Risk reduction in general practice and the role of the receptionist

Abstract

Medical receptionists play a crucial and pivotal role in any practice, as they are usually the first points of contact for patients and the intermediaries through whom contacts with the medical practitioners are made. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study of medical receptionists undertaken to explore their role in general practice, particularly in relation to activities involving direct patient assessment, monitoring, counselling and therapy. The findings highlight a number of significant issues in relation to the potential liability of the receptionists, the medical practitioners, the medical centre owners and their insurers.