Why Clinics No Longer Need to Choose Between Patient Experience and Operational Efficiency

In many private practices, the phone call is still the primary point of contact for patients. And yet, answering every call — especially during peak hours — remains a challenge.

Reception teams are doing their best, but call volumes fluctuate, admin tasks pile up, and missed calls happen. The result? A loss in both revenue and patient experience.

But this no longer needs to be the tradeoff.

The Challenge Facing Private Clinics

We recently spoke with clinic owners and front-desk teams across the UK. A few common themes emerged:

• Phone remains the dominant booking channel — 80% or more of appointments are still made by phone

• Call volumes are uneven — mornings often bring 2–3x more calls than usual

• Teams are stretched

• Even high-performing clinics report 30–40% of calls go unanswered during busy periods

And when a call is missed, it can result in more than just inconvenience — it may lead to lost revenue.

AI Call Agents: A Practical Support Tool

AI call agents are increasingly being used by forward-thinking clinics to help bridge this gap — not to replace human teams, but to support them.

Clinics using AI to manage inbound calls have seen:

• Improved call answer rates (approaching 100%)

• Reduced hold times from 10 mins to 0 minutes

• Lower admin workload for front-desk staff

• Fewer missed appointments due to improved communication

  
  

No More Tradeoffs

Traditionally, practices had to make a difficult choice:

• Invest in digital systems, at the risk of making the patient experience feel impersonal

• Maintain a personal touch, but accept operational inefficiencies

  
  

Today, that tradeoff is no longer necessary.

Modern AI call agents are designed to be conversational and responsive.

They understand context, respond naturally, and integrate directly into clinic workflows. For example:

• A patient calling to reschedule is handled without delay

• Directions or intake forms can be sent automatically via SMS

• Late arrivals can be flagged without needing a staff member to pick up

This enables staff to stay focused on higher-value interactions, while ensuring every patient is acknowledged promptly.

Designed for the Realities of Clinic Operations

At Radiant, we’re working with a select group of UK clinics to develop AI call agents that meet the specific needs of private healthcare — including physiotherapy, osteopathy, dermatology, and dental practices.

We’re focused on:

• Clear patient communication, with no robotic or impersonal experiences

• Reducing call volume stress without compromising service quality

What This Means for Your Team

When implemented thoughtfully, AI call agents can enhance your team.

They help ensure no patient inquiry goes unanswered, while giving your staff more time to focus on in-person care, complex scheduling, and patient relationships.

If you're exploring ways to improve patient access, we’d be happy to share how other clinics are using AI to create more efficient, patient-friendly systems.

Get in touch to join our waitlist or request a demo.