Reception class

As the first person many patients speak to, GP receptionists are often called upon to answer all manner of queries, with topics ranging from grazes to gastroenteritis. If you seek advice from a GP receptionist in Hull however, you may just find they are better qualified than most to respond. 

Emma Baggaley, Senior Pharmacist for NHS Hull explains: 

“The NHS Hull Medicines Management team visits GP surgeries on a regular basis and we know that reception staff do a great job of handling a really vast range of patient enquiries. These can range from advice regarding minor ailments such as coughs and colds to whether their problem is serious enough to see the doctor. Not every member of staff at every surgery has the same level of knowledge though, so we decided to think about how we could share this kind of information with reception staff across the city, no matter where they worked. 

“This led to the idea of offering structured, consistent training to GP receptionists so that they felt better-equipped to handle an increasingly-varied range of questions from patients. In turn, better-informed, more confident staff leads to reassured patients who are confident they have been given appropriate advice about their health.” 

NHS Hull, the city’s primary care trust, has since developed a training scheme open to all GP reception staff, which also includes Open College Network (OCN) accreditation. 

Emma continues: 

“One area where patients often have queries is where to go for help – a doctor isn’t always the only option. Our Minor Ailments Service offered by community pharmacies across the city, for instance, can be a quick and easy route for many people, and informing staff of all the instances when this could be a better solution for a patient formed a key part of the training. 

“It is also important for staff to feel that the training benefits them too, so we gained accreditation from the Open College Network, meaning that each person who successfully completes the course earns a qualification.” 

Joanne Newell is a receptionist at Kingston Medical Centre. She says: 

“I found the Medicines Management course very useful. I have worked in a GP surgery for well over seven years and learned things I had not known about – simple, everyday things that have made my working life so much easier.” 

Staff at more than half the GP practices in the city have now completed the medicines management training package.