The most common answer was ringing a list of patients for one free slot.

The second was answering the same three questions about parking, price and opening hours.

Give the phone less to do

Put those answers on your booking page, and move routine bookings online. The calls that remain are the ones that need a person.

Where to start

A small clinic can start this in an afternoon. Change one thing, watch it for two weeks, then decide whether to keep it.