Clinics set to face increase in call volume as winter cold and flu germs spread

It’s been an extraordinarily warm autumn but the weather now appears to be on the turn across the United Kingdom. With Carol Kirkward voted off Strictly Come Dancing, at least the weather forecasts will have a friendly face as the predictions become steadily more depressing.

For Doctors surgeries, plummeting temperatures, damp weather and cold commutes means that germs will spread through offices and schools. Many people will be calling surgeries to book in for flu jabs but the majority of extra calls will come from people that are already struck down with winter illnesses.

Many doctors’ surgeries already struggle with the volume of inbound calls first thing in the morning with patients requesting emergency appointments or triage calls. An increasing number of surgeries are turning to off-site overflow receptionists to help handle the high telephone call volume they have to deal with.

Increasingly, we find medical practices and doctors’ surgeries are coming to rely on our Clinic Management Service. We are able provides dedicated, friendly, named PAs to:

• Answer your calls in your surgery name.
• Manage your diary and arrange patient appointments in real time.
• Familiarise themselves with your clients and their needs.
• Book new patient and follow up appointments
• Book in procedures
• Handle insurance referrals for private practices.
• Liaise with other healthcare personnel to assist with procedures etc.

We can call or send SMS messages to patients for you too, letting them know if appointments are running behind schedule or reminding them to bring samples or paperwork with them if necessary.

What’s more, if it’s your own doctors that fall ill, we’re able to send SMS messages to their patients to let them know that their appointments have been cancelled or changed, helping you to cope with appointment changes.

If you’re worried that your surgery is going to be inundated this winter, let us know now.