The gauntlet of the doctor's receptionist
I try very hard not to moan about the NHS as it is generally full of hard working people trying to do their best, but after a string of fairly average experiences I'm struggling!
We went in to the doctor's surgery after school yesterday to get T his 3 year and 4 month jabs. We get to the front desk and the exchange with the receptionist goes something like this:
Me: 'I'm here for my son's jabs'
Receptionist: 'It's not on today'
Me: 'Are you serious?' (probably a little more abrupt than I meant to be but going to the doctor is not my favourite occupation and I had been building myself up to it all day) 'I came in and checked the other day and was told the jabs clinic runs between 2 and 3.30pm every Tuesday'
Receptionist: (looks at clock, which says 3.17pm) 'The clinic only runs until 3.20pm (pretty sure she's making that up) and anyway it's not on today'
Me: 'Is there any other time I can come?'
Receptionist: 'Yes, Thursdays at our other surgery'
Me: 'Tuesdays and Thursdays are T's nursery days, can I come at a different time or do I need to take him out of nursery?'
Receptionist: (looks at me) 'Most parents take their children out of nursery to get their injections'
Me: 'Right'
Receptionist': 'Is that everything? Thanks very much' and moves on to the next person waiting
I realise that for someone like me without gainful employment a couple of trips to the doctor's surgery are not the end of the world. If I had left work early and, as suggested, taken T out of nursery to discover it wasn't on, it would have been quite annoying. The most irritating thing is that I had managed to find the last two bags of sweets in the cupboard for bribery and wasn't going to get away with not handing them over even if the nurse wasn't there. I will have to buy some more for when the jabs finally happen!
We went in to the doctor's surgery after school yesterday to get T his 3 year and 4 month jabs. We get to the front desk and the exchange with the receptionist goes something like this:
Me: 'I'm here for my son's jabs'
Receptionist: 'It's not on today'
Me: 'Are you serious?' (probably a little more abrupt than I meant to be but going to the doctor is not my favourite occupation and I had been building myself up to it all day) 'I came in and checked the other day and was told the jabs clinic runs between 2 and 3.30pm every Tuesday'
Receptionist: (looks at clock, which says 3.17pm) 'The clinic only runs until 3.20pm (pretty sure she's making that up) and anyway it's not on today'
Me: 'Is there any other time I can come?'
Receptionist: 'Yes, Thursdays at our other surgery'
Me: 'Tuesdays and Thursdays are T's nursery days, can I come at a different time or do I need to take him out of nursery?'
Receptionist: (looks at me) 'Most parents take their children out of nursery to get their injections'
Me: 'Right'
Receptionist': 'Is that everything? Thanks very much' and moves on to the next person waiting
I realise that for someone like me without gainful employment a couple of trips to the doctor's surgery are not the end of the world. If I had left work early and, as suggested, taken T out of nursery to discover it wasn't on, it would have been quite annoying. The most irritating thing is that I had managed to find the last two bags of sweets in the cupboard for bribery and wasn't going to get away with not handing them over even if the nurse wasn't there. I will have to buy some more for when the jabs finally happen!
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