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GP receptionist

  • 23-10-2022 5:12pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 28 Halladubha72


    Should a gp receptionist ask you your personal business

    Post edited by Halladubha72 on


«1345678

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 29,381 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    It's a fairly common experience in my experience people can have a rash in a sensitive place, a mental health issue, etc. They eventually get up the courage to see the GP and book an appointment and they then get grilled by the receptionist. You've to grin and answer the question or alternatively lie to the secretary. Alternatively you can ring again and get through to a different secretary.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,521 ✭✭✭Squatman


    you're right i.e. they are all general practitioners now. however, in my local, one of the GPS speciality was respiratory care, another was womens reproductive systems, etc. and is called out as such on their website. so it may be a thing to direct to the most appropriate Dr. in the case of a last minute /more urgent bookng



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,989 ✭✭✭✭Leg End Reject


    If a surgery has specialisms then surely it's sufficient to say which one you require then? No one should be asked to explain their symptoms to a receptionist who can neither treat nor diagnose.

    In the OP the request was to book an appointment with the GP the OP's daughter was a patient of. Yet, the receptionist wanted to know the reason for the visit. It's none of the receptionist's business and patients need to let their GP's know this.

    In future if I'm asked I'm going to say I found a lump in my breast and I'll explain to the doctor that I am not going to discuss my private medical information with a receptionist and am happy to pay another GP €60 for a few minutes of their time if that will be a requirement going forward.



  • Registered Users Posts: 24,034 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    No person is registered with a practice, they are registered with and assigned a specific GP….

    if I ring tomorrow and ask for an appointment on Thursday with Dr. Kevin my GP… questions and answers which I think are reasonable..

    morning or afternoon ? ———— “afternoon please”

    What type of appointment ? ———— “my yearly checkup / I need xyz issue checked out”

    no further comments or questions are necessary.


    here is a sample medical card, showing the section for what GP the holder is assigned to, everyone is assigned a GP.

    If any gobshîte started asking me medical questions or debating if I should go to a&e, the local church, the local morgue or a holiday to Turkey… id offer them one more opportunity to make the appointment and should they not be forthcoming with a date and time I’d just report them to the IMC.

    called, appointment was refused to be made, spoke with xyx and provided the following….



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,791 ✭✭✭Jim_Hodge




  • Registered Users Posts: 24,034 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    From what my thinking was and from what I’ve read now on the citizens information site, you are registered with a GP… NOT a practice.

    if I was taken to A&E tonight with XYZ problem, the onus is on the consultant to send a copy of the reports to my GP… not the surgery.



  • Registered Users Posts: 22,869 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack



    I was more thinking along the lines of the person’s preference in the case of the OP for example to be seen by a woman GP, and I know women are referred to other GPs for services their own GP doesn’t provide.

    I wasn’t suggesting anyone is asked to diagnose themselves, or be diagnosed by the receptionist, or subject to an interrogation by the receptionist, I was suggesting that the receptionist might be more empathetic and compassionate in accordance with the OP’s expectations if they understood the circumstances a bit better. Otherwise, their professionalism in accordance with the theory could come off a bit cold to people who aren’t familiar with the idea that’s how things should be handled.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,543 ✭✭✭Ave Sodalis


    The doctor registered on my medical card isn't the doctor I see most often. The doctor I see most often isn't an option for a medical card GP. If I don't specify which doctor I get, or say I don't mind, then I could see anyone of the doctors in the practice and they all have access to the same system of records. Even consultants (I see several a year) ask which GP to address their report to.



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,222 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    How would you differentiate between those who need urgent appointments, and those who don’t? GP clinics have thousands of patients, without some indication of the medical issue, patients would be seen in the order they contact their clinic. Would that work for you?



  • Registered Users Posts: 22,869 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack



    I’m not suggesting that receptionists should be determining which people get prioritised over others based upon medical need, I mean that GPs have other people to see too and the receptionists have to organise their GPs appointments. GP surgeries have finite resources and can’t immediately see every person who wants to be seen urgently by the GP who they want to see, or give people an appointment which fits with their schedule every time.

    They might be more amenable if they understand the actual situation. I can understand the urgency of the situation outlined in the context of the opening post, but without it I wouldn’t see the situation as being any more urgent than any of the other people who call the surgery and want an urgent appointment with the GP they want.



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,222 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    The op was not refused an appointment, he/she was refused an appointment at a time which suited her daughter.

    What answer would you expect from the IMC? If you phone your GP and ask for an appointment, they will give you the first one available, which could be weeks away. If you want one urgently, then you have to say why you should be given one sooner than other patients. You think the IMC would have a problem with that?



  • Posts: 0 Jayla Odd Parrot


    I've never been asked by a receptionist what was wrong with me when ringing to make a GP appointment up until a couple of weeks ago. I was shocked to be honest but I politely and firmly told her that it was not her place to ask that of me and I'd like an appointment at earliest convenience please.

    Honestly, from her reaction it was something she wasn't entirely comfortable asking either. I've been going to this practice / GP since her father used to see me as a child which wasn't yesterday.



  • Registered Users Posts: 24,034 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    In my surgery I see my GP 90% of the time. I never specify… “ hi,my name is ****** ********, I would like an appointment with my GP, Dr ******* ***** for Friday afternoon please “… It makes sense unless the GP is booked up or on holidays or down with the flu or whatever…. But the odd time, twice where I’ve arrived to see other GPs I’ve never been told on booking that my GP isn’t available.. no biggie there as both docs are superb but as a professional courtesy if my GP is known to be not available I’d expect to be informed by the receptionist.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,268 ✭✭✭touts


    Sounds like your adult daughter handled the situation much better than you did. I suggest you should let her handle her own medical needs from now on.



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,989 ✭✭✭✭Leg End Reject


    suggesting that the receptionist might be more empathetic and compassionate in accordance with the OP’s expectations if they understood the circumstances a bit better. 

    It's none of the receptionist's business, they just need to schedule the appointment, they are only required to be courteous with everyone and not just be empathetic towards whomever they deem worthy.

    None of their bloody business!



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