Phone triage scripts that survive staff turnover

New reception staff inherit verbal rules that change by clinician. A dated one-page script reduces hold times and protects clinicians from inappropriate same-day bookings.

What belongs on the page

• Opening assessment questions — pain level, new vs existing patient, insurer type
• Hard redirects — chest pain, suicidal ideation, paediatric fever thresholds for your specialty
• Clinician-specific blocks — who accepts workers comp, who is on maternity leave
• Escalation names — practice manager mobile for clinical questions only

What to leave off

Full fee schedules and clinical advice belong elsewhere. The script should route, not treat.

After drafting, observe one peak hour and mark where staff deviate — those margins are where patients wait. Reception & Patient Flow engagements focus on this iteration loop.