doctors secretary questions

sallysue2

hey,

might be the wrong place for this question but i cant think of anywhere else to ask this. mods move if necessary

phoned my gp first thing this morning to see if i could get an appointment today, secretary told me they were busy all day and asked was it urgent. i said it was pregnancy related and would prefer to see someone today if possible. she said she would have a look and call me back.

so she phones back and said she would need more information before she could get me an appointment and asks for specifics. taken aback, i told her basics, suspected uti, backache, severe anxiety. i thought that might be enough to get me an appointment but she asks me to list my symptoms. i begin to list a few and then i think to myself "what the heck, i shouldnt have to do this, its none of her business" and told her nevermind, i will go to the maternity instead. and i hung up.

i know this isnt a big deal in the grand scheme of things but i was so annoyed with them. i feel like i should have the right to privacy. i should be able to make an appointment without all these questions. i went to maternity (an extra 30 minutes drive), it was a uti. but i have severe anxiety while pregnant so i needed to see my dr. i am with her next week for bloods and i want to bring up what happened today. to be honest, i need to see someone about my anxiety and im afraid to phone tomorrow for an appointment. is this the norm? i dont mind secretary asking if its urgent (i understand why they do this) but requesting my symptoms feels like such an invasion of privacy. am i over reacting?

LegacyUser

There is a GP crisis at the moment. Understaffed& under resources& over subscribed.
They are allocated 10minutes per patient.
Majority are chocabloc all day every day. It's impossible to create time where there simply is none, when everything is booked up (& likely running over )
Any information you gave to the receptionist is totally confidential as they are bound by GDPR. She is part of the team, she would have been trying to help triage all the calls that day, not just being nosey. The more background information she can give your GP, the less stress all around.

Addle

I’m sure they can see our records anyways, we just have to hope they treat us and our info with respect.
At my GP, you have to see the nurse first, no matter what your complaint is.
I think it’s unnecessary, but I have to lump it as I like my GP.

sallysue2

Dfcxd wrote: »

There is a GP crisis at the moment. Understaffed& under resources& over subscribed.
They are allocated 10minutes per patient.
Majority are chocabloc all day every day. It's impossible to create time where there simply is none, when everything is booked up (& likely running over )
Any information you gave to the receptionist is totally confidential as they are bound by GDPR. She is part of the team, she would have been trying to help triage all the calls that day, not just being nosey. The more background information she can give your GP, the less stress all around.

thanks for the reply, i understand our point and i agree with it, they need to vet people to see if its urgent. i guess my issue is that i told her why i needed to see a dr, i think its personal information and i doubt she would be qualified to say if its urgent or not. i felt it was a bit much to ask my symptoms, especially when i mentioned extreme anxiety. if they couldnt fit me in, thats fine. i would have gone to walk in clinic and waited. or directly to maternity. as it turns out, i phoned maternity and they told me to attend my gp today. i told them i was struggling to get an appointment so they told me to go in to them.

sallysue2

Addle wrote: »

I’m sure they can see our records anyways, we just have to hope they treat us and our info with respect.
At my GP, you have to see the nurse first, no matter what your complaint is.
I think it’s unnecessary, but I have to lump it as I like my GP.

i like my gp too. i really do. i have no doubt it is kept confidential. i just didnt fancy talking about my anxiety to a stranger, and its putting me off ringing again to get an appointment.

anewme

sallysue2 wrote: »

thanks for the reply, i understand our point and i agree with it, they need to vet people to see if its urgent. i guess my issue is that i told her why i needed to see a dr, i think its personal information and i doubt she would be qualified to say if its urgent or not. i felt it was a bit much to ask my symptoms, especially when i mentioned extreme anxiety. if they couldnt fit me in, thats fine. i would have gone to walk in clinic and waited. or directly to maternity. as it turns out, i phoned maternity and they told me to attend my gp today. i told them i was struggling to get an appointment so they told me to go in to them.

It was just someone trying to do their job.

Many Secretaries/ Office Managers are the people who run the practice and are the real cog in the wheel.

They are professionals and acting in a professional capacity and should be treated as such.

I wouldn't be concerned about personal information, unless you have some reason to suspect the person does not act with integrity in relation to personal information.

harr

Same in my GPs , the secretary would be the one running the show and to be fair the practice has 4 different doctors some would be better with certain conditions so I don’t mind her asking the questions if it means I get to see a doctor.
I am sure all staff have access to the IT system they use in surgery anyway.

appledrop

I can totally understand why your upset.

My surgery is the same the minute you ring they ask is it urgent. I always say yes. We may only go to doctor once a year or in some cases could be a few years so if we need to be seen we need to be seen!

However to be honest with anything pregnancy related if it was me personally I would actually prefer to be seen by maternity hospital for reassurance. The GP cant check everything like they can. How far along are you?

sallysue2

appledrop wrote: »

I can totally understand why your upset.

My surgery is the same the minute you ring they ask is it urgent. I always say yes. We may only go to doctor once a year or in some cases could be a few years so if we need to be seen we need to be seen!

However to be honest with anything pregnancy related if it was me personally I would actually prefer to be seen by maternity hospital for reassurance. The GP cant check everything like they can. How far along are you?

I am 16 weeks, all i needed was urine sample checked and a prescription for antibiotics. my back is sore but i think its relating to spinal i got a few weeks ago, and the physio in maternity told e to talk to my gp. I also have severe anxiety, i lost my baby boy last year at 16 weeks and I havent been able to sleep, have been suffering from panic attacks for the past few weeks. I really didnt want to have to discuss that with the secretary. its hard enough to talk to the gp about it.

marieholmfan

anewme wrote: »

It was just someone trying to do their job.

Many Secretaries/ Office Managers are the people who run the practice and are the real cog in the wheel.

They are professionals and acting in a professional capacity and should be treated as such.

I wouldn't be concerned about personal information, unless you have some reason to suspect the person does not act with integrity in relation to personal information.

They aren't professionals in any meaningful sense of the word.

anewme

sallysue2 wrote: »

I am 16 weeks, all i needed was urine sample checked and a prescription for antibiotics. my back is sore but i think its relating to spinal i got a few weeks ago, and the physio in maternity told e to talk to my gp. I also have severe anxiety, i lost my baby boy last year at 16 weeks and I havent been able to sleep, have been suffering from panic attacks for the past few weeks. I really didnt want to have to discuss that with the secretary. its hard enough to talk to the gp about it.

but how do you expect them to prioritise appointments if you dont want to give information?. If the GP was scheduling appointments, then there would be no one dealing with the actual appointments.

The appointments are scheduled in the best interest of all patients.

You need to find a practice here you trust all staff, as the practice cant run without support staff.

Best of luck.

05eaftqbrs9jlh

My GP always has same-day appts, maybe look at reviews online to find a less busy one if there is one nearby. If you're not comfortable with the service, don't attend that GP. I wouldn't like being asked those questions in that matter either.

anewme

marieholmfan wrote: »

They aren't professionals in any meaningful sense of the word.

They are, screening and scheduling appointments is their job as is running the day to day operations.

They will speak to the GP and work in appointments , but ultimately they keep the wheel turning.

Refusing to give information to someone doing their job only hampers yourself.

sallysue2

anewme wrote: »

but how do you expect them to prioritise appointments if you dont want to give information?. If the GP was scheduling appointments, then there would be no one dealing with the actual appointments.

The appointments are scheduled in the best interest of all patients.

You need to find a practice here you trust all staff, as the practice cant run without support staff.

Best of luck.

I dont understand what you mean, i told her I had a suspected uti, backpain and severe anxiety, i had no problem telling her that. I do have issue with her asking me for my symptoms of uti, anxiety etc, i dont understand why she needed that. what reason would she need to ask that?

I do trust the staff and the other secretaries are brilliant. I would tell them if i had a suspected ear ache, a dodgy rash, stomach bug. I have no issue with that. But why did she need so much detail.

Dial Hard

The fact that she said she'd have a look and call you back, then did so asking for more details suggests to me that she mentioned your request to the doctor and was told to find out exactly what the issue was so they could decide whether they needed to make space to see you.

Sorry, OP, but I think you're being oversensitive here. She was just doing her job.

appledrop

It's usually for them to ask that many questions. Usually when I say yes it is urgent I need to be seen then its grand + they will squeeze you in.

I'm so sorry that you have gone through a traumatic experience. Of course you would have anxiety after having a miscarriage at 16 weeks. Thankfully your ok+ have antibiotics now but uti shoudnt be left untreated in pregnancy so the secretary should have fitted you in. Definitely say to doctor when you get blood done that your not happy with the questions you were asked.

sallysue2

anewme wrote: »

They are, screening and scheduling appointments is their job as is running the day to day operations.

They will speak to the GP and work in appointments , but ultimately they keep the wheel turning.

Refusing to give information to someone doing their job only hampers yourself.

I have said it in nearly every post, I understand they need to ask information to decide if you need an urgent appointment. I have always given that information every time I have rang looking for an appointment. I do not want to have to give out my symptoms. Why does she need to know that? Is she going to decide if I dont have enough of the classic uti symptoms, so she isnt going to schedule me an appointment? Especially when a UTI can be symptom less? And so risky in pregnancy.

sallysue2

Dial Hard wrote: »

The fact that she said she'd have a look and call you back, then did so asking for more details suggests to me that she mentioned your request to the doctor and was told to find out exactly what the issue was so they could decide whether they needed to make space to see you.

Sorry, OP, but I think you're being oversensitive here. She was just doing her job.

She rang me back straightaway. within 10 seconds so I doubt she mentioned it to anyone.

sallysue2

appledrop wrote: »

It's usually for them to ask that many questions. Usually when I say yes it is urgent I need to be seen then its grand + they will squeeze you in.

I'm so sorry that you have gone through a traumatic experience. Of course you would have anxiety after having a miscarriage at 16 weeks. Thankfully your ok+ have antibiotics now but uti shoudnt be left untreated in pregnancy so the secretary should have fitted you in. Definitely say to doctor when you get blood done that your not happy with the questions you were asked.

Thanks I appreciate it. I will say it to the dr next week when i am in.

dartboardio

Sounds pretty standard to me.

The secretary is basically the voice for the GP on the phone, and yes, they do need to know your symptoms to determine whether or not you should be prioritised

Its not as if they are intruding or prying.

How are they supposed to ensure you get an appointment ASAP without you explaining the details? Just like you would do at care doc or hospital?

Yes, she has the right to hear that ' personal information' if she's the one that will facilitate your appointment technically!

And why, do some people have such a chip on their shoulder about secretaries at gp surgeries? (not you op!) but someone saying above 'they're not professionals in any sense of the word'

Thats so rude, and for the record, yes you actually do need to study a medical admin course to work as a secretary in a GP practice!

anewme

sallysue2 wrote: »

Thanks I appreciate it. I will say it to the dr next week when i am in.

And I'd like to think the doctor will reassure you it was someone doing their job to make the practice better for all patients.

Totally agree with you, experienced something similar when calling up my GP a few months ago - receptionist had already offered me different appointment slots so it couldn’t have been overly busy, “and you want to see the doctor today in relation to what?”, was quite taken aback, felt like saying “none of your business what I’m seeing my doctor about” but went with the more polite “I’ll discuss that with the doctor when I see her later, thank you, buh bye”

I know she could probably find out whatever it was for anyway but patient confidentiality, or even maintaining the illusion thereof ought be quite important for Doctor’s practices.

sallysue2

dartboardio wrote: »

Sounds pretty standard to me.

The secretary is basically the voice for the GP on the phone, and yes, they do need to know your symptoms to determine whether or not you should be prioritised

Its not as if they are intruding or prying.

How are they supposed to ensure you get an appointment ASAP without you explaining the details? Just like you would do at care doc or hospital?

Yes, she has the right to hear that ' personal information' if she's the one that will facilitate your appointment technically!

And why, do some people have such a chip on their shoulder about secretaries at gp surgeries? (not you op!) but someone saying above 'they're not professionals in any sense of the word'

Thats so rude, and for the record, yes you actually do need to study a medical admin course to work as a secretary in a GP practice!

I told her I had a suspected UTI. For the record, they can have no symptoms but are dangerous to pregnant women. They can cause early labour. This is my issue. If i told her I had no symptoms, or only 1 or 2, like back pain. would she refuse to give me an appointment? Care doc or hospital, you discuss with a nurse. They are qualified to give medical advice. A secretary (regardless of what course they have done) is not qualified to do that. Yes they can make a judgement call on appointments to a certain extent (if i only had a sore back, and pain was manageable, schedule me for an appointment in a few days time).

For the record I have been with that surgery for 6 years and have never had this level of questioning. I love my GP and have gotten to know the other secretaries very well. The lady I spoke to today I relatively new and I have only dealt with her once before (to get certs).

I also want to mention, some people are embarrassed or sensitive to what they need to discuss with their dr. I wanted to discuss my anxiety, I have explained in a post above about my anxiety. I couldnt even type that without crying. It is really hard for me to talk about that.

sallysue2

anewme wrote: »

And I'd like to think the doctor will reassure you it was someone doing their job to make the practice better for all patients.

well i guess i will have to see.

dartboardio

sallysue2 wrote: »

I told her I had a suspected UTI. For the record, they can have no symptoms but are dangerous to pregnant women. They can cause early labour. This is my issue. If i told her I had no symptoms, or only 1 or 2, like back pain. would she refuse to give me an appointment? Care doc or hospital, you discuss with a nurse. They are qualified to give medical advice. A secretary (regardless of what course they have done) is not qualified to do that. Yes they can make a judgement call on appointments to a certain extent (if i only had a sore back, and pain was manageable, schedule me for an appointment in a few days time).

For the record I have been with that surgery for 6 years and have never had this level of questioning. I love my GP and have gotten to know the other secretaries very well. The lady I spoke to today I relatively new and I have only dealt with her once before (to get certs).

I also want to mention, some people are embarrassed or sensitive to what they need to discuss with their dr. I wanted to discuss my anxiety, I have explained in a post above about my anxiety. I couldnt even type that without crying. It is really hard for me to talk about that.

I see where you're coming from but what I meant is that, the information she asked you is on a need to know basis, after all she is the voice for the doctor, and needs to relay the information to him/her in order for the doctor to decide how urgent it is

Cash_Q

sallysue2 wrote:

I am 16 weeks, all i needed was urine sample checked and a prescription for antibiotics. my back is sore but i think its relating to spinal i got a few weeks ago, and the physio in maternity told e to talk to my gp. I also have severe anxiety, i lost my baby boy last year at 16 weeks and I havent been able to sleep, have been suffering from panic attacks for the past few weeks. I really didnt want to have to discuss that with the secretary. its hard enough to talk to the gp about it.

Sorry to hear about your previous loss. Pregnancy is such an anxious time for many people, I forgot how bad my anxiety was last time around until this pregnancy and it really does sap the energy out of you. Considering your history, I'd have thought your file should have some sort of a red flag on it in relation to your anxiety, prompting a fairly accommodating response to a need to be seen. Maybe the secretary hadnt pulled up your file as she spoke to you. A loss at 16 weeks is traumatic no doubt and as you're at a similar stage in this pregnancy it's surely a milestone that you're anxious to get beyond.

It's worth chatting to your doctor about it next week and if you need to go in sooner then try to phone again and ask for "an urgent appointment related to your mental health in pregnancy". Say no more and just repeat the request stressing the urgency.

LegacyUser

You're annoyed because the secretary asked you your symptoms; & consider this an invasion of your privacy.
Likely she was recording this on your file&/relaying these to the GP, to save time during your next visit.
The more background information they have the smoother your appointment will run.
If she's new to the practice she may just be overly enthusiastic about helping out. After a few weeks she likely will tire of long querying phonecalls& just give monosyllabic reaponses- yes, no, here's your 10minute appointment time slot.
This issue& numerous posts on persuing the matter may be your minds way of distracting itself from the root stressor, or at least replacing that stressor with a physical tangible person.

LegacyUser

[quote="Cash_Q;112582494" it's worth chatting to your doctor about it next week and if you need to go in sooner then try to phone again and ask for "an urgent appointment related to your mental health in pregnancy". Say no more and just repeat the request stressing the urgency.[/quote]
Please do not do this. It implies that you are suicidal

Xterminator

OP

are you missing the point here?

you wanted a same day appointment for your GP. Had you said i will take the next available appointment then you would have been booked in for the next day. You were seen to before people who didn't say it was urgent! In order to prioritise you they had to get some details to verify it was an issue that warranted skipping the queue.

Now if next time you would rather take the next available appointment and accept its not next day, then you can avoid describing in any detail your medical condition with the secretary. But if you want to be bumped up the queue, then you will be asked questions. your choice.

HildaOgdenx

Sorry to hear about your previous loss. I think your anxiety is very understandable.

I think some of the questions she asked, (listing symptoms) sound a little over the top, tbh. I fully understand that they have a job to do, and not an easy one. I don't know enough about the role, to know whether or not they convey details of the phone call for the appointment, to the doctor. I understand, of course, the need for prioritising patients, and that some questions will be necessary, especially in a busy GP practice.

It might help, in future, just to have jotted something down, if you should happen to get that same person on the phone. Literally 'backache and UTI'. No need for any further details. It can be helpful, in any scenario, when you feel anxious, to have something written down, before you pick up the phone.

All the best and I hope that you feel better soon.

woodchuck

Mod warning:

marieholmfan wrote: »

They aren't professionals in any meaningful sense of the word.

This is in no way helpful to the OP. Post advice, or don't post at all.

LegacyUser

Having worked as a receptionist in a doctors office the questions do sound pretty standard. The thing you have to remember everyone who rings thinks their situation is different/urgent/important etc etc and while it will be true some need to be seen, many don't need an urgent same day appointment and the staff at the practice have to do some triage otherwise they'd could be overwhelmed. they ask for details as they will have limited training on what should be seen by GP today, what can wait and what should go straight to an emergency room. I'm sorry you were made to feel uncomfortable but try not to take it personal, they could have had dozens of calls that day already looking for appointments and are just trying to do their job.

I had some amount of abuse from people ringing when I told them there wasn't any appointments that day, they'd demand to speak to the doctor whose run off their feet and tells them exactly the same thing I did. I had one woman come in after being told we were slammed, her case wasn't urgent but she wanted to see the doctor, was really abusive then the doctor arrived out and she was all smiles. Doctor told her no appointment that day and she waited till he left to start yelling abuse again.

PerryMason2020

Batrachotox wrote: »

I know she could probably find out whatever it was for anyway but patient confidentiality, or even maintaining the illusion thereof ought be quite important for Doctor’s practices.

I work as a legal secretary. I know absolutely everything about a client's file. Everything! It enables me to do my job, and yes, I am as bound by client confidentiality as the solicitor. Client confidentiality isn't just between the "professional" and the patient/client - it extends to the whole practice.



OP, for what it's worth, many people feel like you do. Sometimes we have to ask you questions that might feel like we're overly prying, but we're not. We are, as another poster said, the voice of the GP/Solicitor etc. The questions we ask are their questions. It's part and parcel of the work we do.



Given your circumstances, OP, you might be feeling a bit overly sensitive and perhaps her questioning rankled more than it might normally have? Please don't try to take it personally, she's not being nosy - trust me, she most likely doesn't care in the slightest, she's just trying to do her job.

Emme

marieholmfan wrote: »

They aren't professionals in any meaningful sense of the word.

What do you mean? You would be surprised the number of secretaries who are now educated to degree and even masters level. Even if they're not their work requires them to act in a professional manner (just like anyone who has a job) because they are usually the first point of contact with the public.

It takes all kinds of workers to run the world. If those without "professional" qualifications stopped doing their jobs you would feel the adverse effects of that very quickly.

Back to the OP. Not all GP practices can afford to have a nurse on hand to ask health related personal information. Practice nurses are run off their feet as well. Any information requested by the secretary will be needed by the GP. The GP, who has gone through 7 or more years of medical school, will have told the secretary what questions to ask. Any information given to medical secretaries or any other staff in the GP surgery will be strictly confidential.

sallysue2

Mod, can you please lock this thread.

On reflection in the cold light of day, I am looking at timings differently. Maybe I am little sensitive right now, and I'm ok with that. I've been through a lot. I still think that maybe they should reduce the way secretaries question people, especially for people with mental health issues. I would hate for someone who was suffering a crises to be put off seeking medical help as they didn't want to discuss it with a secretary. I know from my own perspective that Its hard enough talk about it once, without having to talk about it several times and that is a point I am going to make with my gp. I am fortunate enough to have a free telephone counselling service with work so I spoke to them this morning so I am feeling a bit better. I will discuss my mental health with my gp next week. This stress is not good for my precious baby.

Again, many thanks to everyone who replied. I have read them all and it is very much appreciated.

Hope everyone has a lovely day ♥

skallywag

I have to say OP, I think that you are being completely unreasonable.

I was in a very similar situation a week ago, I had no appointment with my preferred GP, and wanted very much to be seen as quickly as possible. The lady at the front desk asked me to describe what was wrong, and I went into detail, thinking that the more detail I give, the more chance that they will be able to slip me in somewhere. It is usually a very busy practice.

If I had taken the line with her that 'it was urgent' and kept my symptoms vague, then I would have fully expected them to offer me something the next day, etc, and rightly so.

woodchuck

Mod note:

I'll lock this thread now as per the OPs request.

OP, genuinely wishing you all the best with your pregnancy and hope you feel better soon.