EMMA AI Receptionist – FAQ’s

EMMA is an AI phone assistant that answers when you call Priory Medical Centre. She was built specifically for NHS GP practices, so she understands what patients usually need when they ring. EMMA picks up your call straight away, asks a few questions, and makes sure your request gets to the right person at the surgery quickly.

We know how frustrating it can be — calling at 8am, hitting redial, waiting on hold while you’re trying to get on with your day. Our reception team work hard, but they’re managing the phones, the front desk, appointments and admin all at once. EMMA means your call is answered immediately, and our team can focus their time on patients who need more support.

EMMA will be live for use as of 03/08/2026, however we would not want to introduce this on a Monday morning, usually our busiest time. As a result, EMMA will be gradually phased in. Please see below for the implementation plan.

Implementation Plan

Rather than a single “on” moment, EMMA is gradually introduced through short, controlled live sessions. This allows us to test real calls safely, make adjustments quickly, and minimise any impact on the surgery.

What Happens During Bedding-In

• EMMA is toggled on and off throughout the day to audit calls and fine-tune behaviour
• Live testing typically takes place in the afternoon (12:00–18:00), with mornings used for adjustments
• Only a small sample of calls are routed to EMMA while most continue to the reception team as normal
• The existing call queue is unaffected — callers already waiting remain in place
• We validate end-to-end that calls and outcomes land correctly in the consultation system

Any issues identified at this stage are expected and addressed quickly by the software engineering and clinical teams.

Bedding-In Period (Typically 5 Working Days)

This is a controlled rollout phase where EMMA is gradually introduced, closely monitored, and refined using real patient interactions.

Day 1 – 04/08/2026

• EMMA switched on for short, controlled windows in the afternoon
• A small number of calls routed to EMMA
• Live monitoring by teh software engineering and clinical teams
• Immediate adjustments made based on real behaviour

Day 2-4 – 05/08/2026 to 07/08/2026

• EMMA’s active hours gradually extended
• Increasing proportion of calls handled by EMMA
• Daily refinements based on call patterns, accents, background noise, and user behaviour
• Full-Time EMMA Activation

Day 5 – 08/08/2026

• Longer live session (typically 4–5 hours)
• Final configuration and safety refinements
• Confirmation from the surgery team that we are comfortable proceeding

Full-Time EMMA Activation

Most practices move to full-time EMMA operation after around five bedding-in days, once:

• EMMA is stable
• The team is comfortable
• All routing and safety logic is fully validated

The software team will always give the practice at least one full working day’s notice before activating EMMA full time.

No. EMMA is only available during our standard practice hours, Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 18:30. Just like our phone lines, the service will be closed outside of these times. This is a deliberate safety measure to ensure that urgent medical requests are not left unmonitored. By closing the service when the practice is shut, we ensure that patients with time-sensitive health issues are correctly directed to A&E or an Urgent Care Centre for immediate assistance.

EMMA can help collect information, but clinical triage is performed by trained clinicians.

EMMA can help submit requests or queries, which are then processed by the appropriate team.

No. Currently, EMMA does not have the ability to book directly into our clinical system. Instead, it gathers your information and passes it to the appropriate team member for action. In the future, we may introduce features that allow EMMA to book specific routine appointments, such as seasonal vaccinations, cervical screenings, or annual reviews for long-term conditions like diabetes or asthma.

No. EMMA does not replace clinical staff. It supports administrative processes, and clinical decisions are made by qualified professionals.

Sometimes, yes. If EMMA thinks your request might be dealt with more quickly through another service — such as Pharmacy First or the NHS App — she may mention it as an option. It is always your choice whether to follow that suggestion. Before making any recommendation, EMMA will ask a few questions to check that the service is genuinely appropriate for your situation. Everything EMMA suggests has been discussed and agreed with the surgery & is in line with current NHS Guidance.

The information you provide through EMMA will always be reviewed by an appropriate member of our team and any urgent issues flagged to the appropriate person or team.

All requests are reviewed by trained practice staff.

If EMMA cannot process your request, it will be passed to a member of staff to review and respond.

Response times will depend on the type of request, but EMMA allows us to process requests more efficiently, which should improve overall response times. All clinical issues are reviewed by a GP and are prioritised by clinical need.

As with any time in the past when you have contacted the practice, if you haven’t received a response within the expected timeframe, you can contact the practice directly and we will follow it up.

Yes. The system is continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure it is working safely and effectively.

If at any stage the system fails your calls will automatically be redirected directly to our reception team, you should experience no disruption in our service.

That’s completely understandable. You will always be able to request to be put through to a human receptionist or complete our online form in the traditional way, our team will always be there to help.

Yes. You can still speak to our reception team. EMMA is an additional option, not a replacement.

No. Our reception team are still here and play a vital role in looking after our patients every day. EMMA takes some of the pressure off the phones so that our team can spend more time with the people who really need them.

We think so, yes. We believe that EMMA will ease the burden on our reception team and allow staff to spend more dedicated time on patient care. However We will continue to review feedback and make improvements as time goes on.

Yes. EMMA has been built to meet NHS data security standards and is designed specifically for GP practices. Everything you share is handled safely and confidentially, just as it would be in any contact with the practice.

Only authorised healthcare staff involved in your care.

Data is stored in line with NHS records management policies.

All NHS systems are protected by advanced security measures, and there are strict procedures in place to respond to any incidents.

You will be able to report issues directly to the practice, and feedback will be used to improve the system.