85 per cent of GP receptionists in Darlington say they have faced verbal abuse during the pandemic, with some reporting physical attacks. PETER BARRON tells one receptionist’s story…

LUANNE Bussey loves her job. She’s carried it out with passion and dedication for the past 17 years. And yet, as she reflects on the increased challenges of the past two years, she can’t help breaking down in tears.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to get upset,” she says, “but there are times when you can’t help taking it to heart.”

Luanne is a receptionist supervisor at Orchard Court Surgery, close to Darlington Memorial Hospital, and she’s talking about the increased levels of abuse she and her colleagues have had to face on the frontline of primary care during the pandemic.

There are around 80 receptionists manning the front counters at 11 GP surgeries in Darlington, and they have all taken the unusual step of signing an open in today’s edition of The Northern Echo. It calls for an end to the abuse that has risen significantly since Covid-19 first took hold in March 2020, leading to enforced changes in the way general practices are run.

“It’s so sad that it’s come to this, but something has to be done to try to get the message out that the abuse of receptionists can’t go on,” says mum-of-two Luanne, who has agreed to speak out on behalf of her colleagues.

“We have good days, but there are also times when it all just builds up. I go home, get into the shower, and cry my eyes out.”

Luanne’s previous job was in a customer service role with EE, but she was looking for a new challenge and jumped at the opportunity when she saw the position at Orchard Court advertised.

“I’ve absolutely loved it because it’s a really varied role that gives you the opportunity to make a real difference and help people,” she says.

“But there’s a misconception that we’re just sat behind a counter, answering phones and making appointments. There’s so much going on in the background that people don’t see – dealing with medication, sorting prescriptions, arranging letters for patients, reporting deaths and lots more.

“When the pandemic began, we had to quickly change the way we work, but it’s not just about a flick of a switch or a tap of the keyboard. It was horrible to hear people saying ‘You must be twiddling your thumbs’, but the reality is that we’ve been busier than ever.”

A disturbing consequence of those changes that were made to cope with the surge in demand has been a “significant” increase in abuse.

In addition to face-to-face appointments, there are now telephone and online consultations to help manage the workload and reduce the risk of spreading infection. Some telephone appointments are changed to telephone calls – often at patients’ request – but, overall, the number of appointments has increased.

A recorded message system – signposting patients to appropriate services – was also set up at Luanne’s surgery in response to a “huge” increase in the number of calls.

“A lot’s changed, and we’re lucky that most of our patients are lovely and understanding. But there’s a minority who can’t see the big picture and don’t like change,” she says.

Orchard Court is a relatively small practice, with fewer patients than many others, and Luanne is well aware that the abuse is worse elsewhere. Nevertheless, there have been times when she’s seen enough in her own workplace to make her question whether she wants to continue in her role.

“Years ago, we never encountered what we face now. People have less tolerance, and they take it out on receptionists because we’re an easy target,” she says.

“The whole of the NHS has had to change, and don’t forget it was all new to us too. We had to take it stage by stage, but we’ve worked right through the lockdowns, and carried on doing our best to help our patients.”

On top of working from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, receptionists have often had to take their laptops home at weekends to help cover for staff absences resulting from Covid. They’ve also played their part in supporting the vaccination programme and delivered prescriptions to the homes of isolating patients.

Luanne, herself, was ill with Covid at the start of the pandemic and, as an asthmatic, she admits to being scared. However, she was determined to get back to work as quickly as possible because she knew people were dying.

Despite that devotion to duty, Luanne and her colleagues have had patients swearing at them, banging on desks, and using other kinds of threatening behaviour.

“There was one man who threatened to come down when we were closing because he was demanding a prescription there and then and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He did end up coming down, refused to listen to reason, and it was all very intimidating.

“It’s not uncommon for people to say ,‘If I die, it’s your fault’. Imagine how that makes us feel. I just think we’re all in this together and patients sometimes have to take more responsibility for themselves.”

Signs are prominently displayed in the Orchard Court waiting area, asking patients to continue to wear facemasks, but polite requests to follow the instruction can also lead to abuse.

“When you come into the surgery, you might be sitting next to a vulnerable person, so it’s important to wear a mask,” explains Luanne. “It’s also to protect the staff, but some people react badly when they’re told.”

So, Luanne’s plea, on behalf of all the receptionists across Darlington, is simply for greater tolerance and understanding – a call no doubt that’s echoed in GP surgeries nationwide.

“We wouldn’t be doing the job we do if we weren’t caring people, and we’re here to help, not hinder,” she says. “We’re not ogres, we’re just people doing our best in difficult circumstances, so please be kind…be patient.”