So Who Are These Receptionists Interrogating The Patients?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37605573
My doctors receptionist just books the appointment so are there some over reaching their brief?

[jackthehat]

It depends what their brief actually is.....
Receptionists have to do what their head partner/Practice manager tells them to. They don't necessarily enjoy interrogating patients.

[Cloverjo]

Mine does ask what it's about when I try to book an appointment. I don't mind telling her, but I can imagine some people might find it intrusive.

I think they ask so that the doc has a clue as to what he'll be dealing with, and if it's an ongoing complaint or a new one.

[dannyk13]

I find that some are very helpful and some are downright obstructive.

[ummmm]

I don't see the issue. They have access to our medical records anyway. They also need to prioritise people and they can't do that unless they know what's wrong.

[Barmaid]

I think our surgery has a policy of "full interogation" - not the ladies' fault but it is irritating.

Although I was once asked to give a sample of urine and leave it at reception. The receptionist asked "Did the doctor ask you to do that?" (which was up there with the "Stupidist Question Ever") so I responded "No, I always give a bottle of *** to someone when I first meet them". The rest of the waiting room was nearly hysterical.

[ToraToraTora]

gatekeeper syndrome, give a little bit of power to a nobody and they love to use it.

[jackthehat]

Ah...........so you knew the answer all along.
In that case, I'm surprised you bothered to ask the question.

[Cloverjo]

Lol, Barmaid. :))
I wish I had your nerve:)

[ummmm]

It can also work in the patients favour. I once phoned and when asked I explained what was wrong. Got a phone call from the doctor in the afternoon who had booked me in to have blood tests at my own convenience.

If I refused to give her that info I could have waited weeks for an appointment just to be sent to have blood tests which were organised within a day.

[Sqad]

"Did the doctor ask you to do that?" (which was up there with the "Stupidist Question Ever") so I responded "No, I always give a bottle of *** to someone when I first meet them". The rest of the waiting room was nearly hysterical.

The medical fraternity just love smart***..........it could have been a nurse/practice nurse who asked you......

[douglas9401]

Our health centre doesn't have gates, could it be that they are suffering portal envy?

[andy-hughes]

Barmaid - //"Did the doctor ask you to do that?" (which was up there with the "Stupidist Question Ever") so I responded "No, I always give a bottle of *** to someone when I first meet them". The rest of the waiting room was nearly hysterical.

The medical fraternity just love smart***..........it could have been a nurse/practice nurse who asked you...... //

That's you told!!

[Baldric]

I posted this OP in Jan. 2015, nothing has changed.

///To Be Fair
. . . . . . . . . to my Doctors Receptionists they are doing their best to keep the Doc's workload to a minimum.
Hour or so back I tried to make an appointment due to my running a temperature for the last 24 hours, plus some inflammation and tenderness at the site of the Operation I had last August. I was advised to take Paracetamol and call tomorrow if nothing had changed (by someone with no medical qualifications whatsoever).
As I had a Heart Valve transplant 5½ years ago I am at a higher risk from infection than normal, there is a note on my Records to that effect, makes no difference apparently, not to her anyway.
I then rang the office of the Consultant whose care I come under for an annual check-up at Guys Hospital, brought Clinic Sister up to speed with the situation.
Have just had a call from Local Surgery, from my Doctor (who has had a call from Guys), asking if I can get in to see her at 1400hrs, and saying she will speak to the Receptionist about the reason for notes on patient records.///

[ToraToraTora]

well JTH I was curious as I have not experienced it and possibly there was some kind of, super surgery where they have receptionists medically trained. From other answers I was able to clean that was not the case and thus put forward the theory I did at 09:23 if that's alright with you!

[andy-hughes]

At our previous practice the receptionists were most imperious, and always asked what I wanted to see the doctor about. I always replied that I would discuss that with the doctor. They didn't like it, but that's fine, I didn't like that they asked.

[Barmaid]

//The medical fraternity just love smart***..........it could have been a nurse/practice nurse who asked you.......//

Could have been I suppose - perhaps one who recently graduated from the Sqad school of bedside manners.

Anyway, if she had waited for me to open my trap before she barked her question she would have learned that yes indeed the Dr had asked me to do that and would have avoided a smart **** answer.

[andy-hughes]

Sqad - ////The medical fraternity just love smart***..........it could have been a nurse/practice nurse who asked you.......//

Could have been I suppose - perhaps one who recently graduated from the Sqad school of bedside manners.

Anyway, if she had waited for me to open my trap before she barked her question she would have learned that yes indeed the Dr had asked me to do that and would have avoided a smart **** answer. //

That's you told!

[Bathsheba]

When I worked as a GP's receptionist we would have been hung., drawn and quartered if we had offered a "medical opinion". Basically, our job was to treat the GPs as Gods, the little *** :(

Baths
x x

[hereIam]

The receptionists at my surgery are fine, always polite and friendly, but then I'm always polite and friendly to them. Not so at my Mum's surgery, I find them surly and unhelpful, no matter how friendly I try to be !

[andy-hughes]

I think you need a certain mind-set to be a doctor's receptionist.

Your work consists of dealing with ill moaning miserable people all day every day.

In order to do the job well, and not drive yourself and the patients crazy, you need huge and equal amounts of empathy and patience.

Sadly, a lot of receptionists become weighed down by the sheer misery of endlessly being moaned at all day, and become bitter and chippy, and take revenge by being proprietorial over access to doctors and appointments.

Not all - but certainly some.