GP receptionists play a key role in determining the level of patient satisfaction with a practice, according to a new survey. Researchers analysed phone calls involving receptionists, identifying those that were helpful to patients and those that were not. The researchers found that “unhelpful” receptionists were in practices with relatively low patient satisfaction levels. Researchers…

On the Practice Index Forum a Practice Manager recently asked how many secretarial hours practices set aside per 1,000 patients. Unlike similar requests that we’ve previously discussed on this blog – such as staff to patient ratio or numbers of nurses per 1,000 patients – where there was some element of consistency amongst practices and…

There’s a lot of discussion lately about streaming services and becoming more modern.  Most practices have taken on the ability to text patients and have a snazzy website, many offer online appointments and some also orgnaise virtual patient participant groups. There is also now software around that almost removes the receptionist altogether when it comes…

Your reception staff play an imperative role in the success of your practice, in their pressurised roles at the practice front-of-house, making potentially life-or-death judgement calls based on what they are told by patients over the phone. Advice-giving aside, much of the battle the receptionist faces can be won with a good telephone manner and…

Coming up with interview questions that will really tell you something about your candidates can be more difficult than it seems. Save precious time by avoiding going over all the standard data and information most receptionist CVs will include, and make sure these prompts are on your list: they all invite your candidates to give…

Guest blog post by Sheila Wells from Beyond The Reception Desk Being a doctors receptionist is no easy task, and certainly not the job some people seem to think it is, some think it’s sitting at the desk booking patients in to see the doctor and handing out prescriptions, oh no it’s so much more…