As admin pressure grows, more GP clinics are asking:
“What can we safely move offsite without losing control or increasing risk?”
It’s a good question – and the answer isn’t “everything” or “nothing”.
The clinics that do this well design blended teams: in-clinic staff + GP-trained virtual assistants, each focused on the work they’re best suited to.
This guide walks through a simple, practical way to decide what to keep in-house and what to delegate offsite.
Principle #1: Protect Clinical Judgement and Sensitive Moments
Some work should never be handed off:
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Explaining complex results
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Breaking bad news
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Making clinical decisions about treatment or follow-up
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Handling complaints that require nuanced knowledge of the patient or local context
These moments rely on trust, clinical expertise and the in-person relationship.
They belong with clinicians and senior in-clinic staff.
When mapping tasks, anything that requires judgement, nuance or physical presence should stay in-clinic.
Principle #2: Look for Repeatable, Rules-Based Tasks
On the other hand, many admin tasks in general practice are:
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Repetitive
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Rules-based
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Documentable
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Trackable
These are ideal candidates to move offsite, especially to GP-trained virtual assistants who understand general practice workflows.
Examples include:
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Generating and managing recall & reminder lists
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Following up results under clear protocols
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Processing referrals and letters
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Updating patient records after standard contacts
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Running reports and updating registers
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Preparing accreditation evidence and documentation
If you can write a clear “when X, do Y” guide for a task, it’s likely something that can be safely delegated.
Common GP Admin Tasks: What Stays vs What Can Move
Here’s a simple way to think about some of the most common tasks.
1. Phones & Appointment Management
Stay in-clinic:
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Handling complex, distressed or complaining patients
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On-the-spot clinical triage (or passing quickly to a nurse/GP)
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Sensitive conversations about results or complaints
Can be shared with offsite support:
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Answering routine calls
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Booking, confirming and rescheduling standard appointments
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Basic information (opening hours, policies, directions)
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Following scripts for common scenarios (e.g. “How do I get a repeat prescription?”)
With clear scripts and escalation rules, offsite support can absorb a lot of phone volume so in-clinic staff can focus on patients in front of them.
2. Recalls, Results & Follow-Up
Stay in-clinic:
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GP reviewing clinical results and deciding on actions
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Complex or sensitive follow-up conversations
Can be supported offsite:
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Generating daily/weekly recall lists
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Sending standard SMS/email reminders
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Making follow-up phone calls using approved wording
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Recording contact attempts and outcomes
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Updating registers and tracking completion
Here, in-clinic staff retain clinical control, while offsite staff handle the volume and administration.
3. CDM & MBS-Related Admin
Stay in-clinic:
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Clinical decisions about care plans and reviews
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Conversations about goals, treatment changes, mental health care plans, etc.
Can be supported offsite:
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Identifying eligible patients from your database
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Sending invitations and reminders for care plan appointments
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Confirming bookings and preparing basic documentation
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Updating relevant fields after appointments (under clear direction)
This helps clinics use MBS items properly and consistently, without loading even more onto the front desk.
4. Accreditation, Quality & Compliance
Stay in-clinic:
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Deciding on policies and procedures
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Responding to complex compliance questions
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Representing the clinic during the accreditation survey
Can be supported offsite:
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Maintaining registers and logs
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Gathering and organising evidence (documents, screenshots, reports)
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Keeping track of due dates and follow-up actions
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Preparing summary documents for review
Instead of scrambling before surveyors arrive, clinics with offsite support build a light, ongoing rhythm that keeps them ready all year.
Principle #3: Good Delegation Needs Good Guardrails
Even with the right tasks chosen, offsite support only works if you have:
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Clear procedures – written protocols, templates and examples
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Defined access and privacy controls – aligned with Australian privacy and data protection expectations
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Supervision and feedback loops – someone in-clinic who can answer questions, review work and adjust processes
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Simple metrics – volumes, turnaround times, error rates, patient feedback
Done badly, delegating admin work can create more noise.
Done well, it can unlock capacity, reduce stress and improve consistency.
Principle #4: Start Small, Then Expand
You don’t have to decide everything at once.
A proven approach looks like this:
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Choose one or two workflows (e.g. recalls, referrals).
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Move clearly defined steps to a GP-trained virtual assistant.
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Run this for a few weeks with tight feedback and small adjustments.
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Once it feels solid, expand their responsibilities gradually.
This “start small, grow steadily” model means your team builds trust and confidence over time.
How GP Hero Fits In
At GP Hero, we specialise in providing GP-trained virtual assistants for Australian general practice.
Our Heroes:
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Understand tools like Best Practice, HotDoc and telehealth workflows
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Work within clear privacy, security and compliance expectations
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Are supported and supervised so they’re never left to drift
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Plug into your team in a structured way focused on the tasks that make the biggest difference
We help you answer:
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What should stay in-clinic?
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What can be safely delegated offsite?
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How do we design roles so our team isn’t constantly in crisis mode?
Ready to Map This for Your Clinic?
If you’re curious about what a blended in-clinic + offsite admin model might look like for your clinic, we’d be happy to walk through it with you.
👉 Book a free Admin Clarity Call and we’ll:
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Map your current admin workflows
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Identify tasks that can safely move offsite
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Outline what support from a GP-trained virtual assistant could look like in the first 90 days
Smarter delegation isn’t about cutting corners.
It’s about protecting your team, your patients and your practice in a way that’s sustainable for 2026 and beyond.
