United Radiology

Receptionist

Phones

  • Answering the phone
  • Transfer script
  • Taking a message
  • Voicemail callbacks

At the desk

  • Greeting in person
  • Check-in flow
  • Medicare & referral intake
  • Payment & EFTPOS

Booking

  • Booking decision tree
  • Safety screening
  • Prep rules by modality
  • Same-day & urgent

Billing & Codes

  • Bulk-bill vs private
  • DVA / WorkCover / TAC
  • MBS codes
  • Pricing

Modalities

  • X-Ray
  • CT
  • Ultrasound
  • DEXA
  • Dental (OPG / CBCT)
  • MRI (not offered)
  • Breast imaging (not offered)

Tricky situations

  • Upset patient
  • Complaint flow
  • Privacy
  • Escalation red flags

Forms & paperwork

  • Required paperwork
  • Incident report

Onboarding (Week 1)

  • Week 1 checklist
  • Week 1 overview
  • Our sites
  • The UR way
  • Who to escalate to
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Onboarding (Week 1)

The UR way

Manager approved by Anthony Mobilio on 4 May 2026.

What makes United Radiology different — the standard we hold on a busy day and a quiet one. Read this on day one and refer back when something feels off.

Our standard

Locally owned and clinician-led, our practice is dedicated to caring for our community. We offer bulk billing for Medicare-eligible patients, welcome walk-ins for your convenience, and provide fast report turnaround times — helping ensure the best possible outcomes for every patient.

What we won't tolerate

These are the hard lines. As a receptionist, you are authorised — and expected — to push back on any of them.

  • We never send a patient away without a clear next step. Even if we can't help on the day, they leave with a referral, a phone number, or a callback booked.
  • We never discuss one patient in front of another. Lower your voice, turn the screen, ask the patient to step closer. Privacy isn't optional.
  • We never guess clinical answers. Defer to the radiologist on duty, or refer the caller back to their GP. "Let me find out and call you back" is always the right answer.
  • No personal mobile phones at the front desk. Patients should never see a receptionist on a private call or scrolling. Phones go in your bag or the staff room until break.

Our tone on the phone

  • Calm, warm, unhurried. Smile before you pick up — patients can hear it.
  • Morning/afternoon greeting + your first name within the first sentence. It makes the desk feel like a person, not a queue.
  • Slow your words by about 20%. Patients mirror your pace. If you sound rushed, they feel like a problem.

Our tone at the desk

  • Eye contact before paperwork. Look up from the screen before they reach the counter.
  • Stand and smile if you can. First-name introduction, every time.
  • Calm body language even when you're slammed. Shoulders down, breathe out, voice quiet. Acknowledge people in the queue with a wave and a realistic ETA.

When we compete on price

We bulk-bill most Medicare-eligible imaging — there's no out-of-pocket on the day for the vast majority of our patients. We don't compete on private fees because most of our work is already rebated to zero. If a caller is shopping around on price, the answer is:

"If you have a valid Medicare card and your referrer is eligible for this scan, we bulk-bill — no cost on the day. Most of our work falls into that category."

The small things we do better

Concrete behaviours, not values. These are what new receptionists should pick up by the end of week one.

  • Walk first-visit patients to the scan room. Don't just point — first visits are disorienting.
  • Read back appointment time, site address, and prep one more time before hanging up. Catches more booking errors than any system check.
  • Give a realistic wait estimate when they sit down. Never "just a sec" if it's really 10 minutes — that turns a patient into a complaint.
  • Read body language. If a patient seems anxious, offer a glass of water and take a moment to help them feel relaxed before paperwork.

United Radiology

Receptionist

Phones

  • Answering the phone
  • Transfer script
  • Taking a message
  • Voicemail callbacks

At the desk

  • Greeting in person
  • Check-in flow
  • Medicare & referral intake
  • Payment & EFTPOS

Booking

  • Booking decision tree
  • Safety screening
  • Prep rules by modality
  • Same-day & urgent

Billing & Codes

  • Bulk-bill vs private
  • DVA / WorkCover / TAC
  • MBS codes
  • Pricing

Modalities

  • X-Ray
  • CT
  • Ultrasound
  • DEXA
  • Dental (OPG / CBCT)
  • MRI (not offered)
  • Breast imaging (not offered)

Tricky situations

  • Upset patient
  • Complaint flow
  • Privacy
  • Escalation red flags

Forms & paperwork

  • Required paperwork
  • Incident report

Onboarding (Week 1)

  • Week 1 checklist
  • Week 1 overview
  • Our sites
  • The UR way
  • Who to escalate to