Phones ringing off the hook, queues building from 8am, and teams doing their best to keep up. Sound familiar? In this episode, we explore how virtual receptionist technology is starting to ease that pressure, supporting practice teams to manage demand more effectively without losing the human touch.

We are joined by Dave Mills, Head of Health & Care at Think Healthcare, who brings decades of experience in healthcare tech and a refreshingly practical perspective on AI telephony systems within primary care.

We unpack what a virtual receptionist actually is in simple terms, cutting through the jargon to explain how these systems work in real practice settings. We also explore why this technology is gaining momentum now, despite having been around for decades, and what has changed to make it more relevant than ever.

We discuss the importance of governance and how NHS England guidance plays a critical role in ensuring these systems are implemented safely and appropriately within our GP Surgeries.

We also dive into the practical side for practice managers, particularly how call data from these systems can be used to gain valuable insights, improve workflows, and enhance patient access.

With demand rising and teams under increasing pressure, practices are being pushed to rethink how they manage access. This episode offers a grounded, real-world perspective on whether AI reception tools are just hype or a genuinely useful solution.

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Full resources and the show notes for this episode can be found at https://locumpm.co.uk/the-halfway-point.

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(The advice and content discussed in this episode are shared in good faith and for general information purposes only. We recommend that practices carry out their own due diligence before taking any action based on this content. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors or organisations involved and do not necessarily reflect those of Locum PM or any affiliated organisations. All links and content / resources referenced were accurate at the time of the episode’s recording / release.)