"Reception staff are rude and unhelpful"

As a patient who has been at this gp for over 20 years, I have always had high quality of care and been treated with respect and dignity. This review rating is based on the reception staff. Firstly, it is difficult to get through when trying to contact the surgery. The reception staff are rude, unhelpful and work out of their scope of practice. They are individuals with no training in healthcare and no degree to give them the knowledge and responsibility involved in triaging patients Over the phone. If they do not think you warrant an appointment they will suggest you go elsewhere for treatment. This is unacceptable and unprofessional. This system needs to change to be safer for patients as patients could be turned away who have a serious underlying illness. This has nothing to do with the doctors and nurses that work in this practice who do an excellent job and always put the patients needs first.