A Day in the Life of a Receptionist

 

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A busy reception

Do you know what the duties of a receptionist are?

This is a flexible guide as we have to react to circumstances as and when they occur, however this may give you an overview on the day to day role of a receptionist.

 

7:50 am

  • Starting opening up procedures
  • Load computers
  • Review urgent tasks from the night before
  • Getting ready to answer the phones at 8am

8:00 am

  • All receptionists are ready at their desks to start receiving telephone calls to book appointments for the day.

9:00 am

Patients start arriving for their appointments. During this time Receptionists are:

  • checking patients in;
  • booking additional appointments;
  • answering the telephone;
  • processing repeat prescriptions;
  • dealing with queries

10:45 am

Reception team is responsible for preparing paperwork for doctors’ home visits.

11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Reception team processes admin tasks 

  • Pathology and Radiology results
  • Digital hospital letters
  • New Patient registration forms
  • Patients’ queries

2:00 pm – 5:45 pm

This is the beginning of afternoon surgery, patients start arriving for appointments.

During this time Receptionists are:

  • checking patients in;
  • booking appointments;
  • answering the telephone;
  • processing repeat prescriptions;
  • dealing with queries.

5:45 pm – 6:00 pm

  • Locking up procedures according to Practice procedures.

When closed

Whilst the reception closes our website and online facilities remain open 24/7.

These facilities are not fully automated, meaning that responses to queries and completed forms etc start mounting up and need the attention of a receptionist.... when they have time.

 

Admin duties

Performed throughout the day, any time between 8am and 6pm:

  • Urgent queries are received from either patients, GPs, consultants or outside agencies that have to be prioritised
  • Answering all the phones
  • Repeat prescriptions which can run into well over 200 per day
  • Attendance at meetings / training sessions is sometimes mandatory
  • Input any relevant information on to patients medical records following recent stays in hospital / outpatients patients/referrals
  • Scanning and attaching of all post into patients records
  • Check registration forms for new patients
  • Review, process and accept subject access requests
  • Logging and organising death certificates
  • Carrying out instructions sent from GPs, nurses and outside agencies
  • Chasing referrals, results, or clinical letters

Published: May 11, 2022