The secrets for beating the at 8 o’clock in the afternoon for general practitioners appointments by the people who really know – the receptionists! And at least one of them is very surprising …

The secrets for beating the at 8 o’clock in the afternoon for general practitioners appointments by the people who really know – the receptionists! And at least one of them is very surprising …

They are often painted as the grim gatekeepers of the overloaded NHS. GP receptionists staff the telephone lines for operations and have long been the victim of the growing frustration of patients with the primary care system.

The worst practices for ‘Unhellpful’ receptive personnel were mentioned last month and ashamed in a MailOnline study, in which two-thirds of the patients in some practices’ not ‘did not’ find them useful at all.

Official figures suggest that 2.8 million people per month have difficulty contacting their doctor’s practice – often confronted with an unworthy hassle for appointments when telephone lines open.

But receptionists are fighting back now. They say they do everything they can to help patients get the care they need.

Several useful tips have offered patients to maximize their chances of an appointment. By offering their insider secrets, they may be able to help you get your next appointment.

Display the telephone quarrel and appears personally

The 8 o’clock in the morning when the telephone lines open is one of the largest bugbears in patients. Many are in long queues, to finally get through when all the appointments for the day have already disappeared.

Tracey Jetts, 61, a receptionist at a doctor’s operation in Doncaster, recommends dumping the queue if you can – and instead show you personally. “Maybe you will get an appointment that way,” she trusts.

‘We can still send you to the pharmacy or make a non-urgent appointment on another day, because we still have to give a priority to patients according to the need. But you will have been able to talk to someone and have not been on hold. ‘

Another receptionist in North Londs said that if patients are willing to wait personally, appointments can free up. “The other advantage is that we can see how sick you are, what can mean that you will get a lock earlier,” she added. “We are not doctors, but we can see when someone is struggling.”

Ring in the afternoon – and on Tuesday

As soon as the first morning rush has disappeared, it is easier to get through. And sometimes agreements are released later in the day if a doctor has more time, cancellations or patients do not appear.

A general practitioner receptionist in Cardiff said: ‘A patient went with blood tests in the middle of the afternoon last week. If he had called in the morning, he would probably have been rejected, but we had just had a cancellation, so I could get it immediately. “

But avoid Monday and Friday if you can. A receptionist in Gloucestershire said that halfway through the week ‘much quieter was-especially Tuesday’.

They can see who needs help

Although it may be frustrating for a patient who often makes contact with the operation – either by telephone, personally or via an online contact form – it would increase a red flag at receptionists.

“Some patients think that if they push hard enough and raise their voice, they make an appointment that day, but that will not work,” said a receptionist in North Londen. ‘Patients are seen according to the need, but if patients call several times in a few days, there will be a logbook and it will be marked with GPS as a possible care.

“The doctor usually ensures that they are seen quickly.”

Patients who don’t want to make hassle and mention a few minor symptoms will simply not be priority, warning receptionists

How you explain why you should see a doctor

It is routinely one of the biggest complaints of patients about general practitioner receptionists – the requirement to tell them why they want to see a doctor.

But, receptionists say, it can only help you to be seen faster.

“I’m sure they think we’re curious,” said a Cardiff receptionist. “But we have to ask so that we can ensure that the most urgent cases get priority, or maybe you need a double lock.”

Some important sentences can mean that you are treated faster – although receptionists advise to beautify the truth, as will be discovered soon.

Mrs Jetts says: ‘Saying how something influences you, instead of just the problem itself, is often a good way to show us how urgent it is.

‘So if you do not sleep well and if you say that this is your ability to work, or to drive or take care of your children, it must be treated quickly. If you bleed, it is again a red flag, or a problem that has become worse since the doctor saw you last.

“If it is a psychiatric problem and people say they have” bad thoughts “to hurt themselves, that would also cause an urgent agreement.”

One receptionist recommends the expression ‘this is not normal for me’ – what indicates a new problem that a doctor may want to view.

And although children will almost certainly be seen quickly, especially if they have a fever or rash, it is worthwhile to make it clear to parents if they do not eat or drink normally, not sleep well or are more listless than normal.

One receptionist in Northamptonshire said: ‘I only had emergency appointments when a mother came up about the possible whooping cough of her daughter.

“I said:” I can only give you an appointment if it is an emergency. “I just needed the mother to say it was an emergency – she did it and she got the appointment. ‘

… but not distinguish it

Patients who do not want to make hassle and mention a few minor symptoms will not be prioritized, receptionists warn.

If you do not give them the full image, you may miss an appointment or you risk a serious condition that is not diagnosed and get worse.

“People will say things like:” I just have a little indigestion, “but if you ask them, you realize that they also have some arm pain,” says Mrs. Jetts. ‘Yes, it can be indigestion, but they are also classic signs of angina or a heart attack – if you don’t tell us, it can be missed.

“We get a patient like this at least once a week.”

Why very sick patients ‘jump into the queue’

Some patients with chronic or serious disorders can get priority, reveal receptionists.

Those with disorders such as cancer, heart or lung problems or those care at the end of the lifetime generally have a warning to their data, which means that frontline staff will automatically make an urgent appointment or consult doctors to ensure that they are quickly seen better.

Mrs Jetts says: ‘This is not so that they jump into the queue, but to ensure that their condition does not worsens. We can see what conditions they have and, if it is something like asthma and they complain about breathing problems, we can show them quickly.

“We also put an alert on the records of veterans because they can spiral in terms of their mental health.”

Children and babies will usually also be seen quickly, unless it is ‘really small’.

Pharmacy is not a cop-out

Patients often refuse to accept that they sometimes don’t have to see a doctor.

They can be treated by a pharmacist for simple problems such as urinary tract infections, ear and sinus problems, sore throat and infected insect bites.

Some practices have a pharmacy in the clinic, so that patients there can be aimed instead of waiting for an appointment.

Other non-GPs can also be better placed to help, and receptionists can book patients with a practical nurse, physiotherapist or even paramedical practitioners.

Receptionists recommend that patients do not treat this as a downgrade.

“It’s great news for patients because this usually means that they can be seen and treated in hours – much earlier than when they had waited for a doctor’s appointment,” said a receptionist in London.

“Nevertheless, I am shocked about the number of patients who refuses to be seen by these people because they think we are afobbering them – the opposite is true.”

Be friendly – Chocs go a long way

One receptionist says that you will get the help you want earlier if you can be nice. “We are people too,” she said. “We will be much more inclined to help you if you are nice to us.”

As Mrs. Jetts says: “A box of chocolates or cookies let us know that we are being appreciated – and we remember that.”

Be ready to change your doctor

Change your doctor if you are not happy. “Vote with your feet,” says Mrs. Jetts. “It’s definitely your privilege.”

Visit to see which local practices accept new patients nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp.