Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

• Describe scripts as a practice-agreed safety process, not a receptionist’s personal checklist.
• Explain that answers help identify the right team member or route, which may not always be a GP appointment.
• Use simple, warm phrases: note the practice asks these questions, the team agreed the process, and answers guide next steps.
• Tell patients you will record their words so the next clinician has the right information.
• Be clear about local variations in team roles and services; only describe routes that actually exist locally.
• Avoid blanket wording like “you do not need a GP” unless authorised locally; prefer softer phrasing.
• Listen and mirror the patient’s language to avoid sounding robotic when using a script.
• Escalate or seek help if a patient’s needs don’t fit the script or raise safeguarding concerns.