Doctors surgeries receptionists

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463379#Comment_118463379

Well pity about you there’s a fcuking pandemic and the GPS are flat out you can’t get an app “right away” and very few people can.

it’s also absolutely unreal the cheek of some people here to speak about the receptionists in doctor surgeries as if they’re just picked up off the street and handed a phone. They’re more qualified than you or I to take patient calls and believe it or not they’re trained on the screening process for the GP… and if they’re unsure they can go ask the doctor (and my own GP practice has done in the past, if the receptionist isn’t sure about the urgency of the matter she checks and calls me back)

It boggles the mind to think that we can make the call that we need to see a doctor, but someone who works there, has training on screening patient calls can’t make an educated judgment on how urgent a call is?

if what’s wrong with you is so severe an appointment is needed NOW or within a couple HOURS you’re already wrong for ringing a GP you should be presenting to your local ED.

so much absolute rubbish being spouted here it’s unreal.

edit: typo

stopthevoting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463436#Comment_118463436

Even you hadn't told her then what the procedure was, she would probably have known eventually anyway, as she might have been sending emails or making phone calls to arrange the referral. And I think there is no issue with that, as it would be a normal part of her job.

shesty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463436#Comment_118463436

Our receptionist phrases it as "Do you think the doctor will need to see you or will over the phone do".And will generally accept whatever you think.But I tend to be sensible enough about it, maybe other people aren't.If it is a private issue, I will just say that, or phrase it as "something I just want to get checked by the doctor", or "something I want to discuss with the doctor".They need to know no more than that.

Also phone consultations are not cheaper.. where are these surgeries?Phone in ours is the same price as in-person, but if you phone and they then also want to see you later, they don't charge you for the in-person visit.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463454#Comment_118463454

Nobody was looking for an appointment within a couple of hours but they were looking for a consultation / conversation with a doctor not with administrative staff…. Yes there is a pandemic, so let’s put all other health concerns and issues to one side ? No.

pains in your chest ? Feeling faint ? Tough… pandemic !

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463608#Comment_118463608

pains in your chest ? Feeling faint ? Tough… pandemic !

no, you go to the flipping ED if you have chest pain or feel faint.. what do you think they’re gonna do even if a GP did answer the phone?

you’ll be told to go to the hospital!

god give me peace 😂 as has been said already, if you want to speak to your doctor you need an appointment. They can do many things, doctors, cloning themselves isn’t one of those things. How do you envision they see patients while simultaneously answering every phone call they get asking for them?

mad though how almost everyone thinking a doctor or nurse should answer your call acts like the GP is there to serve them only..

Do you ring your dentist and refuse to tell the receptionist what the complaint is? Like appointment screening existed before covid, it’s been the norm for as long as I can remember because, as I said, doctors can’t see patients AND take phone calls all day.

Like what has me really confused is this demand that

1. I want to speak to the GP or a Nurse
2. i also want an appointment quickly without delay a few days is too long and a few weeks I’ll report ye (???)
3. I don’t want ANYONE BUT A DOCTOR TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MY COMPLAINT

in that case go hire your own doctor.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463454#Comment_118463454

What exact qualification do you think the average GP receptionist has? Where do they get their training? How rigorous is the exam they have to pass?

What professional body can I complain to if their behaviour is not appropriate?

I do not expect a GP to be immediately available when I call. But I don't expect a receptionist to do triage, either.

And there are plenty of nurses who aren't able for the physical demands of hands on work, due to either injury or age, but would be well able for phone screening.

BnB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463778#Comment_118463778

Ahhh get out if town with your "Triage". Having a flippin' conversation with you in order to help make the best use of both your and the doctors time is not freggin' Triage. It's just being front of house in a GP surgery and doing their job. You'd swear they were diagnosing you and filling prescriptions etc.

As for the "plenty of nurses".... where are they.... Do you not think if a qualified nurse applied for a job as a receptionist in a medical center that they'd be in with a pretty good shout of getting it. What GP wouldn't love to have someone with that kind of knowledge and experience at reception

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463379#Comment_118463379

Is the hypocrisy of the angriest man on boards calling somebody's post an ill informed rant lost on you? On form I'm guessing yes.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463778#Comment_118463778

Ok, Mrs O’B, some of your opinions are the reason why good Receptionists are essential in GP practices, they spend a lot of time listening to grievances from the clueless.

You ask who is responsible for their training, professionalism and behaviour? The GP of course. If a GP receptionist was telling all and sundry about patients confidential information, the complaint would be made against the GP.

Trained medical professionals do not always make good receptionists, it is more about personality than medical knowledge. Personally I prefer to employ either qualified medical secretaries or experienced hotel reception staff. Why? Because they are well versed in dealing with complaints from demanding people. Every staff member undergoes thorough training and is in no doubt about the absolute importance of confidentiality.

In relation to calls for appointments, of course the patient is asked for details about their issue, how else to you expect staff to know who needs an urgent appointment or whether it can be scheduled for a later date, how much time will be needed, whether it needs to be scheduled for particular days when bloods are being taken, whether it is just for a repeat script etc etc. The receptionists are trained to note the important points and to know when to bring it to the Dr’s attention.

There may be plenty to nurses who are unable for the physical demands of hands on work, that does not mean they are all able to deal with people who just complain for the sake of it.

Oh, and the professional body to complain to is the Medical Council.

AyeGer

You could say it’s something I’d rather discuss with the doctor but I think it needs attention. I don’t think they would pry any further. They are just trying to determine who really needs the doctors attention at busy times.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118459608#Comment_118459608

Yep, I can sympathise with that.

Minier81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463778#Comment_118463778

And would all the GPs patients be happy to pay more per consult to cover the cost of a nurse acting as a receptionist?!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463608#Comment_118463608

Jaysus if I was working in a surgery listening to someone carrying on with the attitude you've displayed in this thread, I might end up with chest pains myself. If I had anything I thought was imminent or serious I'd be going nowhere near my GP practice.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118464352#Comment_118464352

Might as well get all GP’s to retire so… a&e or jump in the sea…

Yes I can see how you’d give yourself chest pains,

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463608#Comment_118463608

The phones ring constantly throughout the day, do you think Drs are available to talk to every patient who phones? If you don’t want to give details, you are given the next available appointment, which could be weeks away. Not much use if you need to be seen urgently.

Receptionists are trained to assess/triage patients according to the symptoms they describe and reason for attendance. If you don’t want to give that information, you are just a name on a sheet with an unknown reason for wanting an appointment.

Has anyone actually got proof that receptionists are 'triaging' patients?

I've often heard people refer to triaging calls when what they really mean is 'acting as a first point of contact'. I don't think receptionists are attempting to triage patients, or diagnose them over the phone. They're not there with a big red marker, pushing some patients to the end of the list because they feel like it.

If I call my doctor's surgery asking for a smear test, they'll tell me I need the nurse, not the doctor, and they'll know that the nurse only works Mon-Weds, and that samples are couriered on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They'll also know it'll be a quick in-and-out (no pun intended) and they'll know what equipment they need ready. I'll get a 10 min apt. on the coming Tuesday and everyone's happy.

If I refuse to say, I might be waiting a week or more for a doctor's appointment, and when I finally see her she'll have to ask me to book a nurse's appointment for the following week. I'll need to take twice as much time off work, I'll have wasted the doctor's time in my apt with her, wasted time having them pull my file, review it, refile it, etc. They'll have had to estimate my apt at 15-20 mins when I was only there for 2 mins to be referred, because they didn't know what I wanted. It just makes so much more sense to give them whatever info you can.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118466792#Comment_118466792

The image people have of triage is what you see in an A&E or on TV where there is a full waiting room of extremely sick/injured people and the triage nurse assess the patient and literately decides the order of admittance based on severity. But this is also applied to GP appointments, it just isn’t as dramatic. The receptionist will book appointments based on the training and instruction given by the GP. They will also know when to bring information to the GPs attention, this of course is based on the information supplied by the patient. If you don’t want to give that information, there can be no assessment of urgency nor consideration of the order in which you will be seen.

Trust me, receptionist deal with all types, they don’t care what you tell them, only how that information relates to appointments and whether it needs to be brought urgently to the GPs attention. If you want to look down your nose at a Receptionist or question their ethics or professionalism, prepare for the consequences, they are the gatekeepers to the appointment book.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118464383#Comment_118464383

You must have very high blood pressure, you poor fella. I'd make an appointment to get that checked out if I was you.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118463988#Comment_118463988

Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118469823#Comment_118469823

BP is ok, but thanks for your concern, doctor:)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118471232#Comment_118471232

no don’t talk about your medical details with someone who’s not a doctor!!! They’re gonna tell everyone on boards about your blood pressure now!!

Halladubha72

Hi. Should a gp receptionist ask you in detail why you need to see your gp

Flinty997

They wouldn't make an appointment based on no information, and once they got information the appointment was made.

Is that it?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783734#Comment_119783734

Fair play to you for wading through that long load of text! I gave up after six sentences.

apache

Happened to have dealing with my GPs receptionist this week. Had to ring for a cert. Very hard to get through. Everyone in the waiting room can hear her calls. She repeated my name and what was wrong with me so everyone could hear. That pissed me off.

cezanne

No point in being too precious about your ailment the bitches can access your file any day of the week & they do cos they are nosey and love to know what the people they dislike are suffering from !!

Flinty997

Human nature is not to spend MORE time with a customer they don't like. But to spend as little time as possible and let someone else (the doctor) deal with them.

apache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783893#Comment_119783893

Yeah but some of them think they're Drs. I hate the thoughts of them having access to my file.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783472#Comment_119783472

With all due respect, your reluctance to provide the necessary information to the receptionist created the situation you found yourself in. GPs and their staff treat patients with a wide variety of medical issues, and the decision to offer appointments at short notice can only be based on the urgency for treatment. To assess that, the staff need to know what the issue is.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119784259#Comment_119784259

Maybe you'd prefer if the doctors spent their time filing, or the admin staff filed your stuff with a blindfold on using guesswork. How do you think it should work.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119784259#Comment_119784259

The Receptionists have no interest in reading your file.