Going to the doctors can be a very stressful experience for many people and running a doctors surgery can too! With so much to think about like confidential storage, locum insurance and staffing, it can be easy to forget about some things.
Something that you should think about when you can, is making sure that your reception area is well designed. When it comes to a reception area, it needs to have many functions – it may be that people will be waiting for separate services within the building, patients need to be able to see and hear when they are called and where to go to easily, and it should also be a calm place where people who are feeling nervous won’t become more worried or overwhelmed.
A reception area should feel welcoming for people who are arriving. Having a clear place where they check in is important as it stops people who may already be worried from becoming more agitated if they are not sure where to go, so clear signage is important.
It is also good to choose calm colours for the reception area. Light white tones, as well as greens and blues are all calming colours that will have a positive psychological effect on patients who are waiting.
Seating is also important and should be both comfortable and easy to clean for hygiene reasons, and not pushed too close together. This can help protect patient confidentiality and stop patients feeling uncomfortable.