Reply from 28 Beaumont Street
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 11:46:18 Z

At the end of a busy year it is very hard to see something like this and not be moved. Clearly this was a very deeply unhappy person who has chosen to make their feelings known publicly rather than specifically. I know each and every member of our team, and know the reception staff well enough to understand they must have been in a very difficult place to have triggered what is written above. Aggressive and unpleasantness are not characteristics we look for in receptionists and the role of the go between is a very difficult one. The demand on the NHS is such that we, like our other primary care colleagues, are now faced with trying to manage an increase in demand with fewer and fewer people and resources to meet that demand. We offer appointments with the nurses where we think this may be appropriate and affords the chance to be seen sooner. This is especially the case with our advanced nurse practitioner. “Nurses” are one of the health services most valuable assets, be they as paramedics in ambulances, or experienced district nurses, triage nurses in A&E or nurse practitioners in GP surgeries. They play a most valuable part in today’s health service. Gone are the days when the doctor was the gatekeeper to all services and was the first person to meet and would then draft in other members of the primary health care team. That model into which I started in the 1980’s was done away with in the 90’s. It is not unusual for reception staff to ask if there is someone else who might have the right skill set to manage the presenting complaint, rather than always defaulting to the GP. There are now a wide number of conditions and issues which nursing staff and HCA’s are trained to respond to. Training is something we always look at and receptionists are no exception. These comments have been seen by the whole surgery and we will use them as a learning opportunity. Dr Robin Carr