No mobile phones to be passed across the reception desk please

Several times a day patients are coming into the reception desk and throwing their mobile phones over the front desk asking my receptionists to speak to someone on the phone for them or asking them to text someone a response to a question. Often this will also be for them to use a translator app or speak to someone at home and relay it back. Sometimes it is a technical question on the NHS app or for us to email a photo to the practice etc.

I will be putting signs up to disallow this to happen as it can be a very abrupt interaction between the patient and members of my staff have quite literally had mobiles thrust at them. They cannot work all mobile phone types and spend a considerable time trying to solve peoples IT problems. The queue then builds up behind the person.

I am going to disallow patient mobiles being passed to the receptionists for two main reasons

1. This is unhygienic and cross contamination of germs for the team and the patient

2. This is not the place for reception to be having three way phone calls often on speakerphone in a public area.

I will be improving signage in reception in all languages with guides for patients to help general enquiries.

Thank you

Sharon Nunweek

Practice Manager