Outsourced Customer Services for GP Practices

Outsourced customer service involves partnering with a dedicated GP call handling service to manage patient enquiries, appointment scheduling, and administrative support. These services use trained professionals and advanced technology to handle calls, ensuring patients receive prompt and accurate information.

Reduced Call Waiting Times

Many GP surgeries struggle with overwhelming call volumes, leading to long wait times and patient frustration. An outsourced medical call centre ensures all patient calls are answered promptly, improving satisfaction and access to care.

Professional and Trained Operators

Specialised providers employ trained staff who understand NHS protocols, medical terminology, and data protection regulations, ensuring accurate and compliant patient communication.

Enhanced Appointment Management

Outsourced teams assist with appointment booking, cancellations, and reminders. They help reduce missed appointments by sending timely reminders, improving overall efficiency.

24/7 Availability for Patient Support

Unlike in-house reception teams that operate within standard working hours, outsourced customer service providers offer round-the-clock support, ensuring patients can access information and services whenever needed.

Cost-Effective Solution for GP Practices

Outsourcing eliminates the need for additional in-house receptionists, reducing payroll costs while maintaining high service levels. This is particularly beneficial for smaller GP practices that may not have the resources for a full-time reception team.

Compliance with NHS and Data Security Standards

Reputable outsourcing providers adhere to strict NHS data security guidelines and GDPR compliance, ensuring patient information remains confidential and secure.

A GP telephone answering service can be tailored to the needs of individual practices. Key services include:

• Call handling for appointment bookings and cancellations
• Prescription request management
• Patient enquiries about services, opening hours, and referrals
• Emergency call triage and redirection
• Multi-channel support via phone, email, and live chat

By delegating these tasks to a professional team, GP practices can improve operational efficiency and allow in-house staff to focus on core healthcare duties.

The cost of an outsourced customer call centre for GP practices is typically a few thousand pounds per month and we encourage clinics to get a personalised quote from our partners at InTouchNow. 

There may be a set-up and integration fee to begin with and also a fee to train additional staff, but typically there is a monthly fee to work with an outsourced telephone answering service.

The cost may be higher or lower depending on the volumes you have that particular month, with the option to always extend for out of hours support and weekends if need be.

Yes, InTouchNow operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, with the option of support on weekends, out of hours and bank holidays to give you all the support you need.

So if you work in a busy clinic or hospital, you will know that it is 24 hours a day and never stops and our customer service team is here to support you every step of the way.

No, our customer agents are not qualified to give medical advice over the phone and this is not recommended. To get the maximum value, the InTouchNow team can assist with appointment booking, referrals, out of hours, test results and more.

Whilst our customer service advisors are very well trained internally and reviewed regularly, we always run a full training and handover with every client before they begin. So when we start working on your behalf, we are 100% ready to answer for your clinic or practice and can answer every kind of question and query.

As a family business that has been operating for more than 30 years, we have specialised in GP telephone answering and switchboard operating solutions. We have helped more than 800 GP clinics to date and answer more than 100,000 calls per year.

We are proud to have a full team of customer service experts based in the UK which allows us to maintain the best quality possible and some of our staff have worked with us for more than 20 years.

In addition, we are delighted to be ISO certified for quality management, business continuity and information security.