Dr Receptionist's face axe to be replaced by call centre

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It won't work Donald. Much as I have had the odd negative word to say about some receptionists, the idea that you could set up some sort of National system for this is nonsense. I have decades of experience of computer systems and know that a good, efficient system on this scale is a pipe-dream. There is no existing government-implemented system that works properly and this is a very important issue here - people's health!

I do wish that the people who think up these things would get real and understand that economies of scale sometimes have a limit and for some tasks human beings with specific, local knowledge are truly necessary - it can't all be scripted!

When I make an appointment to see a doctor, I make it to see a specific doctor, who I trust and feel comfortable with, not someone who happens to come top of the list on a computer screen - there are at least two doctors at my local surgery that I would NOT want to see.
 
We get more help and information from our receptionists than we do from the doctors. Our doctors all seem to be overbooked, so the receptionists are able to offer alternatives (the nurse or NHS Direct) if it's urgent. You don't get that from a computer.
 
Northerner said:
It won't work Donald. Much as I have had the odd negative word to say about some receptionists, the idea that you could set up some sort of National system for this is nonsense. I have decades of experience of computer systems and know that a good, efficient system on this scale is a pipe-dream. There is no existing government-implemented system that works properly and this is a very important issue here - people's health!

I do wish that the people who think up these things would get real and understand that economies of scale sometimes have a limit and for some tasks human beings with specific, local knowledge are truly necessary - it can't all be scripted!

When I make an appointment to see a doctor, I make it to see a specific doctor, who I trust and feel comfortable with, not someone who happens to come top of the list on a computer screen - there are at least two doctors at my local surgery that I would NOT want to see.
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I agree We all have met the ones you mean but we still need them. It is not workable. that why i said i did not think it would work just too many variables . there would be a uproar if they tried to implement it.
 
Andy HB said:
A half-baked idea if I've ever seen one!

It would be a false 'economy' even if it did save money (which I strongly doubt).
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Absolutely someone must have been bored and thought of this on the back of a fag packet

Caroline said:
We get more help and information from our receptionists than we do from the doctors. Our doctors all seem to be overbooked, so the receptionists are able to offer alternatives (the nurse or NHS Direct) if it's urgent. You don't get that from a computer.
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I agree it should be done locally for there is no system on earth that could work this kind of scheme centrally. Also who would you call for results of tests etc etc.
 
When you see these types of idea's being banded around, it does make the conspircy thoery that the goverment has long term plans to privatise and disband our NHS more believable indeed...

It's a no brainer that mistakes will be made somewhere along the line, and who is exactly going to be accountable for the mistake they've made???

Look what they've done with the out of our service for GP's?

In our town the different GP's surgies used work with each other, They took inturns to cover the town, first it was informal arrangement between a couple surgeries, then they improved it to group all surgeries together, got our cottage hospital to give them space for an out of hours surgery you could attend, and one of the GP's designed a very brillient system/program linked to all surgeries to enable them to pull up our medical records..

It all changed several years ago, and the PCT step in to create a trust out of hours service which is beyond belief, the doctors are frustrated by the computer system, pretty naff and too slow to get information...

Oh if you want an emergency doctor, call 999 it's quicker last time I used it the out of hours service, I waited for over 3 hours for a return call from a doctor and it transpired he was over the other side of the county 45 minutes away😱 (blue lighting it)

All I can say, Private medical health providers and insurers must be rubbing there hands with glee seeing these daft ideas.. As well anybody with the money will go private to get proper service..
 
Just read in Pulse that the plans are being dropped rather rapidly!

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.a...91110&sp_rid=NTE2NjQ4OTExMAS2&sp_mid=36006455

The Government has been forced into a humiliating climbdown over plans backed by the Department of Health for all GP patient appointments to be handled by national or regional call centres.

Pulse broke the news yesterday that under radical proposals to slash ?600m off NHS spending, NHS managers had urged GPs to axe their entire back-office teams, with potentially tens of thousands of staff being made redundant.

However, today the Department of Health, which had originally applauded the report, went into rapid reverse gear, saying it had ?no plans to pursue the idea?.

Pulse readers had reacted with outrage to the proposals, which were hailed yesterday by the DH?s national director for improvement and efficiency, Jim Easton, as ?just one example of how the service is taking the lead in identifying where they can make best use of resources for the benefit of patients, as well as the taxpayer.'

Pulse received a record level of feedback on the story, with more than 130 commenters almost unanimously opposed to the plans. The story also attracted widespread national coverage, with Tony Spotswood, chief executive of Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and chair of the review group which wrote the report, appearing on Radio 4's Today programme this morning to explain the proposals.
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There were so many reasons that it would be unworkable - not least the fact that there is not one integrated computer system in the country. They have several incompatible systems in operation which means that when patients move Dr it can mean that the whole patient record needs printing off then reentering at the new GPs.

Anyone would think the only thing the receptionists did was answer the phone - they have to greet people, hand out prescriptions and do various other admin duties. In some surgeries the call the patient and direct them to the Dr.
 
Agreed margie - there are, I think, 4 receptionists at my surgery and they are always busy either at the desk, on the phone or in the back office. Governments and bog-wigs always expect far too much from computer systems, in my opinion - probably been watching too much CSI Miami!
 
I'm delighted they have been dropped I wander what type of brainstorming that idea came from There are about 4 / 5 working at the surgery here at any one time one on the desk others in back.
 
This was 1 paragraph in a 74 page report, it's just the press playing silly b....rs again.
 
Thank goodness the idea has been dropped. the receptionists are a very important part of the team and the ones at my practice are very good. They know their patients and who genuinely needs to be seen and who is a regular timewaster. Anyway, as it's been dropped I will end my rant there!!
 
Flutterby said:
Thank goodness the idea has been dropped. the receptionists are a very important part of the team and the ones at my practice are very good. They know their patients and who genuinely needs to be seen and who is a regular timewaster. Anyway, as it's been dropped I will end my rant there!!
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Oh come on, there's still huge unempolyment in India / South Africa and the goverment love having statistics to play with. 🙄
 
It would never have worked and good to see the stupid idea has been shelved.
 
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