Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Explaining Reception Questions for GP Receptionists and Care Navigators.

These sources address GP access, care navigation, receptionist explanations, confidentiality, accessible communication and differences across the four UK nations. Use your local practice scripts and policies for routine wording.

1. GP Access and Patient-Facing Expectations

• NHS England - You and your general practice
  Patient guidance on what happens when someone contacts a practice, including why staff may ask for information, what next steps look like, and where to get extra help or interpretation.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/you-and-your-general-practice-english/

• NHS England - Practice guidelines: you and your general practice
  Guidance for practices on implementing the You and Your General Practice material. Useful for consistent public explanations about expectations, support and feedback.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/practice-guidelines-you-and-your-general-practice/

• NHS - Appointments and bookings at your GP surgery
  Information for patients on contacting a GP surgery, why staff may ask what help is needed, and that appointments can be with different health professionals.
  https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/gp-appointments-and-bookings/

• NHS England - How to improve care navigation in general practice
  Core guidance on care navigation, including how to explain why information is requested and how to build trust in the wider practice team.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/how-to-improve-care-navigation-in-general-practice-2/

2. Confidentiality and Privacy

• NHS Inform Scotland - General practice services
  Explains that reception staff gather general information, do not make clinical decisions, and must keep health information confidential.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/doctors/general-practice-services/

• NHS Inform Scotland - Privacy and confidentiality when using the NHS
  Patient-facing explanation of privacy and confidentiality rights in Scotland. Helpful for reassurance and wording about data protection.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/confidentiality-and-data-protection/privacy-and-confidentiality-when-using-the-nhs/

• National Data Guardian - The Caldicott Principles
  Sets out principles for using confidential patient information, including only using the minimum necessary information and sharing appropriately for individual care.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-caldicott-principles

3. Accessible and Inclusive Communication

• NHS England - Accessible Information Standard
  Describes the standard to ensure people with disabilities or sensory loss can access and understand NHS information and receive communication support.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/accessible-information-standard/

• NHS England - Accessible Information Standard implementation guidance
  Practical guidance on identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting communication needs. Relevant when explaining questions to people who need adjusted communication.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/accessible-information-standard-implementation-guidance/

• NHS England - Interpreting and translation in primary care
  Guidance and resources on interpreting and translation services in primary care. Use these when patients need language support to understand why questions are being asked.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/interpreting/

4. Four-Nations Access Context

• Scottish Government - General Practice Access Short Life Working Group: access principles
  Sets out Scottish access principles including right care, right place, right time, trained administrative staff, trust in the wider team and digital inclusion.
  https://www.gov.scot/publications/general-practice-access-short-life-working-group/pages/2/

• Welsh Government - GMS contract access commitment 2024 to 2025
  Welsh Government guidance on GP access commitments. Relevant to transparent access systems and local practice arrangements in Wales.
  https://www.gov.wales/gms-contract-access-commitment-2024-2025

• Department of Health Northern Ireland - Primary Care Multi-disciplinary Teams
  Describes the MDT model in Northern Ireland primary care. Useful context for explaining that general practice includes a wider team, not only GP appointments.
  https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/primary-care-multi-disciplinary-teams-mdts