Safety + Confidentiality When In Gps Surgery

[Bathsheba]

Does anyone else object to the fact that when in the GPs waiting room, often a vast area now in a health centre, one's name is either flashed up on a screen for all to see, and a computer generated voice calls it out, or as in the case at my surgery, because the screens are often out of order, the GP him (or her ;) ) self strolls down the corridor and shouts your name out?

Then, as if that isn't enough to give potential burglars the nod,....later on in the pharmacy, the meds are not handed over until either the pharmacist or the customer has shouted out their address! ......... ....just me musing on a Friday afternoon......

Baths
x x

[dannyk13]

How else are you to know when it is your turn to see the doc?

[Bathsheba]

Danny, when I worked at a doc's surgery, many moons ago, patients were given a plastic marker with a number on, then sat down + looked around at the other waiting patients + clocked who had the number preceding theirs, + there was a buzzer set up so the GP could press a button + the buzzer would sound thereby indicating The Great One was ready to see the next patient ;)

[dannyk13]

Afraid technology has moved on since those days Bath,

[Bathsheba]

Heh heh....I know Danny,...just musing.... I was the only receptionist who felt the need to regularly wash those plastic markers in hot soapy water......;)

[wolf63]

My doctor bellows my name out from outside his room. He only calls my first name. We have always had this sort of system - for last 20 years or so.

At the vet they call the name of the patient (Frankie) instead of the mug paying the bill. My friend found this highly amusing ?!

[Bathsheba]

Wolfie,....when I've been in vet's, they call out the pet's name followed by the owner's last name, lol :D

x x

[gingejbee]

Doesn't happen here. You announce your arrival on a touchscreen and are told to wait in an area outside each docs' room. The doc then pops out and ushers you in....discretion at it's best!

[dannyk13]

Couldn't happen at my surgery which 26,000 patients and every surgery session has about 50 people waiting to see a doctor.

[Bathsheba]

That sounds ideal ginge, I think they have self check-in screens at mine, but they're always out of order!

x x

[stuey]

In "my" GP's office there are seldom more than 5 or 6 people. He comes into the waiting room; picks up my chart from the receptionist; and walks up to me and says "OK, Mr Stuey, come with me." How's that for service.

[Bathsheba]

Blimey Danny,....at my surgery they manage to knock surgery attendance down to about 8-10 patients max per surgery,....so many folk have "telephone consultations" now x

[Bathsheba]

Stuey,...your chart? On paper!! No computers? :o x x

[Sqad]

Confidentiality?.....just a little story for you.
Many doctors in training were impecunious for many years and would supplement their meagre NHS salary by doing GP locums in the evenings.

This particular evening, in Nottingham, a vast council estate i was doing a surgery where there must have been 25-30 people in the waiting room just to see me.

I pushed the bell to usher the next patient in, waited and nobody came so I pushed it again and in came a young woman accompanied by a young man.

" I have come to have my pregnancy confirmed she said"

"Ok" I retorted, go into the examination room and take of your skirt and knickers and lie on the couch"

They both disappeared into the examination room and after a couple of minutes, i went in, slipped on some gloves, lubricated them and did a vaginal examination.
I confirmed that she was pregnant and said to the man " Your partner/wife is about 3 months pregnant"

"Nothing to do with me mate" he replied, "Never seen her before, the bell rang twice and we both came in."

So, she took her knickers and skirt of in a small room with a bloke that she had never seen before............

[stuey]

Yes, he is well up to date with technology; however, he still keeps charts with just the barest synopsis of your history...And he's relatively young also, so it is sort of unusual I suppose.

[Bathsheba]

@ Sqad....lol! :D x x

[jno]

I don't mind my name being called; not so sure about having my address announced. Perhaps they should just shout out my illness instead!

[Bathsheba]

@ Stuey,....I've seen locums using paper notes, simply because they refused to use the computer, therefore a patient's notes can be in more than one location...not the best idea :/ x x

[Bathsheba]

jno.....that's probably going to be the next step ;)
No, it's in the pharmacy where the address has to be confirmed.

x x

[Sqad]

jno........you mean like.

"Mrs Syphilis!"

"Mrs prolapse!"

[stuey]

What's a "locum", and why would the chart/notes be in more than one place?