"Back Office Staff"

I had arranged a telephone call back from a doctor at a specific time. After waiting 15 minutes in my car to have a private conversation with the doctor, I decided to call the surgery. Only then I came to learn that the doctor was running rather late and had several other patients to call back prior to me.

In the whole process the 'back office administrator' was rather rude in that they would not listen to a word I had to say and kept talking over me. When I asked if they had finished and that I would like them to listen to what I have to say, I managed to get my point across. I could not sit and wait in my car indefinitely for the doctor to call me. It would only make sense if the back office administrator/s had called me back and explained the situation, then I could have returned back to work.

A patient only calls the doctors surgery in times of need and when the back office administrators are regularly rude it doesn't help. I have found them regularly so abrupt and not compassionate in any way shape or form towards the patient. Wouldn't it be nice it they learnt to listen to the patients need and offer alternatives rather then try your luck again tomorrow, or totally disregarding what the patient has said - like I experienced.

Remember the 'back office administrators' and front desk are 'customer facing' roles, IF they can not handle the pressure and can not be compassionate to the patients requirements and are unable to offer an alternative solution - i feel perhaps they are in the wrong job.

I understand that this is probably the best service any patient in the whole of the UK will ever receive under the NHS but that is no excuse for us patients to be treated as second class citizens.