Garston Medical Centre 2020-11-14 Person 2 5 0

My daughter, age 7 and who has ADHD pressed the doorbell a few times as I was phoning the number on the door to gain entry. The receptionist aggressively pulled open the door and went into a tirade, shouting at me that I should stop my daughter from pressing the doorbell as she was on a call and couldn’t hear the person on the other end. She then refused to take my details (despite me saying we were there for my daughter to have an appointment), said I needed to call the number on the door and pointed to the sign displaying the mobile number. She then sighed very loudly as in exasperation and closed and locked the door, returning to the reception desk. I tried to call the mobile number another two times but it was not answered and went to voicemail – she deliberately ignored my call as she could see me ringing through the door. She then overrode our appointment so that the next patient was called and ours was effectively cancelled. When we did gain entry to the surgery, only because a doctor came for the next patient, she refused to give me contact details to make a complaint and raised her hand to my face and said I’m not going to argue about it. She then turned her back and walked away. My daughter was extremely upset by her behaviour.

Receptionists need to be trained in equality and diversity issues, not subject patients to discrimination / harassment on the grounds of protected characteristics in accordance with Single Equality Act (2010) and behave within the law.