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Practice receptionists: poorly trained and taken for granted?
The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
|January 1, 1988
Summary
General practice receptionists are vital to primary healthcare teams but often lack formal training and feel unappreciated. Enhancing their roles through better training and support is crucial for developing primary care services.
Area of Science:
- Primary Health Care
- General Practice Management
- Healthcare Workforce Studies
Background:
- General practice receptionists play a key role in primary healthcare delivery.
- Limited formal training and career structures are common among receptionists.
- Receptionists often report feeling unappreciated by both general practitioners and the public.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the demographic and social characteristics of general practice receptionists.
- To determine the tasks performed and training experiences of these receptionists.
- To assess the perceived appreciation and role of receptionists within primary care.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based interview study was conducted.
- Seventy receptionists from 20 general practices in Newcastle upon Tyne participated.
- Data collected included demographics, tasks, training, career structure, and job satisfaction.
Main Results:
- The majority of receptionists were mature, married women working part-time.
- Only 13% received formal training, and 9% had written job descriptions.
- 31% felt unappreciated by general practitioners, and 49% by the public, yet they valued helping patients.
Conclusions:
- Receptionists are integral members of the primary health care team.
- There is a need for increased pre-service and in-service training for ancillary staff.
- Developing primary care services requires investment in training and support for receptionists.