My aunt was a receptionist for our local surgery, no one liked her. She’d constantly asked why patients needed to see a doctor and questioned those when she deemed the illness “not worth doctor time” she loved the fake authority she had. She eventually got sacked for ironically having to many sick days
“You’re telling me you want to be seen by a *doctor* because your daughter is *under the weather*?”
“Yes… as i said she is a *baby*, she has a fever and I am *worried* about her????”
If you want a real explanation, the answer is they don’t.
GP receptionists are very low paid, often older women working in a high stress environment where they are berated by patients multiple times a day for things they have no control over. Id ask yourself how nice you’d be if you know that every other phone call is someone calling you names, swearing or telling you you’re useless or something else equally horrible. It wears the soul down after a while so quite frankly I don’t blame them
GP receptionists ask what the issue is when you call because they have to (as instructed by the practice owners/manager) as a form of triage to try and get the patient the most suitable care provider. If you have a problem with it complain to them, not the poor bint on the phone sorting appointments. You think that they would voluntarily make the choice to ask you these questions knowing that it winds people up and will encourages patients to be even more rude than they already are?
I’m glad it’s a nationwide issue and not just the coincidence that every GP Receptionist I’ve ever met has for some reason hated me and wanted any excuse to deny me medical care
Because sometimes you can be redirected to more appropriate care clinicians and doctors time is very limited.
I hate having to tell the receptionist why I want an appointment, surely that’s between me and my doctor
Because they are, and surgery managers pay them to be?
It’s a difficult job, and they are doing what they are told to do.
If they gave appointments to everyone then those calling up at 8:15 with a serious problem wouldn’t get to see a Dr, as everyone with a sniffly nose or headache would have booked all the slots.
So, the receptionists are the bouncers of the NHS, because that’s what we need.
I would always give them the worst stories ever. ‘So I got with someone and now my penis but also my balls…’ I would always be cut off and told to take a seat. Then I’d tell the doctor the truth of the actual issue.
If your name is on the list, you’re not coming in.
I worked behind the scenes at a GP surgery for 18 months, covering the phones some mornings (hell on earth). The receptions do nothing but take orders from the doctors. It went a bit like this:
7:50am Drs joke about their regular patients to the staff they consider a pain in the ass whilst they’re drinking their morning coffee, they tell the staff to basically fob them off.
8am phones go on
8:01 every single one of them start ringing non stop for an hour. Annoyed patient starts hurling abuse at the person on the phone, person on the phone tells them i’ll speak to the doctor for you, (despite orders not to). Run to the kitchen where they’re drinking coffee. Give the Dr a brief overview of what was said, Dr laughs whilst being slightly annoyed at you for interrupting their coffee and biscuits, and tells you they’re just overreacting and to just deal with it ‘like I told you’.
Truly without doubt, the worst job i’ve ever had and the only one i’ve ever resigned from. I’ve always been nice to receptionists since.
Because they were mean girls in secondary school and want to act like people still care what they think
Its the nature if being overburdened. The NhS is a stressed environment. Stressed environments wear out their people.
They have to fend off people who have sprained their eyebrow.
Receptionists primary role in any organisation is first-line social triage.
Why do we even need them? We all have to do those stupid consult forms now and, realistically, the whole trying to find a time where I don’t have to take time off work, would be much more efficient if it took place online.
I understand they help those without internet but why do we all have to go through that nonsense?
This is why I never go to the doctors anymore.
If something is wrong I just leave it until it either clears up by itself or gets bad enough that I take myself to the ER.
I’m not telling some gossipy receptionist what my problems are.
Also why do receptionists say how are you
If I was ok I wouldnt be here
Unqualified receptionist are being forced to do triage more and more due to less GP jobs being available.
20 comments
My aunt was a receptionist for our local surgery, no one liked her. She’d constantly asked why patients needed to see a doctor and questioned those when she deemed the illness “not worth doctor time” she loved the fake authority she had. She eventually got sacked for ironically having to many sick days
“You’re telling me you want to be seen by a *doctor* because your daughter is *under the weather*?”
“Yes… as i said she is a *baby*, she has a fever and I am *worried* about her????”
If you want a real explanation, the answer is they don’t.
GP receptionists are very low paid, often older women working in a high stress environment where they are berated by patients multiple times a day for things they have no control over. Id ask yourself how nice you’d be if you know that every other phone call is someone calling you names, swearing or telling you you’re useless or something else equally horrible. It wears the soul down after a while so quite frankly I don’t blame them
GP receptionists ask what the issue is when you call because they have to (as instructed by the practice owners/manager) as a form of triage to try and get the patient the most suitable care provider. If you have a problem with it complain to them, not the poor bint on the phone sorting appointments. You think that they would voluntarily make the choice to ask you these questions knowing that it winds people up and will encourages patients to be even more rude than they already are?
I’m glad it’s a nationwide issue and not just the coincidence that every GP Receptionist I’ve ever met has for some reason hated me and wanted any excuse to deny me medical care
Because sometimes you can be redirected to more appropriate care clinicians and doctors time is very limited.
I hate having to tell the receptionist why I want an appointment, surely that’s between me and my doctor
Because they are, and surgery managers pay them to be?
It’s a difficult job, and they are doing what they are told to do.
If they gave appointments to everyone then those calling up at 8:15 with a serious problem wouldn’t get to see a Dr, as everyone with a sniffly nose or headache would have booked all the slots.
So, the receptionists are the bouncers of the NHS, because that’s what we need.
I would always give them the worst stories ever. ‘So I got with someone and now my penis but also my balls…’ I would always be cut off and told to take a seat. Then I’d tell the doctor the truth of the actual issue.
If your name is on the list, you’re not coming in.
I worked behind the scenes at a GP surgery for 18 months, covering the phones some mornings (hell on earth). The receptions do nothing but take orders from the doctors. It went a bit like this:
7:50am Drs joke about their regular patients to the staff they consider a pain in the ass whilst they’re drinking their morning coffee, they tell the staff to basically fob them off.
8am phones go on
8:01 every single one of them start ringing non stop for an hour. Annoyed patient starts hurling abuse at the person on the phone, person on the phone tells them i’ll speak to the doctor for you, (despite orders not to). Run to the kitchen where they’re drinking coffee. Give the Dr a brief overview of what was said, Dr laughs whilst being slightly annoyed at you for interrupting their coffee and biscuits, and tells you they’re just overreacting and to just deal with it ‘like I told you’.
Truly without doubt, the worst job i’ve ever had and the only one i’ve ever resigned from. I’ve always been nice to receptionists since.
Because they were mean girls in secondary school and want to act like people still care what they think
Its the nature if being overburdened. The NhS is a stressed environment. Stressed environments wear out their people.
They have to fend off people who have sprained their eyebrow.
Receptionists primary role in any organisation is first-line social triage.
Why do we even need them? We all have to do those stupid consult forms now and, realistically, the whole trying to find a time where I don’t have to take time off work, would be much more efficient if it took place online.
I understand they help those without internet but why do we all have to go through that nonsense?
This is why I never go to the doctors anymore.
If something is wrong I just leave it until it either clears up by itself or gets bad enough that I take myself to the ER.
I’m not telling some gossipy receptionist what my problems are.
Also why do receptionists say how are you
If I was ok I wouldnt be here
Unqualified receptionist are being forced to do triage more and more due to less GP jobs being available.
Interesting read
https://thedoctor.bma.org.uk/articles/pay-contracts/jobless-gps-just-when-they-re-needed-most/#:~:text=Some%2091%20per%20cent%20of,with%20safe%20and%20thorough%20care.
A bunch of replies in this thread literally show the reason on why they are dicks.
Comments are closed.