An interview with Bex Cottey, Conisbrough Group Practice – hosted by Daniel Vincent
Daniel Vincent: Bex, this story starts with recruitment — or rather, the sudden failure of it. What was happening in your practice at the time?
Bex Cottey: We’d had a receptionist off on long-term sickness, and the rest of the team had been covering that gap for quite some time. When that colleague eventually left, we went out to recruit as we always had. We had 25 applicants, shortlisted four, and then… none of them turned up for interview. Not one.
That was the moment we realised this wasn’t a normal staffing problem anymore.
Daniel: What impact was that having on the team?
Bex: Staff were exhausted. Stress levels were high. Phones weren’t being answered quickly enough, queues were building, and unfortunately that frustration was being taken out on reception staff. We could see other sickness starting to creep in, and that worried us more than anything. We felt a responsibility to intervene before the situation caused more harm.
Daniel: You’ve been very clear this wasn’t about innovation for innovation’s sake.
Bex: Absolutely. We’d never needed to think about alternative technology before. Recruitment had always worked. But at this point, repeating the same process felt irresponsible. We had a choice: keep chasing recruitment that wasn’t landing, or invest our time in supporting and upskilling the staff we already had.
That’s when we started looking at an AI receptionist — not because it was exciting, but because we were running out of options.
Daniel: Many practices will be thinking, “That sounds risky.” What were your concerns?
Bex: Plenty. We didn’t want to become the “bank bot” — where patients get stuck in a loop, shouting down the phone. We worried patients wouldn’t understand who they were speaking to, or would feel misled. And we were very clear internally: this had to be about supporting staff, not replacing them.
Daniel: One thing that really stood out was how you communicated this to patients.
Bex: We were honest. We told patients exactly what was happening — that we were out of ideas, that our staff were under pressure, and that we wanted to try something new with them, not do it to them. We asked for feedback and said clearly: if this doesn’t work, we’ll rethink.
That honesty mattered.
Daniel: And what changed?
Bex: Almost immediately, phones were answered within three rings. No queues. Staff stress dropped. Information went straight to the triaging GP in the patient’s own words, which actually improved data quality. Cost-wise, it was roughly equivalent to a full-time administrator — and crucially, we retained our staff.
It wasn’t perfect. Some patients struggled, and we manage that case by case with a bypass list. But the overall impact has been overwhelmingly positive.
Daniel: What’s the single lesson you’d want other practices to take away?
Bex: Do this to support your staff, not replace them — and be honest with your patients about why you’re doing it. This isn’t about shiny tech. It’s about protecting people before something breaks.
🎥 Watch the full webinar recording to hear the complete conversation, including audience questions and practical detail.
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