Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – December 2022
Firstly, an update about patients’ access to their GP records via the NHS app. The plan is that entries, including those made by free text, and correspondence sent into general practice, will be visible to all patients in the future, and was to have gone live on the 1st of November. This has now been postponed, with a new launch date to be announced. We shall keep you informed of developments.
Many thanks to everyone for the positive feedback we receive. This makes such a difference to the staff and clinicians at the surgery, who often feel undervalued and sometimes demoralised. It really is appreciated. That is not to say that negative feedback is not useful, particularly when it is constructive, as it can help improve the service we provide. Gratuitous abuse, however, serves no useful purpose.
Have you ever wondered what a receptionist does beyond answering the phone and booking appointments? A receptionist’s job is surprisingly complicated, busy, fast-paced, and stressful, and requires excellent communication and organisational skills. Receptionists work a shift pattern to enable adequate cover for busy times of the day. On any given day, the roles involved include arriving early to open the Surgery for 8 am, answering the phone and getting details from patients wanting an appointment or with other queries, receiving deliveries and passing on samples and letters to the hospital courier, generating repeat prescriptions for signature, scanning documents to patient records, dealing with patient and document tasks, and sending, and receiving emails. Booking an appointment for the nursing team is complicated because there are many different appointment lengths for each different problem, and all the nurses have separate roles. They must have enough training to recognise potentially serious symptoms when speaking to patients, or identify ill patients in the waiting room, and alert clinicians when needed. They need to understand the NHS and available local services. Finally, and at the end of the day, they make a check of the premises, shut down their computers and lock up the surgery at 6 pm (or later, if there are still patients in the building). And all this needs to be done with a smile. Challenging does not come close to describing it! So, if you are bored with your current job and feel you have the necessary skills and aptitude for reception work, please contact the Practice Manager, Louise Smith.
We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay healthy and safe in 2022.
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