Sorry, I didnt mean to go on, but it is very hard to please EVERYONE and thats exactly what people expect. We open our surgery doors at 08.00 and start to book appointments at 08.30, when I come into work there is about 20 - 30 people already waiting to book appointments and thats before we start to take appt calls, so it is no wonder when people ring through at 8.40 they are on 11.00 appt times. We offer pre-bookable appts and over 100 appointments 'on the day' and it still isnt enough, we also offer chronic disease management clinics, t elephone consultations, family planning and womens health clinics, treatment room services and the list goes on, but there will always be someone not happy, we wont be offering what THEY want, How on earth can we do EVERYTHING. I do understand how fustrating it can be for patients when they dont feel well and they have to wait for an appointment, but my reception staff are (usually) always nice to patients and try to offer an alternative only to be faced on a daily basis with abuse and swearing, its not what they come to work for and its not fair. All I am trying to say is that there are always two sides to the coin and as much as patients think reception staff are there to guard appts, it is the last thing they want to do, their job is to offer appts, but as I said when they have gone they have gone, thats when the fun begins, but we are one of a few surgeries who dont acually turn patients away, we pass on patients concerns or wants of an appt to our Emergency doctor who will decide if they can wait or need to be seen the same day, all based on a CLINICAL need.

Speaking as a practice manager in support of her staff and doctors, we endeavour to offer the best possible service we can on a daily basis with the resourses we have and taking into account 'we are not a bottomless pit' Is it any wonder patients cant get appointment, who books them all? will I can tell you who, its other patients of course - those who wake up with a cold (and expect a miracle cure from their GP) and those who wake up with a sort throat (and expext a miracle cure from their GP) and those who are 'just passing' and want to just get their BP checked, no reason but the shops arent open yet, and the story could go on and on and on. Is it any wonder we have no appointments left for those poor patients who are really suffering, (do they need admitting to hospital - could it be a cancer diagnosis - do we need to get the mental health team involved - can we fit you all in - NO. Unfortunately these horrible receptionists that you mention can only do their job (which is very hard) and give each patient that asks an appointment, if they dared mention going to the pharmacy for something we would be seen as 'fobbing' you off, but when all appointments have gone then they have gone, how long do you want the doctor to go on for, we could conitnually book appointments all day long and still never have enough. I may sound like I am getting on my soap box but I DO care about the service we provide, and I DO care if patients are inconvenienced and I DO care if someone doesnt feel well and cant get an appointment but who is to blame, its not the receptionists or the docs its patients who dont understand that by abusing the service we offer then other patients are being penalised.