The doctor’s receptionist has long been a position of often unfair ridicule, stereotyping and criticism. Regarded as the real frontline of the NHS, the receptionist plays an increasingly vital part at general practices, hospital clinics and in A+E teams.

An experienced, knowledgeable and helpful receptionist is worth their weight in gold – signposting, supporting and coordinating the care for many people every day. They also need to be thick-skinned, as frustrated, worried and unwell patients’ emotions can spill over and hit the receptionist first.

As need and demand for primary care increases, it is the receptionist who must manage patients’ expectations.

More and more surgeries are adopting a conversation first approach to booking GP appointments. Demand for appointments far outstrips capacity, and without some form of filtering process most surgeries would run out of appointments by 9am. It’s also recognised that only around 40 per cent of calls to a surgery actually require a face-to-face consultation. In an age when patients are in more control of their health, GPs and nurses are able to support people on the phone, and increasingly by text message, email and other means.

Despite this, many surgeries, my own included, continue to receive comments that people do not want to discuss their problem on the phone first. This is often because people are concerned that they do not want to divulge personal information to a receptionist.

However, the role of the receptionist is changing.

Firstly, they work side by side with doctors and nurses, not separately. When you are speaking to a receptionist you are talking to a trained call handler supported by clinicians, subject to exactly the same standards of confidentiality as the rest of the practice team.

Secondly, while not expecting a full history, a small description of the problem can really help receptionists hand over to nurses and doctors to prioritise your call.

Withholding this information is unhelpful and potentially unsafe. The more information you can provide them, the more we can help you.