Reading List

The sources below support this UK-wide role-induction course for GP receptionists, care navigators, call handlers and frontline admin staff. Use local practice policies, ICB, Health Board, HSCP, Trust or GP Federation pathways for routine operational decisions.

These references describe how receptionist and care navigator duties are defined across healthcare careers guidance, general practice access documents and four-nations primary care materials.

1. Role and Workforce Context

• NHS Health Careers - Receptionist
  Official NHS careers information about receptionist work, including greeting patients, booking appointments, handling enquiries and supporting administration. Useful for role-induction context.
  https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/wider-healthcare-team/roles-wider-healthcare-team/administration/receptionist

• NHS England North West - Meet your General Practice team
  Patient-facing explanation of different general practice team roles. Useful for helping reception and care navigation staff explain why patients may be supported by someone other than a GP.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/north-west/about/meet-your-general-practice-team/

• Department of Health Northern Ireland - Primary Care Multi-disciplinary Teams
  Explains the MDT model in Northern Ireland primary care. Relevant for understanding wider roles that may sit around GP reception, care navigation and access to appropriate support.
  https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/primary-care-multi-disciplinary-teams-mdts

2. Care Navigation and Access

• NHS England - How to improve care navigation in general practice
  The NHS England guide on care navigation covers structured information gathering, staff training, patient communication and allocating services. Useful for the access and navigation aspects of the role.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/how-to-improve-care-navigation-in-general-practice-2/

• Scottish Government - General Practice Access Short Life Working Group: access principles
  Sets out Scottish principles for inclusive access, right care/right place/right time, and the role of trained administrative staff in directing patients to suitable services.
  https://www.gov.scot/publications/general-practice-access-short-life-working-group/pages/2/

• Welsh Government - GMS contract access commitment 2024 to 2025
  Guidance on access commitments for GP practices in Wales. Relevant for reception and care navigation teams working under the Welsh framework.
  https://www.gov.wales/gms-contract-access-commitment-2024-2025

• NHS Wales Primary Care One - Welsh Government care navigation training now live
  Notice about Wales' national care navigation training package. Useful for understanding expectations that patient-facing reception and administrative staff receive care navigation training.
  https://primarycareone.nhs.wales/files/sppc-library-of-products/17-10-2022welsh-government-care-navigation-training-now-livepdf/

3. Patient-Facing Explanations

• NHS Inform Scotland - General practice services
  Patient-facing Scottish NHS information about GP practice reception teams, confidentiality, appointment routes and wider practice roles. Useful for plain-language explanations of why reception staff ask questions.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/doctors/general-practice-services/

• NHS England - You and your general practice
  Patient-facing explanation of how people can contact their practice, why they may be asked for details and what may happen next. Useful for understanding patient expectations around access and next steps.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/you-and-your-general-practice-english/