Kirklees GP Reception Staff Will Now Ask For Your Health Issue

By Greg Dawson
Staff who answer GP calls now ask what your health issue is long before you get to the surgery.
Health bosses have now advised all surgeries’ and health centre’s receptionists to direct a daily influx of patients and reserve appointments for more complex cases.
In 2016 a £45m training course for reception workers to learn how to distribute patients was launched, which helped reception workers know which service is appropriate for the patient based on their symptoms.
Recently hospital bosses are urging ministers to spend another £8bn a year on top of the £20.5bn budget boost to the NHS as they believe without it the service’s long term plan will fail. This could lead to waiting times getting worse and hospitals remaining overstretched without more cash and as well as other plans put in place.
Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, Niall Dickson, said: “They face crippling staff vacancies, rising demand for care, lack of investment in buildings and equipment, and the drastic cuts to social care and public health that are fuelling extra demand on A&E and other frontline services.”
As demand increases, all GPs across the county are further utilising the wider NHS workforce to free up GP time and reduce waiting times for patients.
Albion Mount medical Practise in Dewsbury is one GP that has been introduced to the system.
Karen Goodfellow, Practice Manager, said: “This new system helps the reception staff to signpost patients to the most appropriate service for their needs and, in a number of cases patients may not need a GP appointment – freeing up an appointment for someone who really does need to see a GP.”