My husband's GP receptionists were RUDE!

I've been in the UK for a little over a week, and one of the things on my checklist of things to get done is naturally registering with a GP. I've had a heck of a time!

I went to my husband's GP to sign up on the patient list...there are two receptionists there for two different sets of doctors...and both were *extremely* rude to me! The first receptionist, which is for my husband's doctor, gave me a very snippy reply when I asked if they were accepting new patients...I got a flat out RUDE no and was told to come back in the new year to try again. I must've given her a shocked look, because she then reluctantly told me to try the next receptionist over and see if her doctor was accepting new patients (a simple "sorry, not at the moment, but you can try the next desk" would've sufficed, rather than a "NO, try again in the New Year *eye roll then gab with a co-worker*").

Okay, fine, they weren't accepting new patients. I try the next desk, where I get a no as well, and was told to ring after the new year and then *maybe* they would be. This lady kept looking at me like I was from another planet and kept asking where I lived and if I had any family registered there and was very hesitant to help me. She eventually gave me some forms and told me to turn them in in January. So I went back to the other receptionist to see if she had anything similar to fill out so I'd at least be on a waiting list or something, and I got "Oh, I guess I could give you some of those."

I can understand having a full patient list, but you could at least be more helpful and at least *nice* about trying to help me out. I checked the NHS website, which says that both doctors are accepting new patients, so I don't know if they were pulling my leg, or if the NHS site just needs updated to that affect. Either way, I rang up my husband's old GP, which is 3 times closer anyway, to see if they were accepting new patients...and they were, so I went down there and it took less than 5 minutes for me to fill out the forms and get an appointment for tomorrow for my new patient check-up, after which I will be fully registered. They were very nice and helpful about it.

So if you're finding it hard to get registered one place, ring up a few others near-by and see if the service is any different. I also have a feeling that the first receptionists weren't familiar with the situation (it's a new GP, opened in the last year) and didn't seem to understand if I could actually register or not. 

You do come across people like that sometimes and my strategy is to kill 'em with kindness...

Also, try to register with an NHS dentist as soon as possible.. because depending on the area you live, you may be on a waiting list (which I have been on for 3 months with no end in sight.. as one of my work collegues has been on the waiting list for a year and still has not been assigned a dentist).

Glad you found a good doctor in the end.  Thats very important. 

You do come across people like that sometimes and my strategy is to kill 'em with kindness...

Also, try to register with an NHS dentist as soon as possible.. because depending on the area you live, you may be on a waiting list (which I have been on for 3 months with no end in sight.. as one of my work collegues has been on the waiting list for a year and still has not been assigned a dentist).

Glad you found a good doctor in the end.  Thats very important. 

Yes, I've heard that finding an NHS dentist is very difficult and getting to be moreso. One medical practitioner at a time--now I'm off to research local dentists!

Also, try to register with an NHS dentist as soon as possible.. because depending on the area you live, you may be on a waiting list (which I have been on for 3 months with no end in sight.. as one of my work collegues has been on the waiting list for a year and still has not been assigned a dentist).

Keep in mind that you don't have to see a dentist specific to your area - it's not like a GP and you can see one in any area. Also, you can't register with a dentist per se - you have to go in and be seen for an assessment and pay the NHS rate for that (£15.90) and after that you'll be on their books as an NHS patient. Be careful - some unscrupulous dentists will charge £16.10 or something and then when you go in for a root canal or something they'll try to charge you a private rate because that's what you paid in the past. I'm not saying it happens often - but it has been known to happen. Forewarned is forearmed as they say....

Yes, I've heard that finding an NHS dentist is very difficult and getting to be moreso. One medical practitioner at a time--now I'm off to research local dentists!

Yeh, i know its all a bit overwhelming to do all this stuff... i only fore-warned you because I didnt register when i came over because i didnt know about the waiting list, I just thought i could get a appointment when i needed one.. and i waited til I had a problem, and then I had to go private because i couldn't get into a NHS dentist...

Oh, you've never had to deal with midwives in Western Scotland!

The words 'bolshy' and 'cow' spring to mind.

I've found you have to be rather, erm, insistent when it comes to health matters here.

the infamous doctors receptionist lo, they can be very rude, depending on your surgery, I have lucked out and after 30 years , being born and raised in this country have found a great doctors surgery with lovely receptionists.

Dont take it personally hun, i swear i have only ever dealt with receptionist who have been damn right rude up until this year, sometimes getting an appointment has been like a quest out of an Indiana Jones movie.

I sort of assumed the GP would take you as a patient if your husband was already registered at that surgery.
I had no problems at all registering at my husbands surgery which by the way wasn't any where near where we lived but he's been using that surgery since birth so we decided to stay there.

You do come across people like that sometimes and my strategy is to kill 'em with kindness...

Also, try to register with an NHS dentist as soon as possible.. because depending on the area you live, you may be on a waiting list (which I have been on for 3 months with no end in sight.. as one of my work collegues has been on the waiting list for a year and still has not been assigned a dentist).

Glad you found a good doctor in the end.  Thats very important. 

ahh! I didn't pick up on this. Daniel and I haven't registered and we wanted to go early in the year. Though I thought for adults you didn't really get much from the NHS in the way of dental care? We do have private dental insurance through work so I guess I can go private if that's a better option.

ahh! I didn't pick up on this. Daniel and I haven't registered and we wanted to go early in the year. Though I thought for adults you didn't really get much from the NHS in the way of dental care? We do have private dental insurance through work so I guess I can go private if that's a better option.

Yeh, well it really does just depend on where you live.  You could get into an NHS dentist no problem or you could be on a waiting list forever like me.  I went private and had no private dental coverage through my job so all in all i ended up spending a bit more--about £105 for 3 xrays, check up and cleaning--which isn't THAT bad i suppose but luckily i didnt need any work done. 

I think being rude and snippy is a job requirement for being a GP surgery receptionist.

OMG! I went to my GP this morning and the receptionists YELLED at me to go outside when my mobile rang. How hysterical. I just acted like I was soooooooo sorry and laughed.

There was a whole series in the letters page of the Edinburgh Metro about this...someone accused them of being rude and there were a number of replies from receptionists defending themselves saying that the doctors put too much pressure on them, even asking them to diagnose minor ailments to stop people taking up appointment times...who knows?

I have never had a rude receptionist but I have felt intimidated more than once...it's a scary environment.

As a receptionist I can say that if i were rude to people, I would probably be out of a job.   But, who knows because I dont work for a doctors office.

ahh! I didn't pick up on this. Daniel and I haven't registered and we wanted to go early in the year. Though I thought for adults you didn't really get much from the NHS in the way of dental care? We do have private dental insurance through work so I guess I can go private if that's a better option.

You can't register with a dentist. You sign up to be on their list. The difference is that if you don't use them within 8 months they can either drop you or ask that you pay private rates which can suck if you have something that needs attention urgently. Your best bet is to get on someone's list and then make an appointment for a checkup within 6 months. That way you are established as their client and as an NHS patient.

Adults can get just about everything on the NHS. There are three bands - the first (cheapest) covers a checkup, descaling, x-rays; second band covers the first band plus a bit more like fillings and the third band will cover anything - crowns, root canals, etc. The difference will be that the service is more basic on the NHS - so for instance if you are getting a bridge the colour choices are more limited and may not match your other teeth as precisely or if you're having a mould taken it will go to a different lab and may not come back as quickly. Some less reputable dentists will try to use such differences to convince you to go private. If you've already said you want to be NHS this is in breech of their contract with the Primary Care Trust and really should be reported!! It's also in breech of their contract if they say that something isn't available on the NHS but is available privately (unless it's a specialist treatment that requires equipment that they don't have available)....