MANNER UNFORTUNATE!

If you have had any contact with your Local Government Office, your Local N.H.S. Trust, you G.P.'S Surgery or ,in fact anywhere which performs a public service and has a receptionist,you cannot fail to have noticed that recently there has been a “Gradual increase of upishness” from the person at the other end of the phone.

On enquiring(more politely than the situation warranted) of my G. P’s receptionist why my prescription which should have been ready on Monday was still not ready on Friday I was informed that “Doctor has been fat too busy to deal with prescriptions!”

Now hold on there just a moment,just what has a doctor to do that is more important than ensuring that his/her patients receive their medication, especially when the absence of that medication could proved dangerous.

Having collected the prescriptions,this in spite of the fact that they had been sent with a stamped envelope,I discovered that several items were missing. Again I was obliged to enquire tentatively if there was any possibility of getting the Doctors mistake rectified. Once again I was treated to a sterling display of bumptiousness from the receptionist who informed my in an exasperated fashion that.”Doctor will be busy all afternoon,come back this evening or better still tomorrow.”

I expressed my lack of enthusiasm for her suggestion and explained,,AGAIN, that I was in urgent need of the medication as it was already, (through no fault of my own) days late.

She examined me as if I were a small unpleasant looking bug and replied with a very bad grace that she would see what she could do.

I waited....................................................................finally she returned with the prescriptions,done she told me,not by my own doctor but by the locum, and would that be all! I checked the prescription,one of the items was incorrect. I timidly asked the receptionist if there was any reason for the change in my prescription as the drug she had prescribed was one to which I have a severe allergic reaction.

The receptionist now surveyed my as if I was a nasty little bug that she wanted very much to squash. She snatched the prescription from my trembling hand and marched,stiff backed with pent up rage in to the dark recesses of the surgery, I waited again........................................at last she returned with yet another prescription,this time all was well, except for the fact that my blood pressure,always too high ,was now reacting to the stress of the situation so a Doctor was called.

It was at this point that my own G.P arrived on the scene and concerned by my appearance asked if all was well,before I could speak the receptionist began to complain that I was being difficult, me,difficult,please!

I appraised him of the situation as quickly as I could ,under the circumstances and he shook his head and took the prescriptions from my hands. “It's just as well I took a look at these,”he remarked, “They haven't been signed!!!!!

I know that Doctors receptionists have always been inclined to be more dragon than damsel fly but as I said at the beginning these days every encounter with these “ladies” is a contest designed to sap the strength of those already sick.

I have now subscribed to the on line prescription ordering system recently put in place............I await the result with trepidation.....pass the tranks!