"Rude & Unempathetic "

Have been a patient for approx 3 years and it has only been in the last few months I've unfortunately needed to use my gp due to a sudden issue which included needing a prescription of medication.

My medication is reviewed and changed by Salford Royal and it's vital I have it whilst investigations to my condition are still being done. Because of this, my prescription can change week to week.

I tried multiple times to speak to the reception about how the process for prescriptions worked as I had never needed to do this before and it was genuinely one of the rudest interactions I've ever had. The receptionist(s) were dismissive, passive aggressive, wouldn't give me a clear answer and when I asked how I would know if my medication had been updated on their system I was told " What do you want me to do, ring you and 1001 patients every day? Do I have the time?" When I replied to say I was just simply asking how it worked she sighed and thought ( 'thought' being the operative word here...) she had put me on mute or covered the speaker but I heard her talk about me to her colleague.

I did manage to speak to an actual gp ( six weeks later after receiving a text from Rock Healthcare to say I'd been seen in 2 weeks) who did in all fairness apologise for how I'd been treated and talked me through setting up the nhs app etc

I did also ask two different receptionists for the Practice Managers contact details but they said the pm didn't want these details being made available and I'd have to send any complaints via them.

For a public service (which the nhs is, despite gp's thinking of themselves as a business) I think that's a really disgusting approach to have. I also work in public service and whether we like it or not we work for the public and the public have the right to contact us when a service they're paying for is not being delivered right.

I appreciate there is a stereotype regarding receptionists and I imagine for those who did chose their profession because the care of patients means something to them this must be disheartening but sadly my experience is that those at Rock Healthcare who I've encountered not only sadly fall into this stereotype but almost seem to take some glee from it.

I've no doubt the response will be to contact the practice... which will be via the receptionist team ( kind of funny when you think about it!)