Hospital Secretaries With Attitude!!

quite agree with you ,, receptionists not my favourite people either,, got one at our medical centre whos a right old CRAB,, gets a lot of pleasure from being generally awkward and unfriendly and can never answer a question without a song and dance! but to be fair there is another one who is lovely and helpful so this balances out in the end,, still can't see no need for it though,,  theres always one to be found not enjoying her job at most local hospitals and medical centres,,   linda x

Some of them remind me of that Mrs Raven in the Sitcom My Hero!

I agree some receptionists can be rather uncustomer friendly.

But on the other hand I have to say my oncologists secretary is wonderful. Since i started talking to her about 12 months or more ago she has been friendly, helpful and above all patiebt when I have phoned her to  ask something  especially results of my blood tests. She seems to understand how anxious we are and really is a credit to herself, her onco and the NHS.

Hi there

I am sorry your mum met such awful unhelpful people. I am a cancer patient but I am also a receptionist at a very large hospital so not all of us are that way. Please contact the hospitals PALS team that is what they are there for to listen to your grievience and complaints. They will deal with it in a very professional way and your name doesnt even have to be used when the receptionists are being dealt with. If more people did this then these members of staff wont get away with it and change for the better.

Best Wishes to you and your family

Sue

We must be very lucky in Cheltenham - all our Receptionists are pleasant and helpful. There's always one somewhere though, isn't there, who gives everyone else a bad name. I agree - speak to the PALS team at your hospital. If this person can't do their job properly, there are plenty of others out there who would!.

Here's another bit of a rant. 

My consultant and his secretary are a bit the same. They both don't seem to be able to explain things properly and get a bit shirty when you misunderstand things. Like you say, "LOSE THE ATTITUDE!"

I saw an oncologist who was a little more understanding!!!! 

Hi Sarah02

I am going to be crual in what I would say - I would just lean across the counter and quitely say - sadly, if it wasn't for my loved one being diagnosed with this dreadful disease then you would be out of a job!

Sadly, I lost my husband a year ago to an aggresive brain tumour and on the whole, we had lovely people caring for him.

However, in the last two hours of his life when he didn't regain consciouness (not that I was fully aware that the time had come) a nurse who had attended to him the previous day when he was conscious and aware of his surroundings had to help clean him.

The day prior she had to help clean him about 4-5 times before she went off duty because sadly, this is what can happen towards the end - its called loosing ones dignity.

At this time I would not leave the room because I didn't totally trust what they would do to my husband and this particular nurse turned round to me and said that she put a pound on the lottery because we cleaned so much from him yesterday that where theres muck theres money!

I will not write what I wanted to do but just kept my hands to myself and my focus on my husband well being.

Sadly, I then realised that it was the end and the senior staff nusre just pinched my husband's ear and said theres no response and just walked out of the room!

I never sent a letter of complaint but to this day it still horrifies me.

Having said this, not all medical staff are like this.

I just needed to rant about this - hope people do not mind

Take care

Ann

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Hello Ann... what a horrible nurse.. no wonder you felt like having a rant , don't blame you at all,, think i would have been tempted to give her a thick ear,, hope if she finds herself in the same position that someone pinches her earoles good and hard!!! makes you wonder why some nurses actually become nurses,, but the majority are very nice... but theres no need for them to be so insensative towards people when they are at their most vunerable,, death can be a messy business at the end and should be dealt with quietly and compassionately with the minimum of fuss to make that person comfortable, not have to endure crass remarks which they may think are funny but are actually very unkind,,  you take care  luv linda x

Hi Ann,

I am so sorry that you had this experience at such a vulnerable time. This is another case to be referred to the hospital PALS team. Nurses - or any member of staff - should not be permitted to get away with sort of treatment. They would, I suspect, be very quick to complain themselves, it it was them on the receiving end of such treatment.

Sending you hugs.

Flo

I used to be a GP receptionist and when I was admitted to hospital one of the GPs and some of my colleagues came to see me. After they left some of the other women on the ward asked what my job was, and they all were amazed and asked if they could register at that surgery, as they had acknowledged everyone when they came and went.

The hospital where I had my treatment have also got excellent staff, who gave a hug if i was low, always ask how the family are.

However, in another hospital where I am having treatment as a result of complications I met with rudeness from receptionists and doctor. I went onto NHS Choices and wrote a review which prospective patients can view. After a couple of months I was contacted by the director of Nursing saying that she would like to discuss this further. We have exchanged several emails and my last visit was much better...and I'd got a lovely doctor who listened to me and acted accordingly.

Even if some time has passed you will feel better if you take some action. My husband has recently made a complaint against his mother's GP. Her neighbours have also had problems with him, but won't complain, so he is getting away with being unprofessional.

Take care x