Name                       Becky

Role                          Medical Receptionist

Surgery                    Forestside Medical Practice

What do you love about your job?

Becky has worked at Forestside for 5 years. "I absolutely love meeting our patients, and no two days are ever the same! The staff team here are so supportive; particularly over the last year when we have all had to really pull together, it can be a really rewarding job"

A day in the life of Becky.

Although you may often see Becky’s face at the front desk, there is actually a whole team of receptionists who are busy in the background ensuring that both Marchwood and Dibden Purlieu run as smoothly as possible. Behind the scenes, the team are answering phones (of which first thing in the morning there is an average of 200 – 300 calls! processing prescription requests (between 3-400 a day), following up many tasks from the GP’s, scanning letters from hospitals, inputting data into records, answering patient queries, opening and closing the surgery, booking appointments, registering new patients, answering emails from patients and monitoring e consult! Since the coronavirus pandemic, they also have to individually welcome in each patient and wipe down their chairs each time.

What do you find challenging about your job?

Becky and the team love meeting our patients, and with just under 12,000 registered at the practice, they come into contact with many of our local residents either on the phone or in person.  It gives them such a huge boost when patients are friendly, courteous and polite. Becky explains: "Our patients are at the centre of everything we do and we all work really hard to cover all aspects of the role that we do, much of it behind the scenes. It can be difficult not to get upset when patients shout, swear and even threaten us. We always try to take deep breaths and understand that people might be going through a very tough time or are frustrated and distressed. It really does make our day when people are kind!"

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Becky understands the importance of being able to switch off at the end of the day when she leaves work, so that she can come back refreshed the next day.  "I’m a real girly girl; I love a bit of pampering, going to the cinema and seeing friends and family. I enjoy going out to eat, garlic bread is my favourite food and I have it with everything; even a roast dinner." It is Becky’s dream to visit Hawaii one day, and we really hope that she gets the chance.

We are so appreciative of how hard Becky and the reception team work, both at the front desk and behind the scenes, thank you for all that you do!