"Receptionist Conflicting Advice "

Recovering from Covid longer than the 10 days expected with the illness. Spoke to a lovely sympathetic Dr who felt she also needed longer than 10 days to recover when has the virus herself. Upon checking my symptoms px inhaher and abx for productive cough that has all helped. Wrote a sick note at my request for a week that I asked and then to re evaluate. After a week off I remain breathless upon movement up the stairs and if doing light house work with tight chest and fatigue, however improving. Contacted the surgery today (at the Drs request a week ago if I felt I needed more time to recover), was told by receptionist that no ‘fit notes’ are given by Dr’s for Covid? She told me that she had to call a telephone number when she has it and it was expected you return to work after 10 days. I explained the Dr a week ago had no hesitation in writing me a fit note sent promptly to my phone within minutes of speaking to me. She explained it was most likely because I was ‘medical’ that she had done this as this doesn’t happen but she would ask the Dr for a further 1 week off work for myself.

I know my husband is also struggling with tightness of chest, breathlessness and fatigue 2 weeks after the illness and a different Dr last week didn’t hesitate to recommend a 2 week period of rest with a fit note and he is not medical.

The virus is absolutely awful. We’ve been so poorly and terrified looking after a small family at the same time. The thought patients call the surgery to ask for recovery time if needed only to be told the service we have received, which is straight forward and sympathetic, isn’t available is not helpful at all. We know we have been given this service and advice from our GP and the GP to write us a ‘fit note’ enabling us to update our employers quickly and concentrate on recovery as quickly as possible. I hope the receptionists are updated with what correct advice they should give to their patients struggling to shake this virus after the 10 days initial isolation period. The thought of being on hold feeling like this only to be told we need to call another number and we should really be better now by a receptionist is upsetting and not helpful or sympathetic at all.