The secrets to beating the 8am scramble for GP appointments by the people who really know - the receptionists! And at least one of them is VERY surprising... 

They’re often painted as the grim-faced gatekeepers of the overstretched NHS. Manning the phone lines to surgeries, GP receptionists have long borne the brunt of patients’ growing frustration with the primary care system.

The worst practices for ‘unhelpful’ front desk staff were named and shamed last month in an investigation for MailOnline, which found two-thirds of patients in some practices found them ‘not at all’ helpful.

Official figures suggest 2.8 million people a month struggle to contact their GP practice – often facing an undignified scramble for appointments when phone lines open.

But receptionists are now fighting back. They say they are doing everything they can to help patients get the care they need.

Several have offered helpful tips that patients can employ to maximise their chances of getting an appointment. By offering up their insider secrets, they just might help you get your next appointment.

DITCH THE PHONE QUEUE AND TURN UP IN PERSON

The 8am scramble when the phone lines open is one of patients’ biggest bugbears. Many find themselves in long queues, only to finally get through when all appointments for the day have already gone.

Tracey Jetts, 61, a receptionist at a GP surgery in Doncaster, recommends ditching the queue if you can – and turn up in person instead. ‘You may be more likely to get an appointment that way,’ she confides.

GP receptionist Tracey Jetts recommends ditching the phone queue if you can – and turn up in person instead. ‘You may be more likely to get an appointment that way,’ she confides

‘We may still send you to the pharmacy, or make a non-urgent appointment on another day, as we still have to prioritise patients according to need. But you’ll have been able to speak to someone and won’t have been hanging around on hold.’

Another receptionist in north London said if patients are prepared to wait in person, appointments can free up. ‘The other benefit is that we can see how ill you are, which may mean you’ll be more likely to get a slot,’ they added. ‘We’re not doctors, but we can tell when someone is struggling.’

RING IN THE AFTERNOON – AND ON TUESDAYS

Once the initial morning rush has died down, it is easier to get through. And sometimes appointments are released later in the day if a doctor has more time, there are cancellations or patients fail to show up.

One GP receptionist in Cardiff said: ‘A patient last week rang in the middle of the afternoon needing blood tests. If he’d rung in the morning he’d likely have been turned away, but we’d just had a cancellation so I was able to get him in straight away.’

But avoid Mondays and Fridays if you can. One receptionist in Gloucestershire said mid-week was ‘much quieter – especially Tuesdays’.

THEY CAN SPOT WHO NEEDS HELP 

While it might feel frustrating to a patient who frequently contacts the surgery – whether by phone, in person or via an online contact form – it would raise a red flag among receptionists.

‘Some patients think if they push hard enough and raise their voice, they’ll get an appointment that day, but that won’t work,’ a receptionist in north London said. ‘Patients are seen according to need, but if patients call several times in a few days there will be a log and it will be flagged with GPs as a potential worry.

‘The doctor will usually make sure they’re seen promptly.’

Patients who don’t want to make a fuss and list a few small symptoms simply won’t be prioritised, receptionists warn

HOW TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR 

It is routinely one of patients’ biggest complaints about GP receptionists – the requirement to tell them why they want to see a doctor.

But, receptionists say, it can only help you to get seen more quickly.

‘I’m sure they think we’re being nosy,’ said one Cardiff receptionist. ‘But we have to ask so we can make sure the most urgent cases are prioritised, or you might need a double slot.’

Some key phrases may mean you get treated quicker – although receptionists advise against embellishing the truth as this will soon be found out.

Mrs Jetts says: ‘Saying how something is affecting you, rather than just the problem itself, is often a good way of showing us how urgent it is.

‘So if you’re not sleeping well and if you say it’s affecting your ability to work, or drive, or look after your children, then that needs to be dealt with quickly. If you’re bleeding, that’s another red flag, or any problem that has got worse since the doctor last saw you.

‘If it’s a mental health problem and people say they’re having “bad thoughts” to want to hurt themselves, that would also trigger an urgent appointment.’

One receptionist recommends the phrase ‘this is not normal for me’ – which indicates a new problem a GP may want to check out.

And while children will almost certainly be seen quickly, particularly if they have a fever or rash, it’s worth parents making it clear if they’re not eating or drinking normally, not sleeping properly or being more listless than usual.

One receptionist in Northamptonshire said: ‘I only had emergency appointments left when a mother rang up about her daughter’s possible whooping cough.

‘I said, “I can only give you an appointment if it’s an emergency.” I just needed the mother to say it was an emergency – she did and she got the appointment.’

…BUT DON’T UNDERPLAY IT

Patients who don’t want to make a fuss and list a few small symptoms simply won’t be prioritised, receptionists warn.

If you don’t give them the full picture, you might miss out on an appointment or risk a serious condition going undiagnosed and getting worse.

‘People will say things like, “I’ve just got a bit of indigestion” but when you question them you realise they also have some arm pain,’ says Mrs Jetts. ‘Yes, it could be indigestion, but they’re also classic signs of angina or a heart attack – if you don’t tell us that, it could be missed.

‘We get a patient like this at least once a week.’

WHY VERY SICK PATIENTS WILL ‘JUMP THE QUEUE’

Some   patients with chronic or serious conditions may be prioritised, receptionists reveal.

Those with conditions such as cancer, heart or lung problems or who are receiving end-of-life care will generally have an alert attached to their records which means frontline staff will either automatically make an urgent appointment or consult with doctors to ensure they are seen more promptly.

Mrs Jetts says: ‘This isn’t so they jump the queue, but to make sure their condition doesn’t worsen. We can see what conditions they have and, if it’s something like asthma and they’re complaining about breathing issues, we can get them seen quickly.

‘We also put an alert on veterans’ records, as they can spiral in terms of their mental health.’

Children and babies will usually also be seen promptly unless it’s ‘really minor’.

PHARMACY IS NOT A COP-OUT

Patients often refuse to accept that sometimes they don’t need to see a GP.

They can be treated by a pharmacist for simple problems such as urinary tract infections, ear and sinus problems, sore throats and infected insect bites.

Some practices have a pharmacy within the clinic, so patients can be directed there rather than waiting for an appointment.

Other non-GPs may also be better placed to help, and receptionists may book patients in with a practice nurse, physiotherapist or even paramedic practitioners.

Receptionists recommend patients don’t treat this as a downgrade.

‘It’s great news for patients because it usually means they can be seen and treated in hours – far sooner than if they’d waited for a GP appointment,’ a receptionist in London said.

‘Despite this, I’m shocked at the number of patients who refuse to be seen by these people because they think we’re fobbing them off – the opposite is true.’

BE KIND – CHOCS GO A LONG WAY

One receptionist says you may be more likely to get the help you want if you can be kind. ‘We’re human too,’ she said. ‘We’ll be far more inclined to help you, if you’re nice to us.’

As Mrs Jetts puts it: ‘A box of chocolates or biscuits lets us know we’re appreciated – and we remember that.’

BE READY TO CHANGE YOUR GP

Change your GP if you aren’t happy. ‘Vote with your feet,’ says Mrs Jetts. ‘It’s absolutely your prerogative.’

To see which local practices are accepting new patients, visit nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp.