Could You please wait 2 weeks to be ill (GPs)

Member Name: Mick-Gray

Product:	GPs
Date:	02/06/01 (566 review reads)
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Patient: Could I get an appointment to see Doctor Bloggs?

Receptionist/Bouncer: The first appointment for Doctor Bloggs is in 2 weeks.

Patient: Haven’t you got anything earlier?

Receptionist/Bouncer: Are you ill

Patient: That’s why I want to see the Doctor

Receptionist: What’s wrong with you

Patient: That’s what I want the doctor to tell me.

Receptionist: Is it urgent.

Patient: I don’t know I’m not a doctor.

Receptionist: Well we might be able to fit you in to see Dr. ??? In 4 days time at 9am if it is urgent

This is the sort of conversation I have every time I need to see my GP. I must admit that when I eventually get through the vetting over the phone and have waited for the 4 days, if by that time I am still ill all the G.Ps at the surgery are very nice and very helpful but by the time you get to see them you have either got better or more frightening you could be much worse.

If you have read my op on the N.H.S you will know that in January of this year my father was taken ill at 11pm, my mother telephoned the surgery and was put through to the emergency doctor service. Again a receptionist gave her a grilling and said that the doctor was busy and if she was that worried she should call an ambulance. She didn’t know what to do for the best (She is 86) and phoned me. I went round and although my father was not at all well, by the time we had realised that an emergency doctor was not going to come he was asleep and we decided to wait for the morning surgery to open. Again we could not get passed the Rottweilers who answer the phone and my wife went round to the surgery. Once we had been able to convey the seriousness of my dad’s condition and managed to speak to a G.P, to her Credit she dropped everything and came with us to see my father, a chest infection and Pneumonia was diagnosed and an ambulance called. (The re
sult of this is a different story).

At the time that this happened I was recuperating from two major surgical operations and was on medication for postoperative depression. Because of all the worry and backwards and forwards to hospital to visit my father I had not realised that I was running low on my medication.

Me: Could I have a repeat prescription as I am running out of tablets.

Receptionist: What are you taking?

Me; XXXXX

Receptionist: I can’t give a repeat prescription for those tablets you have to see the doctor
Me: O.k. when can I see him

Receptionist: The earliest appointment is in 9 days time

Me: but I am nearly out of tablets

Receptionist: You should have booked an appointment earlier

Me; But I was told that I have to take them continuously

Receptionist: That’s the earliest appointment we have.

I accepted this under protest but had to bite my tongue as I know of a couple of people who have been taken of their doctor’s list for protesting too strongly.

Within days of this happening we tragically lost my father. He died at 3am in the morning at Kingston Hospital. The family was with him when he died but understandably my mother was in a terrible state. (They had been married for 64 years) When we got her home she had not had any sleep and was in a state of shock. She was suffering badly with her breathing and so we telephoned the emergency doctor service once again. We did not have any better luck than before and by this time I was absolutely fuming.

When the surgery opened the following morning I went round myself and spoke to the receptionists and asked to see the practice manager

Receptionist: What do you want to see her about?

Me; I want to make a complaint

Receptionist: What about

Me: I would like to explain that to the practice manager and not go through it here in front of
a surgery full of people.

Receptionist: She is very busy perhaps I could get her to phone you

Me; No I want to speak to her now and unless you want me shouting and ranting in front of your patients I would advise you to let her know I am here.

Receptionist: She only sees people by appointment she is very busy

ME: WILL YOU PLEASE TELL HER I WANT TO SPEAK TO HER NOW.
The receptionist finally agreed to tell her that I wanted to make a complaint and I was ushered upstairs where I told her exactly what I thought of her management of the practice. I received an apology and was assured that the emergency doctor service, although paid for by the practice,was forced upon them by the local health authority. I could not write a formal complaint I was told as I was not the next of kin to my father and my Mother should write her own complaint. I told her that I would be writing a formal complaint anyway which I did but have to date never had a reply. She also apologised about my medication and printed me out a repeat prescription from the computer and quickly went in to see the doctor for him to O.K. it. This took two minutes. When I asked why the receptionist had not done this, again I received an apology and was told that sometimes they do get a bit over zealous.

Recently my son who has the same first name as me but his initials are M.A instead of M.P had to go to the surgery for Jabs for his holiday in Gambia. He also needed a prescription for Malaria tablets and the nurse told him to wait and the receptionist would get one for him. This was printed off of the computer and given to him. Lucky enough the chemist was closed for lunch and he came round to me for a cup of tea while he waited. He looked at the prescription and noticed that the name of the tablets were not what he had expected and showed the prescription to me. He had been given my prescription for anti-depressants instead of his for Malaria. Not only could this have
been dangerous but had he not have taken much notice could have gone on holiday totally unprotected against Malaria which is I believe a big problem in the Gambia. We are still awaiting the outcome of this one.

I do not know what the answer to the above problems are but I do know that my surgery is not an isolated case. The G.Ps when you get to see them are very good, very sympathetic and very helpful. They do not have anywhere near the time necessary to spend with each patient. But something should be done about the practice managers and most of all the receptionists.

Doctors receptionists are just that, they are not Doctors and should not be allowed to make decisions on who sees a doctor and who doesn’t, one mistake can prove fatal and most probably has on more than one occasion.

Mick Gray

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