Interview 1
Research Demographics
Questions
V. Satisfied. Generally very happy and trust her professionalism. And the team that answers the phone, reception team - it’s the same for them too. It’s just that they have a job to do. And the whole business of the GP surgery is being mismanaged.
I’m satisfied with that personal interaction, I am dissatisfied with if I don’t make a phone call at 8.30 - All the appointments are gone. That’s not a good system. But for the people who answer the phone, that’s not their fault, they didn’t design the system. Two weeks ago I went to the surgery and I needed some information. I walked into the reception and there’s the girl in there and I make jokes usually and she laughs and I said what I needed. She started typing on the computer. And I said my name, she says, ‘I know’. So I said to her that the only place I wanted to be known is a local pub rather than a GP surgery. She remembers me and that’s good stuff, that’s a good customer care.
I feel, I have no research in no means people, some people are patient and some people are simply rude. And when people are ill, in pain or distress - they’re more likely to be rude. I think people will look down on the receptionists, blame them but it’s not the receptionists fault.
Recently, I was looking for test result and had a very very slight cancer scare recently. We were in Newtownards and my surgery is in Holywood. I get into the car and rang, i got in the queue I was 37. We stopped along the road because we were worried about losing the signal. Because then happens down here where I live. And in the end we drove to the surgery. That journey plus the waiting in between took us an hour. And my call had been answered then just when I walked into the surgery and say I have been holding for an hour. That’s not a good system. 5. Did they explain why it took so long to speak to you?
I didn’t ask because I was in the surgery and got my test results I was looking for.
Always do.
Recently they’ve up their game, so I have noticed there’s a change so when I phone now they’re highly proactive - ‘we will ring you back; I will do this; I will get this done’ and sure enough they have returned phone calls. I have no complains. Happy with the receptionist as they seem to have raised their game.
We don’t do that anymore. So what we do is, one of us typically Una will go to the surgery at 8.20 am and be present face to face to make appointments. Because we can’t get through the phone. Go up to the surgery to beat the traffic. But if you don’t get in for 8.30 am at the counter, we are lucky, as some people aren’t allowed in to their GP surgery. It is for the same day appointment. You’re not allowed to book appointments in advance, you can only book an appointment for that day. So I can’t go to the go doctor and say that I want to see Dr XYZ next Wednesday. That doesn’t happen anymore. But if the Dr wants to fix a later date appointment, they can do that because the Dr understands and knows that I am needing treatment and a regular in need of regular care.
No.
Before the pandemic, it was much easier, and I don’t remember their being a problem. Problems like phone by 8.30 am or 8.32 am and you already find 30 people already in the queue.
More doctors, Triage system, to get into a call, that they’re trying the triage now, receptionist would say - ‘why are you wanting to see the doctor?’ The receptionist are the frontline and if the doctors don’t have anymore appointment and yet there is still a high demand queuing up, receptionist cannot do over that. More Receptionists. - To wait an hour in a queue and knowing your customer number 37, that’s a long time. And those cases when I do ring, I wonder, how long they allow each call? Sometimes, it just says you’re caller number 7, more music, you’re still caller number 7, more music, you’re still caller number 7, makes me think what’s the person talking to the receptionists for so long.
An experience shared by this participant from a different service provider:
this problem isn’t unique to GP surgeries. Heaven forbid that you want to speak to SSE electricity. They’re atrocious and that’s all written about! The last time I was at the surgery and I was talking to this girl. She had to go and get a sample bottle for me. She was working away and she had to put things into the computer system and I could hear a receptionist on an inbound call. So the receptionist was talking to an older lady with learning and hearing difficulties. And the receptionist was immensely patient and said the same thing maybe 20-25 times before she could end the call. And I then understood, yes, so if I’m holding on, somebody might be in some real trouble because there must be a old person or a person with learning difficulties on the other end talking to the receptionist.