As a busy practice manager, how many times a day do members of the admin team ask you questions that start with: ‘Have you got a minute to…’, or ‘Can you just…’, or ‘How do we do…’? If this sounds all too familiar, then the Practice Index policy team may just be able to reduce…

Continuing our series of must-have guides for primary care, the Reception Manager’s Handbook is now available. Packed with 265-pages covering everything that Reception Managers, or Care Navigators, and their teams need to know to carry out their roles successfully. Topics include: Clinical and non-clinical contractual requirements Reception processes Financial matters including banking and petty cash reporting…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have had to adjust the way they work and have faced many challenges along the way. “These are unprecedented times” is a phrase we’ve become all too familiar with. It goes without saying that our NHS and front-line workers have been pivotal in keeping us, the public, safe. So how…

Practices are failing to involve receptionists in decisions about new approaches to consultation, researchers have warned. This might contribute to poor uptake among patients to new approaches to consultations, such as by telephone, email, e-consultation, or internet video (Skype or FaceTime), according to the study in the British Journal of General Practice. “A shared understanding…

It is well documented that GP receptionists are your front line. He or she is the first person your patients are met with, they have to deal with 101 questions and keep smiling with the most testing of patients. They are also play a vital role in determining the level of patient satisfaction with a practice…

My office is situated quite close to our main reception area, and if internal doors are left open (much to my annoyance) I can hear pretty much everything that goes on.  Sometimes this can be a good thing – because I’ll hear that receptionist who is always pleasant, doesn’t breach anything in reception and regardless…

GP practices were once again making headlines this week, this time because receptionists could be putting off patients from seeing their GP. Rather than regurgitating the news – you can read more here – we thought we would take a look at the issue in more detail. First of all, it’s worth pointing out that…