By Nicola Hayward

I have to say the last few weeks have flown by in a blur. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going and there’s so much going on, I’m making notes everywhere!  My monitor is covered in sticky notes, I have a to-do list which is replicated in a notebook; you know, just in case I forget where I put it. I’ve got new staff on board to train, a doctor leaving and another joining, a flood in one of the branch sites to sort, double glazing at another site (pending planning permission because the village is in a conservation area) and that says nothing of the day-to-day accounts, emails and bureaucratic bulletins (because everyone at NHSE is far more important than we are). And oh, just for good measure, I’ve moved house, had to deal with a very difficult landlord in the process and am getting married in less than seven weeks… no stress there then!

It was while I was in the process of dealing with the landlord issues, that I realised signing up with such a person at the start of a tenancy isn’t that different to taking on new staff. You really do think on paper, this person is great; in reality it could be a very different matter.  The recruit on paper has an excellent NHS background, however, can they deal with the pressure of the front desk?  If one more applicant says they’d like “a nice little job in a doctor’s surgery” I’ll hit them with the hole punch!

It isn’t a nice little job; it’s very difficult, you have to multi-task, remembering everything that I told you and then some, and then when you’ve got all that under your belt, I throw you another ball to juggle, just to see how you cope!  I can’t remember the number of times I bleat on about receptionists having a pad strapped to their side, to write everything down, repeat everything back, ensure they have all the relevant information… I know I’m a nag, but it’s honestly not because I like the sound of my own voice – it can be quite broad Mancunian, very flat vowels, flat cap ‘n’ whippets an’ all that!

I received a complaint a few weeks ago from a patient who had been given the wrong appointment – or so she said.  In fact, she was absolutely right and on this occasion, we had dropped one.  The appointment was booked incorrectly. For us, with three sites, it is really important to repeat that info back to the patient to ensure not only have they got the information right, but that we have booked it on the right day, with the right doctor at the right branch – and repeating it can be wearisome, especially when that patient is hard of hearing.

We, of course, must be perfect.   I would like to think I am the Mary Poppins of primary care but obviously I’m not – I drop the odd one from time to time and I’m not afraid to admit it. We’re none of us infallible, but sometimes I feel like my head is exploding. I can only compartmentalise so much information before I need to drain the old brain. This can mostly be done over a bottle of something very nice with a bar of chocolate for good measure.

Things are just getting busier and busier, and not just because we’re heading to end of year – QOF/CQRS, accounts to prepare, payroll stuff to sort BUT demand as we all know is ever-increasing.   I’m not convinced there is an answer out there – we just need the coping mechanisms to ensure we don’t blow a gasket and need a doctor ourselves!

As ever, I will be in a darkened room with a bottle of gin and a bar of milk chocolate if you need me. Do try not to disturb me, it may just tip me over the edge!

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