Medical receptionists

[aimee-lou]

Medical receptionists! Gah!!

No disrespect intended to anyone in particular - but I'm fed up of them now. (My Mum is one so know there are plenty of good ones out there, although I dare say she's guilty of these things too!)

When you ring up you ask for a Dr's appointment, not to be told who to see, when to see them or even to be told what to do. For some reason my Dr's surgery seems to employ receptionists who think they are Dr's!

My other complaint is the fact that whenever I go to the Dr's, the dr's, nurses and phlebotomist are all brilliant! Really lovely and efficient, and very good at their jobs. However, I'll go to the desk to make follow ups and get huffed at for interrupting them, for my child making noise, for having to make 2-3 appointments at a time, asking questions etc etc etc. Oh heaven forbid I should interrupt your day! You're a receptionist for pity's sake!! (I used to be a receptionist before having Eddy and took pride in my customer focus so find it infuriating when I experience no-so-good ones)

Gah! Sorry - I'm actually going to make a complaint to the Practice Manager (who is one of the GPs) about it.

Sorry for the rant - just really annoys me. If you're cagey they go funny with you and refuse to make an appointment. I once said that I 'had a problem that I need to see a Dr about' 6 times and they actually said that I had to tell them so they could let the Dr know. So how come, when I got there, they ask 'what's the problem?'. Ahhhhh!

 

[Belle25]

Ahh some medical receptionists are like little gods!!
I have tried in the past to made doc appointments, and wouldn't help me, saying all booked.
Oh goes and rings, and they are super helpful, and we suddenly have an appointment available!
Xx

 

[Pearls18]

I find A&E receptionists the worst, the way they leave you standing there for what feels like hours and then give you a raised eyebrow to let you approach them but sternly enough to know they're not happy you are there, lol. I know medical receptionists get a really tough time with verbal abuse and it must be a stressful job, especially in hospitals, but the whole thing of being professional is to not let the bad people tarnish the way you do your job, it isn't every patient's fault it's been a manic day and there have been rude people in.

 

[Rhio92]

Bad video, but this makes me laugh everytime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z67bGWZyVc

 

[Belle25]

I find A&E receptionists the worst, the way they leave you standing there for what feels like hours and then give you a raised eyebrow to let you approach them but sternly enough to know they're not happy you are there, lol. I know medical receptionists get a really tough time with verbal abuse and it must be a stressful job, especially in hospitals, but the whole thing of being professional is to not let the bad people tarnish the way you do your job, it isn't every patient's fault it's been a manic day and there have been rude people in.

Agree! My mum rushed me to hospital, dripping with blood, carrying me, and the receptionist was too busy on the phone! I still remember blood all over everything!!
Luckily I remember a few doctors rushing out after hearing me crying and took me straight in. I was a 4 year old covered in blood and she did nothing, not even get a doc!!!
Xx

 

[sue_88]

Sorry for your bad experience, some people in customer service really do need to be slapped with the manners book!

Luckily, my practice receptionists are just wonderful. Two little old ladies who are so efficient and attentive!

 

[Belle25]

Sorry for your bad experience, some people in customer service really do need to be slapped with the manners book!

Luckily, my practice receptionists are just wonderful. Two little old ladies who are so efficient and attentive!

Agree! I think, generally speaking there are people who are indifferent towards people they are meant to be helping.
Take my trip to the travel agents for example. She was useless, no passion in her job and couldn't even be bothered to try to find us what we were looking for

And when my oh was in a&e with a suspected broken ankle when I was 9 months pregnant. Nurse told him its fine, and she hadn't even looked at the X-ray!!
She made him hobble to the car with his arm around me, leaning on me heavily pregnant with no crutches
Oh yeah, and it turned out to be fractured!!

Xx

 

[C_baby]

At least you can get an appointment with your GP. Last time I rang for an appointment for my little boy they told me to take him to the walk in centre!

 

[starangel27]

the one i used to go to was really nasty receptionist i actually moved doctors
because i hated having to deal with her.

 

[Floralaura]

I lie to mine lol..They ask what the problem is, then if they deem it unworthy of a 'emergency' appointment you are told to ring back the next day for a regular one..only by the time you get through the only ones left are emergency ones and again you get told to ring back the next day. So now when asked I tell them its my asthma and I am struggling, get a sit and wait for that evening and when DR asks whats up I tell them the real issue. Same with the kids.
I miss the days you would ring on say a Monday, they would say they had a appointment on the weds..fab. Now you have to jump through hoops as its all the same day rubbish. We dont even have the luxury of a walk in here either!

 

[Bex84]

Our one asks reasons for appointment, why i want to tell them medical problems i dont know lol, when i was pregnant it was awful getting appointments to see them about my hyperemesis, i think they had diagnosed i had ordenary morning sickness lol which was defenetly not case. They will be lucky if they arnt responsible for someones death one day. Ones at hospital i went to were lovely though, and some are ok at gp surgery

 

[dani_tinks]

Some people seem to be in the wrong career. I used to work reception in Oncology and although it does get frustrating when patients ask for the 5th time why the doctors are running late you are trained to answer with a smile!
I guess i'm lucky, i've never had issues with our local GP surgery. They often look quite flustered but always manage to be polite and friendly.

 

[LynseyPynsey]

Our GP receptionist is lovely, always tells me her dad and LO have the same birthday

 

[tallybee]

Ahhh the receptionists at my current surgery are alright but one I used to go to... they had some real dragons working there. The doctors were great but the shit you had to go through to get to see one... I got told I couldn't register as I was registered somewhere else ... umm yeah well I live here now soo I need to register here

 

[Mazzy17]

Before i moved to Liverpool my DRs receptionist were nasty (Think evil Disney witches and you are nearly there) I would rarely go to the Drs because i didnt want to deal with them.
My current receptionists are so lovely i even gave them a box of roses and Christmas card last year

 

[wishuwerehere]

My old GPs were awful but the new practice I go to has fab receptionists.
The worst thing I ever found was being asked why I needed to see the doc. Err...none of your business?

 

[lhancock90]

Bad video, but this makes me laugh everytime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z67bGWZyVc

I loved that set! I've had some purely awful ones. The ones at my GP now aren't too bad! But they are such mini dictators at times!

 

[CormacksGirl]

I Had a smear test booked for the 12th June, so I get myself and Adam ready and walk the 50 minutes to the surgery (all uphill I might add) only to arrive and be told they were trying to phone me as the nurse was ill that day and couldn't make it to work. Seemingly my mobile number was unavailable ( fair play my mobile was switched off) so I asked if they had my landline number, which they did but obviously didn't bother phoning that, as I was in all morning and there was no bloody call!

Sorry for hi - jacking your post but these receptionists make my blood boil!!!

 

[AP]

They make my blood boil too. i also find it ironic that I can never get a flipping appointment but the minute I mention my daughters name they they drop everything her (which is marvellous but HELLO! I'm real too )

They arent the ones to judge whether its an emergency or not and it wont change what doctor they are about to give me, so why ask

 

[Boomerslady]

I know exactly what you mean!! There's one at my surgery whose lovely but there's one whose been there about 6 months now and she always seems as if she's too good to bother making appointments or doing any sort of follow up!! At mine you ring at 8.30 or 2 for a same day emergency app. I got through at 2.03 and said do you have any appointment left please? Her reply 'an appointment??' I was like err yeah to see a doctor, that's surely why you've answered the phone at the allocated time I have to ring idiot!! Also I prefer to see a locus if there's one in as the usual GPs (2 of them) are shocking. So I always ask whose available and she replies 'the doctors' no shit Sherlock!! They infuriate me so much!

Actually I was there a little while ago and a lady came in for her app at 5.20, was told she wasn't on the system there was no note for the appointment. Then was told it was at 9.20 that morning. The lad was adamant shed been told 5, she was working so why would she agree to 9.20, plus shed left work early to get there in time, so could she be squeezed in she only needed 2 mins with doctor. The receptionist was so rude and said no she couldn't be seen so this lady refused to leave the desk until she lathered to check with the doctor!! Such drama over a short appointment lol. Wha ever happened to customer service!'