TY - JOUR T1 - What is the collective noun for a group of patients? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 301 LP - 301 DO - 10.3399/bjgp11X567333 VL - 61 IS - 585 AU - David Carvel Y1 - 2011/04/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/61/585/301.abstract N2 - Every weekday lunchtime I have a scheduled telephone surgery. It sends the practice's phone bill skywards, but we accept most such calls nowadays are to mobiles as people are busy (or like to appear busy!). Despite this, up to a third of these consultations fail to take place. This is partly because one of our receptionists has a rather annoying habit of being one random digit out, in the given eleven. Other reasons we're told, include: batteries running low; bosses demanding they be switched off; or because our rolling southern Scottish landscape still has many ‘blind spots.’I therefore find myself each day listening to a robot curtly telling me to leave a message … ER -