"I was extremely upset by their response"

I contacted my general practice recently after finding a lump on my breast. The member of staff on reception offered a telephone appointment and when I requested a face to face appointment I was advised that I would need to phone at opening time the following Friday for appointments the following week. At no point had I been asked the reason for my request.

I advised that I’d like to see a GP sooner as I’d found a lump on my breast. The member of staff on reception then really snapped at me - well, you never explained that to me. Their tone was angry and defensive.

This was the first person I’d told about this and I was extremely upset by their response. While I do not expect kindness, I do expect a professional response. While I understand the reasons for reception staff asking questions (although this one didn’t), I feel there must be training in place to ensure responses are appropriate.

Regardless of the outcome of my mammogram, I will never ever forget the angry response and words, of the first person I’d shared this information with.