I AM writing in response to the person who wrote regarding “patient confidentiality” in The Bolton News on September 16, and have to totally disagree with their comments.

I work for a GP surgery and the receptionist is essential in helping the patients and doctors get the right information. Where I work, letters that come in to the GP have to be opened so they can be date stamped and passed to the right doctor — the doctors don’t actually open their own mail unless it is marked “private and confidential” and the patient has expressed they do not want us to see it.

Receptionists see pretty much every letter that comes in and out of the surgery — we type letters for patients, we order the repeat medication, we deal with queries from patients that we can help with . . . the list is endless.

Once the doctor has seen the mail, it has to be scanned into each patient’s file, so we have to see it — we can’t do it blindfolded!

We do deal with sensitive information, but usually it is part of the working contract that matters relating to patients are not discussed with anyone outside of work. If that person has access to information on children, how does anyone know that those details are not being passed on?

As for discussing your personal details at the front desk, I’m sure that most GPs have a room available where you can discuss matters in private away from other patients, so I’m sure, if you had asked, it wouldn’t have been a problem.

However, it is usually other patients just coming barging up to the desk when other people are being dealt with that is the problem.

Despite asking people to wait, some just don’t care. I think that medical receptionists get such a bad name, and deal with so much unnecessary abuse from patients, when we are only doing our jobs.

We’re the ones who get shouted at when the doctor is running late, but no one will speak in the same manner to the doctor they are waiting to see.

It’s not reception that keeps you waiting!

Fortunately, where I work, we don’t have many problems, and I can’t say that every GP surgery in Bolton operates the same way as we do, but I’m sure, if you did our jobs for a day and realised how stressful it can be, how much work is involved and what the processes and procedures there are put in place by the NHS, you might take a slightly different view.

Mrs Lloyd Tonge Moor