Patience please!

Going back to work is not as easy as Jeannie had hoped

The phones hadn’t stopped ringing. Jeannie had been told if she had a call from one of the doctors she must answer immediately

Abemused Jeannie sat behind the reception desk at All Hallows medical centre. This was her third week in the job and the first day entirely on her own. She wondered for the 20th time what had possessed her to take it on. After a long time as a full-time housewife, she’d felt the need to reboot her brain, but was this really the best way to do it? Mrs Fox stood in front of the desk rummaging through her bag for her repeat prescription. “I’m sure I put it in here somewhere,” she said, taking out a library book, two pairs of glasses, various shopping lists and a packet of biscuits. A disgruntled queue formed behind her. The phones hadn’t stopped ringing. Jeannie had been told that she must answer them and put the caller on hold while she dealt with other patients. If one of the doctors rang (a different ringtone) she should always pick that up immediately. She said: “Mrs Fox, please excuse me while I answer the phones. If you move a little to one side while you look for your prescription, I can see the other patients.” “Well, dear, maybe I don’t need to find it at all – it should be there on your computer system. I have moxidoxicillin. Well, I think that’s what it’s called anyway.” A woman with a foreign accent hurried to the front of the queue and said: “Excuse me, I need to leave my urine here.” Then she was gone, leaving a brimming jam jar on the counter beside Mrs Fox’s biscuits. Jeannie’s heart sank, then beat faster again as she recognised the doctor’s ringtone. She picked the phone up quickly and heard Dr Mason demand brusquely: “Can you get me the on-call registrar at the hospital NOW, please.” He never wasted words and always took it for granted that he was talking to the receptionist. He’d been known to ask Mollie the cleaning lady to call the path lab for results. Then the other doctor’s phone rang. Jeannie answered it while trying to look up the number of the local hospital for Dr Mason at the same time. “It’s Dr Shaw here, please could you bring me in a cup of tea?” The day seemed to go from bad to worse. It had been so much easier when Jeannie had had someone with her, showing her the ropes. Her predecessor, Betty, had done the job for 30 years and knew it all backwards. Betty had coped with calm efficiency even when the surgery was at its busiest – although she had occasionally let off steam by stomping around in the back office calling the doctors every name under the sun! “Excuse me, miss.” Jeannie looked up to see a sweet-faced old man who said: “Mr Philpot. I have an appointment to see Dr Mason at four.” She searched her computer screen but couldn’t find the appointment. She began to feel panicky again. The phone went and before she could put it on hold, the caller said: “My

little girl has got spots behind her ears. What do you think it is? Should I give her Calpol?” “I’m sorry, I’m only the receptionist. I’m not allowed to give medical advice. If you leave your number, I’ll get the doctor to give you a call when he has finished surgery.” Meanwhile, she had located Mr Philpot’s appointment. It had been for the previous week and of course he had missed it. She asked him to take a seat while she tried to see if one of the doctors would be able to fit him in if there was a cancellation. The door opened and a harassed woman walked in with three children in tow. She was late for her appointment. The baby in her arms was screaming. The other two stopped fighting long enough to make a dive for the toys in the corner of the room. There were mutterings from other patients about the noise. Mrs Evelyn, who was a regular visitor to the surgery – Jeannie guessed it was because she was lonely at home – asked: “Could I have a drink of water? I’ve been waiting over half an hour.” Another patient appeared at reception. “Could you call me a taxi?” Yet another voice said: “I need my prescription today. I know you normally need 24 hours’ notice, but this is urgent. Can I just wait here while you ask the doctor to sign it now?” Jeannie left the surgery that evening with a headache. She had managed, in the end, to fit Mr Philpot in and she had sorted out the urgently needed prescription. She had washed the doctors’ mugs and tidied up the office. As she walked wearily along the road, she wondered if she should give in her notice. She felt she wasn’t up to the job. She stopped off at the supermarket to pick up some milk and while she was waiting at the checkout a young woman said to her: “Oh, it’s you!” “Me?” “Yes. You gave me an urgent appointment for my baby today. I was so relieved. I’ve only recently moved to this area and haven’t been with your surgery long. I got some antibiotics and he’s improving already. Thank you for being so helpful.” Jeannie didn’t remember the young woman, but her kind words gave her spirits a lift. As she reached the bus stop, a car drew up. It was Dr Mason. “Hello, Jeannie. I believe I am going your way. Would you like a lift?” Jeannie was surprised. Dr Mason had hardly spoken a word to her since she started – only to ask her for forms that she had difficulty in finding or complaining if the patients weren’t sent in quickly enough. “Thank you very much, doctor. I have to admit I’m feeling a little tired. It’s been a long day.” As they drove through the suburbs, he said: “I want you to know how well you are doing, Jeannie. There isn’t time for us to show our appreciation when we are all so busy, but you are a real asset.” Jeannie felt herself blush at this unexpected praise. He went on: “The practice is growing fast and we’re going to take on another receptionist so you won’t be on your own for much longer.” Dr Mason dropped her off and as Jeannie walked up the front path, there was a definite spring in her step. Later that night, after a supper cooked by her husband Ian, he asked: “You haven’t told me how your first day of running reception on your own went. Are you liking it any better now?” Jeannie thought about the demanding ups and downs of her new job and smiled. “Well, it was pretty challenging, but at the end of the day I felt everything I did was appreciated. And one thing is for sure, there will never be a dull moment!”

‘You gave me an urgent appointment for my baby today… thank you for being so helpful’