"Intimidating receptionist"

I have recently experienced nothing but a rude, ill-mannered and intimidating approach by some of the receptionists at my GP practice in Aldridge.

For me, this is a recurrent theme and style with some of their front facing staff. Given they are dealing with people coming in with health issues, often very sensitive and people who are perhaps not of sound health or mind, I find their approach should be nothing but sensitive, polite, empathetic and caring.

It seems to me that the prerequisite of gaining a place on the front desk at the practice is to have quite the opposite and I have found the aim is to be as rude, objectionable and obstructive as possible.

Added to that the surgery is open plan and I feel like not once has my privacy and any delicate matter has hardly ever been respected. Often I find some will broadcast personal information across the waiting room where everyone can hear.

Couple with my recent incident, I have now been taken to one side by one of the doctors only to be told by them that we should agree to disagree that the receptionist was rude to me. I feel like as a patient I should be allowed to expect a certain amount of respect and lack of rudeness.

Not only that, but this was all after a minor operative procedure which was mildly traumatic to both myself and my body. I would have thought there would have been a more appropriate time to discuss this matter, but it seemed to that there was no stopping their intimidating behaviour.

I feel like this was an incident which arose from some of the receptionist’s rude approach, lack of manners and bad attitude, but it now seems to me that I have been made to be the bad party. My assertiveness in response to the receptionist's rudeness was seen as abusive, despite the fact that I feel like this particular person was the one who humiliated me in front of a queue and waiting room full of patients. When I asked what the solution was, I believe I was ignored and the receptionist moved seats to speak to the next gentleman.

I feel like I have never been treated with such ill-manners and will be reporting both the practice and members of staff in question.