You’re the receptionist. What would you have done?

It's probably not the receptionist making that decision. They may have certain policies and procedures but the entire office follows.

The consultant wouldn’t know anything about taxis etc. they would simply look at their appointment schedule and see patients in that order.
It is always wise to allow plenty of time at any medical appointment because some patients might very run, the doctor might have to attend to an emergency or a patient might collapse in the surgery at which point they become an emergency.

I’d let the receptionist and doctor make that decision, who knows what the doctor was prepping to see?

The receptionist should have replied something else but "the patient was running late"

It is the doctor's who prioritize who is seen, not tbe receptionist.
Maybe it was an emergency? Last minute appointment?

Doctors are also known to run behind their schedule.

Plevey08

MT63... That or a wee dram 🤣

Ha yes 😂

Maybe the Consultant took the time to have a coffee break?

The lady could have had trouble parking, which can be a nightmare for some people. The doctor was probably grateful to catch up on some of his cases. I don't think that waiting 15mins or even 30mins is at all long, many of us have to wait much longer.

watermeadow

You still have receptionists? How quaint! Ours have become Patient Navigators so we can feel really advanced and woke. Or so we can laugh at this term.

We have now have three lovely receptionists after having two battle axes for receptionists for years- glad when they retired.

Having been a consultants secretary I have been in this position. I would have let the consultant know that you had arrived and that the earlier patient had not yet booked in. Then it is for the consultant, not the secretary or receptionist, to decide when he/she takes the patient in. Perhaps the earlier patient had already informed the clinic of their delay. In any case, the consultant makes the decision.

jude2006

The lady could have had trouble parking, which can be a nightmare for some people. The doctor was probably grateful to catch up on some of his cases. I don't think that waiting 15mins or even 30mins is at all long, many of us have to wait much longer.

Ours is always late so I land a couple of minutes before an appointment. Take my phone & catch up with emails, gransnet or whatever 😊 The nurse is always Bob on with his appointments times I am happy to add.

At our local hospital you are given an appt time but are seen in order of arrival. A cunning plan.

Would the Dr not have buzzed for next patient or listed a patient on a screen in waiting room. If person didn't go through to Dr then the Dr could have moved to next patient. Difficult to judge receptionists actions.

I would have let the punctual patient/s go in first, and make the late one wait. I rely on a bus to get to my local hospital, and once the bus broke down and I was lquite late. The made me wait until everyone else that morning had been seen, and I went in last. I think that was to stop other people who were on time, getting annoyed. It felt a bit like a punishment for something that wasn't my fault - but I begrudgingly accepted it.

You weren't ushered in at your appointment time five minutes after your arrival so I presume the tardy patient had telephoned ahead to explain why she was late. There are lots of variables here. No offence but was she more seriously ill than you , so needed the appointment more ? Did the Consultant influence the management of these two appointments for medical reasons?
I'd expect a protocol for managing this sort of situation to be defined in the practice.
If it was left entirely to my discretion I'd have sent you in on time and let her wait.

Depends - perhaps the consultant had a patient with him and that person left after the 'late' patient arrived in which case I would have let the late patient in first. I would not automatically have let you go just because you arrived first. Obviously if the late patient hadn't come by the time the docs previous patient left then I would have asked you to go in.
frustrating for you when you had a taxi waiting but so might the other person.

Fuss over nothing.
If this is the NHS always expect to wait. Your error was in keeping a taxi running.

welbeck

Fuss over nothing.
If this is the NHS always expect to wait. Your error was in keeping a taxi running.

Absolutely this, I can't believe anyone would do this. I usually wait for ages both at the hospital and at the doctors, you expect that, but I am very glad to be given the time I need myself, so why should others not have that too. I think you are being unreasonable. You have no idea of the circumstances the late patient experienced. She could be a carers with huge responsibilities desperately trying to get to a much needed appointment. Don't judge when you do not know anything about the situation. Be grateful you were seen and hopefully got the time you deserved. Book a taxi when you finish in future.

When you book in with the receptionist (or machine on the wall) the consultant will automatically have been made aware that you are in the waiting room. They will have a list of the patients they are seeing that day. So I’ve always thought it is the consultant not the receptionist who decide which patient they are seeing first. Same applies at the local GPs.

I know that when DH was in practice he would not have liked his receptionist telling him who he was going to see next.

Presumably OP is looking for support and agreement with her interpretation of events.
We cannot possibly know the details of the situation and let’s face it, it’s over so why dwell on it?
But to “leave a taxi running” ??? Presumably waiting by arrangement but not with the meter running - but whatever, hopelessly optimistic even delusional to expect to be in and out.
That said, when at my last 2 hospital appointments for a procedure and a check up , I had arrived early, was seen early and in one case was back at my car in the multi storey at the time I was due to be seen.
But it’s the luck of the draw.

No, I would defintely not have waited.