actually, make that 2 mins as I was waiting in the queue to be seen. It was the first time I'd been late in however many appointments. I wouldn't mind if every time I turned up to the docs on time I wasn't waiting for over half an hour to be seen.

    When I got told off, I had to wait til the end of the appointments to be fitted in. I'm just glad it was near the end of the day that I'd made the appointment for.
  • rickberickbe Posts: 613
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    You should move to Belgium. Most doctors there don't have receptionists any more these days, you just press the door buzzer, walk in (into the waiting room that is) and wait for the doc to call you.

    He or she then does all the admin stuff at the PC on the desk, only takes seconds to call up your records. Prescriptions etc are also all entered into the PC and printed out on the spot. Its great not having a bossy receptionist blocking the way.

    Must be possible for the UK to do the same. All these receptionists arent really necessary now we have PCs and online records. Docs, get organized, get rid of this unnecessary tier and save the NHS money!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 137
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    i hate phoning up my docs for an appointment, as the receptionist is a nosey cow.
    she wont give ya an appointment unless you tell her what is wrong with u. even down to really personal stuff.
    i say thats its personal and dont want to talk about it over the phone but then she says if ya dont tell me what is wrong with you i cant say if ya need the doctor or not.
    what the hell as it gotta do with her wot i got wrong with me.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,059
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    Ours are great they do their best to fit you in if they have no appointments they tell you to come in between 11am -1pm you could sit for ages but a doctor will see you the staff are very nice !

    Rod
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