In most practices, reception is the first point of contact your patients will have with you. And while much has been said about the role of reception staff in welcoming people, what about the design, layout, colour and condition of your reception area and desk? Does it matter? Do patients welcome an attractive, inviting entrance?…

Your admin team is the beating heart of your practice. From receptionists on the front line who are your communication hub and first point of contact with patients, through to medical secretaries who work hard behind the scenes to ensure practice admin is accurate and complete. It’s therefore imperative that they have all the skills…

By Robert Campbell Have you ever attended an NHS out-patient department and wondered why there are so many people waiting? Have you ever been seen on time? Well, to be fair, sometimes I have. As you know, it’s all very well telling GPs to keep to ten-minute appointments but no one plays by such ‘rules’,…

Earlier this month the Scottish government announced £2.5m worth of funding for the training of GP staff. The big news here is that, rather than focusing on GPs, decision makers at Holyrood are recognising the role clerical staff play in delivering effective primary care – and how integral they are to the practice team. The…

For years, nurses have been an important part of delivering care in general practice. And with current policy increasing the shift of care from hospital to general practice, nursing provision will only become more important. However, at the same time, the skill mix within practices now often includes Health Care Assistants (level 2 – 4),…

It’s a new phrase in the practice management lexicon but love it or hate it, ‘patient signposting’ is here to stay. First surfacing in the NHS GP Forward View published in April 2016, the phrase is all about taking pressure off GPs so that patients don’t use them as the first port of call for…

The subjects of triage and signposting within general practice are never far from the headlines and this week a practice made the news for right reasons – after being given an outstanding rating by the CQC for its innovative, patient-centred appointment system. The Care Quality Commission rated Conisbrough Group Practice in Doncaster to be outstanding…