Chest Infection .. Receptionists

[alavahalf]

After a 5 week wait for appointment .. my wife got to see her GP yesterday. She was told to go for an xray, as he felt .. she had a chest infection. This is the fourth time in 8 months this has happened.
Having gone for an xray this morning, we were told that the results will be with our GP in 5-10 days. We then returned to our GP's surgery within the hour to ask if she could make an appoinment for 2 weeks time to see the GP and ask him what the next step may be. The Receptionist said the next appointment was 8 in weeks time and that she could give the results of the xray over the phone when they arrived.
Am I being unresonable in hoping my wife see's a Doctor for the results.
If there is an issue, I am sure he will call her in. But if she has a question that can only be answered by a GP about alternative treatment (anti biotics every 2 months doesn't seem to be the answer) then the receptionist will be baffled and say " You will need to talk to a Doctor about that " .. " and you will need to phone at 8.00 am the next morning and state that it is an emergency !
My wife wont allow me anywhere near the surgery when she goes there, because the last time this happened. I went in and told them "if it was a *****n emergency the last place I would come is here".


It seems that the 'Receptionist' is now the First Line Of Defence in obstructing you from seeing your Doctor... am I being cynical ?

Why do the chest infection keep re-occuring ?

[jennyjoan]

I have great sympathy for you Alava - my surgery is unbelievable in that when I call in for a repeat prescription there are NO patients (the doctor is there ok) maybe one - I called in about 2 weeks ago as I had forgotten the date of my appointment which I had to wait for 6 weeks (I thought it was 7 September but it is 1 September) - the sheer look of terror on the receptionist's face was unbelievable - errrrr are you sure it is Dr X , yes it is Dr X I have been waiting for 6 weeks. nervously she scrambled with her keyboard and heaved a sigh of relief when really I had an ACTUAL appointment. I know where you are coming from big time. I too am thinking of leaving but then my friend has a terrible surgery too so am thinking are all the surgeries just the same.

[boxtops]

Conne, no they're not. They're not all perfect but some seem to be better than others.

All surgeries should be doing a patient satisfaction survey - we should ask for the form when we have these sorts of experiences....

[woofgang]

no they are not the same. My GP surgery is staffed by lovely helpful people.

[alavahalf]

Sorry to drag this one out again but there have been developments ..

Further to the infection ... after attending the "Emergency Appointment" the GP issued Doxycycline. With almost immediate effect a vast improvement was shown. The 5 day course is complete and only a slight persistant cough is now present. The xrays show no further changes.
The xrays were done in record time .. we parked the car at the hospital, checked in and had the xray done before returning to the car, all in 15 mins.
Didn't even have to pay in the carpark.
The results are now back at the surgery.. who have written and asked my wife to phone and make an appointment to see a GP.

An hour ago I phoned on her behalf to arrange an appointment.


... wait for it ...


... 9 weeks until the next appointment ... or if she is willing to travel to another surgery, she can have one in 4 weeks ... the appointment was made and I am now just about deflated.


There's a sign on the surgery noticeboard saying..
"New Patient's Welcome".. in every language under the sun !

... What about the "Old Patients" ?

[boxtops]

That's appalling. One can only hope that the x-ray revealed nothing urgent. I'd start using that complaints procedure, if I were you.....

[Mamyalynne]

Disgraceful treatment in my view.