Trying to get an appointment to see some doctors is nigh impossible - it's a case of see you in a week or two when you're either better or dead.

My daughter was in agony and asked for an urgent appointment - despite pleading and begging, no can do - "you will have to go to drop in centre at Hallamshire". Off to Hallamshire she goes to be seen by nurse who says she needs to see her doctor! - Nurse faxes letter to doctor stating she needs to be seen - daughter telephones doctors - hey presto they now have an appointment. She goes to doctor - has to have minior surgery there and then - told to make an appointment to return one day later - goes to receptionist on way out to book appointment - they don't have one! "Doctor says I have to come back" - Reply "4.30 OK then?"

(I have to say my surgery is excellent - you cannot pre-book appointments but have to telephone on the day you want to see the doctor and are guaranteed to be seen the same day)

Originally posted by teeb
Trying to get an appointment to see some doctors is nigh impossible - it's a case of see you in a week or two when you're either better or dead.

Got to agree with that. The thing that really pees me off is when they start asking you why you want to see the doctor, usually at the top of their voice in front of a full waiting room!!

its like trin to get past the gestapo !at our doctors they really are a pain and think they are doctors themselves my son is down with that nasty flu bug what is doing the rounds at the mo and we got an appoinment for the end of next week!!! he may be better by then i hope then will have to ring up the docs again to cancell appointment best regards steve...:P

We must be lucky here - the local receptionists have always been helpful.

Mind you, I'm always nice and polite, don't mess 'em around and acknowledge them on the way in and out. So I probably get in to their good books.

But seriously, on the whole I've had more problems with the equivalent gatekeepers in hospital.

And if there ARE no appointment slots available, how are the receptionists supposed to magic one up?

I've been in the surgey waiting to see the Doc and names get called and no-one goes. Wasted slots.

However, I'm sure that the cliched 'receptionist from Hell' must be alive and well somewhere in this fair city!

Joe

My Doctor stopped the booking of appointments other than on the day they are needed, and both of his receptionists have said it works better for the patient, because so many people booked an appointment for the next week then failed to turn up that half of the time the Doc was sat with no patients to see.

Blame the Patients who don't turn up not the receptionists.

Originally posted by Saxon
Got to agree with that. The thing that really pees me off is when they start asking you why you want to see the doctor, usually at the top of their voice in front of a full waiting room!!

Just tell them your Penis keeps growing, and it's worrying you.That should stop em asking anything else :P

I fully agree with Saxon. I think, in some cases, the receptionists like to pretend that their status is higher than it actually is. That is not to say that their job of greeting patients, filing etc is not important. Most jobs are important, at least to someone. Some seem to imagine that they are grander than they really are [the work is clerical], because they organise the office of a professional or professionals. They seem to bask in the reflected high status of the doctor. There is no reason to put on airs and graces, but so many seem to do so. Maybe the reverse is true? Perhaps they act high and mighty because they resent being "small fish"?

Sounds like the NHS at it's best to me !

Isn't there a rule the receptionists are not supposed to be patients of the centre they work. What I find uncomfortable is the fact that they may still live in that area. I happen to know a couple of the receptionist in the surgury I go.

I've had an experience in the past where the receptionist was enquiring a little to much for my liking into the nature of my call.

As an ex medical receptionist but currently working in a busy doctors practice I just wanted to say that the 'old school' of dragon-like receptionists meanicingly demanding of patients why they want to see the doctor is hopefully becoming a thing of the past.

More and more practices these days are taking the modern approach to customer service and many would be dismayed to read the contents of this thread. There are however certain individuals who work in a job dealing on a daily basis with the general public, when they so very obviously don't like people or lack basic interpersonal skills. We have at least two where I work at the moment. They cant even be civil to and get on with their work colleagues let alone poor Joe Public when he walks through the door.

In doctors'defence I would say that there are only a limited number of appointments they can offer to a practice of say 3-6,000 patients. We never ask the patient what they want to see the doctor for as that is their business but you can guarantee the doctor will let them know if they think their time has been wasted. We operate on the 'ring on the day' system so any patient who rings before 11am will be seen by a doctor.

On the other side of the coin we have on average 10-20 DNA's (did not attend) per week which is a large chunk of appointment time that could have been given to others.

And please remember - its not just receptionists who are grumpy - we get our fair share of rude patients too! :)

I'm glad to report that our doctors' surgery works very well. You phone for an appointment and it'll be for today or perhaps the next day or two at worst.

However, if you think it's urgent and can't wait until then, you can go to the surgery at the end of today's normal appointments and wait your turn - you'll be seen then. Works a treat - and it's the only part of the NHS I'm really satisfied with.

The receptionists are friendly and even remember you when you haven't been there for, say, 2 years. Two doctors, each with a different style, but both really good at the job and dealing with folks.

Originally posted by timo
I fully agree with Saxon. I think, in some cases, the receptionists like to pretend that their status is higher than it actually is. That is not to say that their job of greeting patients, filing etc is not important. Most jobs are important, at least to someone. Some seem to imagine that they are grander than they really are [the work is clerical], because they organise the office of a professional or professionals. They seem to bask in the reflected high status of the doctor. There is no reason to put on airs and graces, but so many seem to do so. Maybe the reverse is true? Perhaps they act high and mighty because they resent being "small fish"?

Receptionists play a vital role in a GP surgery; however, as they are not trained clinicians (doctors or nurses) they CANNOT tell you that you can't see a GP. If you are told this, I would recommend asking for a call back from a clinician who can triage the call and deem appropriately!

K x

Receptionists are only acting on the orders of their bosses ie the GP's. Lets face it if they didn't filter out some the demands for an appointment yesterday, most of us would be waiting for weeks to see the doctor.

There are lots of time wasters out there who view being able to see the doctor when THEY demand to as being more important than taking their turn. I'm sure that receptionists learn quite quickly who these people are and treat them accordingly.

I must say that I've never been asked by a receptionist what was wrong with me but if I was I wouldn't be averse to giving a broad idea without going into details and if it was delicate I would say that I preferred not to say.

I must be really lucky because I have wonderful doctors and really friendly, helpful, understanding receptionists.

I must also be lucky with the receptionists at our GPs surgery as I find them very friendly and helpful. If mine are booked up then I usually wait until their phones are switched off and am automatically put through to a local Prime Care centre where I can get an appointment and, necessary, door to door transportation.

Mind you I live near a nurse who by all accounts is a bit of a witch and I sometimes wonder how on earth she can show her face after some of the things she's said and done - but that's another story.

the 'Ring on the day' system is obviously suitable forr some, however, there should be other options available. for example, my wife and I work full-time - my wife is diabetic and from time to time, she is expected to go to the doctors and see the doctor in person before anymore repeat prescriptions are made available for her insulin. Therefore this involves taking the day off work in the hope that when she phones up the surgery, she can be seen sometime that day - which is not always the case and results in taking the following day off.

Whatsmore, once you get an appointment and you take time out of work to go, you find that you're sat waiting far beyond the time of your appointment. There have been times when I have got up and walked out - I've had the courtesey of arriving in time for my appointment yet, I'm sat waiting for an hour or so. Do the 'get up and walk out' people count towards the 20 to 30 per week that don't take up their appointment.

The University surgery works really well. The receptionists always seem friendly. There are a couple of ways of making appointments - a couple of days in advance on the internet, phone on the day, or if you're a regular your GP will make your next appointment for a couple of weeks' time when they see you.

At home down south my GPs was terrible, appointments were always three weeks away, and if you said you couldn't wait that long, the receptionist would grill you as to whether it was an absolute emergency, which normally it wasn't, just not something that could wait 3 weeks! They also charged for everything - any jabs you needed for holiday or for occupational health (e.g. Hep B), any letters they ever had to write on your behalf (except referrals), e.g. to your health insurance company.