What to change
Describe a billing-question route with the information needed to identify the transaction through the practice's approved checks. Keep it separate from questions about clinical decisions.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A contact page points invoice questions to the billing team and asks patients to have the invoice reference available. It explains that a visiting provider handles its own invoices where that is the arrangement.
Put it into practice
Ask reception whether the published contact actually reaches the people who can act. Patients should not have to describe the same issue repeatedly because the website treats every enquiry as a request for a new appointment.
Use the same billing contact in relevant receipts and website help where appropriate. People should be able to move from the document that prompted their question to the team able to answer it.
What to agree before publishing
Give billing enquiries a recognisable route and explain which reference helps the team find the relevant payment or appointment. Ask reception which questions it can answer and which belong to a billing colleague. The published route should reflect that division without exposing a complicated internal organisation chart. Check receipts and payment messages for the same contact information. Someone querying a charge after a visit may start from those documents rather than return to the service page where they originally booked.
How to check the result
A person with an invoice can identify the team able to help and the relevant reference.
A mistake to avoid
Do not ask for an entire financial history when the task is locating one practice invoice.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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