Doctors' Receptionists

From a BBC report (click on title).' Receptionists in some practices expressed concern that doctors did not check prescriptions thoroughly before signing. They believed that because of this they had a heavy responsibility to undertake safety checks themselves, although these were not recognised or remunerated.

Despite not being accountable for certain aspects of quality and safety, reception staff still considered themselves informally accountable to the patient, the study added.

The study authors conclude that there is no best way of running repeat prescribing.

But they highlight the importance of ensuring that training for repeat prescribing goes beyond simply training receptionists on how to use their practice's computer system.'

Doctors will tell you they read the repeat scripts. Rubbish in most cases. If my dispensary staff require formal training to help fill the scripts why do not the surgery staff require structured trainjng to produce them?

But the really big failings not dealt with here are the big slips twixt cup and lip, between hospital and other doctors sending instructions to the surgery, often hand written, and what the surgery then prescribes. I have seen doctors fail to read hospital prescriber's intentions, let alone the efforts of unqualified receptionists. Some of these are private scripts being rewritten on NHS script forms, a clear and common breach of NHS rules.