Please treat our team with respect

The role of a GP receptionist is not just answering the phone and finding the right appointment, they also need to process registrations, ensure clinical letters get allocated to the correct clinician, summarise new records coming into the practice, send letters and texts to patients and cover a lot of general admin that supports the doctors and keeps the practice running day to day. 

Our receptionists realise that patients may be phoning because they are unwell and worried, they may need help for themselves or a loved one. Some phone calls take longer than others and some can be upsetting both for the person calling and the receptionist. This very short video clip illustrates why we can take a little longer to answer the telephone during busier times The Call I Just Took

It is not a case of employing more staff, we are limited in how many staff, including receptionists, we can employ because our NHS contract funding is finite. Thank you for your patience when waiting on the telephone to speak to a receptionist and, when you get through treating them with respect.