All general practices within the Birmingham and Solihull NHS Primary Care Providers (UK) area were invited to participate in the study via a combination of postal, email, and telephone invitations. Practice level consent was gained from a lead GP and the practice manager (or equivalent) at each practice. Receptionists were informed that a study was ongoing, but were not told about the nature of the simulated calls or when they would occur. All receptionists at participating practices were invited to complete a questionnaire. Practices were reimbursed a nominal amount to cover the additional work required to participate in the study. Detailed methods of the study are reported elsewhere.9
How this fits in
Many patients with acute stroke contact their GP initially, but not all are correctly referred to the emergency services. To date, little is known about general practice receptionists’ ability to correctly recognise stroke. The present study found that receptionists have good knowledge of the common symptoms of stroke. However, further consideration of a receptionist’s place at the centre of emergency primary care responses might lead to improved outcome.
