My Doctors are great it's the receptionist thats useless

Walnut, Pal`. You two are very, very lucky. The waiting time for an appointment at our surgery is, on average, 10 days. Go to the surgery in the morning on spec, and you are usually told, come back at 3, or 4 or 5. To see a doctor in the morning you need to be at the surgery about 8am. The surgery opens at 9am with the doctors starting work about 9.30ish.

 

Well, interesting thread this ... I needed to see my doctor this morning as I had ear ache with a swollen gland behind the ear - not a good sign! I couldn't actually remember if the surgery was open on Saturdays so rang on spec to find it was. Was given an appointment for about 30 mins on. When I got there the place was empty! I asked the receptionist if it was always like this and she said it was. When I suggested perhaps people didn't really know if the surgery was open she disagreed, saying that many times people were offered an appointment for that session and had refused with dismay that they couldn't 'possibly' come on a Saturday!

As it happened, my doc took advantage of the quiet to give me a full MOT and reviewed all my other ailments and listed meds! I was in there for almost 45 mins! And the ear? He said I had a minor viral infection (as I had supposed) for which no treatment was required!

 

Mine is as bad as Davids ie up to 14 days wait if you want to see a specific doctor..... ocasionally 3 days if your content to play roulete and risk a locum, some are very good others not so.

A new ploy here is they try and get you to see a practice nurse as oposed to your gp, I got told a 14 day wait for my gp but I could seee the practice nurse next day.

Reluctantly I had to go along with this, (I had an infected cut) the nurse took one look at the cut and pronunced I needed antibiotics and she couldnt prescribe these so would call my doctor through...... He was in the next room and apered to have been simply reading the paper!!!!

Make of it what you will.

 

Our problem was with the night time service. At 10pm they said they would send a doctor out so we waited and at 11pm a doctor rang and said he was over in Petersfield and couldn't get over to us. He diagnosed appendix over the phone and told us to take her to hospital and from then on everything went well (under the circumstances). It is difficult when you are a distance away from a hospital - in retrospect we should have gone straight to the hospital.

 

Ah we are so lucky here in Dorset we can order a repeat prescription online and pick it up from the chemist of our choice (we have 3) a couple of days later do not have to go to the surgery full of its sneezing coughing occupants !

 

Went to a hospital appt yesterday, there was one grumpy mare on the desk, going on about how to queue-from the left to the right, she had a right face on. Total number of people in the queue-ME!!! On the way out she was giving it out to someone else-again total number of people in queue-ONE!! Surly and beligerent attitudes don`t help.

 

When i worked in a hospital we often joked that the Doctors receptionists went to college to learn how to fend off the patients.

But seriously. Our local practice is very efficient, I order my wife's and my own repeat prescriptions through the EMIS website and they are ready in two days. I have booked an appointment with my Doctor online as well. If I need to see a Doctor the same day, they will arrange it with another Doctor if mine is booked up.

 

Hi al, well this was very interesting. Part of me was getting up there with you wanting to tell the receptionists a thing or two, then part of me thought what if I was one?

Well, my end thought is - there are good and bad. Too timid for you? Well, I'll tell you what I really think.

'They' do think they are something else. At our surgery they look like they are on holiday or a night out (for the younger ones). All make-up and clothes that reveal things if you know what I mean. They serve you but have another conversation at the same time (& I don't mean with other patients). I find that very rude, as I do chewing gum when you are talking to someone. Also, this glass divider that is in place means that you do have to speak abit more loudly, whilst they have a radio playing in the background(don't get me wrong, most of the years I was working in offices I used to have a radio too).

The difference was, no matter what job I was doing, I wanted to help people. So whether it was a supplier or a deleverer I would help as much as I could. The receptionists now make me laugh (angry really).

They are doing a job, not a career (please don't come back and say I just generalising, well OK you can if you really think so:()some have this as a career and it shows, but I can't believe the differences is the areas of our country.

Our particular dr. has 15 minute appointments! Not long started this. He starts at 7.30 am! That is too early I think - not for patients in a way, but for him. But then the doctors is shut for a couple of hours, the chemists next door is never open at these different times so whats the point in that. Still all shuts at 5 or 6pm. I've been in my local library a couple of times on a Saturday and heard people asking if the surgery/chemist next door are open. They are not. There are no notices on the door or anything advising people where to go.

Also, you are not supposed (who worked that one out:dh to discuss more that one problem at a time - book a double appointment! We have always been out within 5 minutes!

Well, that's my contributution to this thread:D I have to say, I do like my GP, and I have no complaints with him just the way these surgeries are going. Nothing is private.

cheers

 

My O.H. and i had to change practise when we moved home nearly a year ago ,we have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous
My old Drs i could make an appointment as soon as i came from seeing the Dr, if she said i will need to see you again in 3 months , i could go out and make that appointment
My new practise only has the appointment book open for 2 weeks at a time ,starting on Thursdays ,for some reason.
There are only appointments available to see the Dr from 9.00am - 9.30am and then after that its sit and wait, and wait you will :(
If you ring up its 0844 to start with ,this is answered by a machine that gives you options, test results are only available 3.00 pm-3.30 pm if you miss that time it cuts you off,
As for the receptionist is it in the rule book not to greet people :cnfs:
I could rant on this subject for hours