Our Health Care Support staff at reception organise appointments, take requests for home visits, help you with your repeat prescriptions and a whole load of other things.  Doctors ask that patients give clear triage information to Health Care Support staff.  It is important that patients give as much information as possible as triage information will then be prioritised according to clinical need by a GP.  As part of the employment contract Health Care Support staff are bound by a confidentiality agreement and any patient information given will be held in strict confidence.  You can request to speak privately to the receptionist at reception if you wish to do so.

Here are some important things we feel you should know

Our Health Care Support staff can be particularly busy during the day but in the morning in particular – often juggling between patients on the phone, patients in person, the doctors, the nursing staff, the district nurses and so on.  Try not to call them for things which can wait to later in the day (like blood or test results). 

We hope you can see how our Health Care Support staff have a very difficult job to do because they have to deal with a variety of things, often at the same time without losing focus. So please bear with them during busy times.

Please appreciate that they are trying their best to help you. Please do not be nasty or aggressive to them – it makes the situation worse. They come to work to HELP YOU.  Patient’s who are verbally or physically aggressive towards our staff could be removed from our surgery list and may find themselves under prosecution proceedings.   It’s easier just to be nice.

Diane Lavery

Practice Manager

On behalf of  Dr Gorman, Dr Lavin, Dr O'Connor & Dr Cupples