Keep the clinical line clear
The bot answers administrative questions. It does not give clinical advice, assess symptoms or suggest whether something needs attention.
Anything remotely clinical goes to a person, immediately, with a clear route for urgent situations. That boundary is not negotiable and it makes everything else uncontroversial.
What reception is actually asked
- Fees and whether treatment is covered
- Appointment availability and how to book
- Registration — are you taking new patients, what is needed
- What to bring and how long to allow
- Parking, access and where to find the practice
Those five account for most of the phone traffic in a typical practice, and none of them requires a clinician.
Out of hours is where it matters
Patients look at practice websites in the evening. The emergency route must be immediate, unmissable and correct.
For anything else, answering the administrative question at 9pm removes a call the following morning.
Fees are the most-asked question
- Publish a clear fee list the bot can quote from
- Be explicit about what is included
- Explain how insurance or funding is handled, plainly
- Keep it current — a wrong fee is a complaint waiting to happen
Data care
Patients will occasionally describe symptoms in a chat window. Ask them not to in the greeting, escalate when they do, and keep retention short.
Treat any conversation containing health information with the same care as any other patient record.