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What should a medical office voicemail greeting say?
Seven things, in under 30 seconds read aloud. Tilcao, which answers for dental practices, gives the same information in conversation, but a recording has to say it all at once: the caller cannot ask a question. For a dental practice, use our dental office voicemail greeting examples instead, with the dental on-call service of each region.
- The practice’s name and, in a group practice, the practitioners.
- Why nobody is answering: in consultation, at lunch, closed, on holiday.
- When the practice can be reached again, with the time.
- What to do if it cannot wait: 1733 or the out-of-hours post for general practice, 112 when life is at risk.
- How to cancel or move an appointment, through the channel the practice really reads.
- What to leave: a name and a number, not a description of symptoms.
- When you will call back, only if the team can keep that promise.
GP voicemail greeting: during consultations
The most common one in general practice: the doctor is seeing patients and nobody picks up. It says how to get an appointment, and what to do if it cannot wait.
“Hello, you have reached the practice of Dr [name]. I am with a patient and cannot answer. For an appointment, call back between [hours] [or book online at website]. Leave your name and number after the tone and we will call you back [today]. If it cannot wait, say so at the start of your message. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
GP voicemail greeting: evenings and weekends, with 1733
This is the greeting that has to give the out-of-hours route. 1733 works in a large part of Belgium but not yet everywhere: some out-of-hours posts still use a number of their own. Check which one applies to your municipality before you record, and say it twice.
“Hello, you have reached the practice of Dr [name]. The practice is closed. We can be reached on [days and hours]. In the evening, at night, at weekends and on public holidays, call the doctor on duty on [1733 / out-of-hours number]. Again: [1733]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. For an appointment, call us back during opening hours [or book online]. Thank you.”
SourceFPS Public Health, Need a doctor on duty? Call 1733, updated 2 April 2026 (in Dutch)
GP voicemail greeting: holidays and a colleague covering
Say who covers, on which number and until when. A patient who only hears “the practice is closed” calls 1733 in the middle of the day, when the service is not meant for them.
“Hello, you have reached the practice of Dr [name]. The practice is closed for holidays from [date] to [date]. During that time Dr [colleague] covers on [number]. Again: [number]. In the evening and at weekends, call [1733 / out-of-hours number]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. We are back on [date]. Thank you.”
Paediatrician voicemail greeting: a sick child in the evening
Parents often call late in the day about a child with a fever. The greeting says who to contact after hours, without giving medical advice.
“Hello, you have reached the practice of Dr [name], paediatrician. The practice can be reached on [days and hours]. For an appointment, leave your name, your child’s name and your number after the tone [or book online]. In the evening, at night and at weekends, call the doctor on duty on [1733 / out-of-hours number] or go to the paediatric emergency department of [hospital]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
Specialist voicemail greeting: dermatologist, gynaecologist, ophthalmologist
At a specialist, most calls are about a first appointment or moving one. Say what the patient should have at hand, and where to go if it is urgent.
“Hello, you have reached the practice of Dr [name], [speciality]. The secretariat can be reached on [days and hours]. For a first appointment, keep your referral letter and your identity card at hand [or book online at website]. To move an appointment, leave your name, date of birth and number after the tone. If it cannot wait, contact your GP or the emergency department of [hospital]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
Physiotherapist voicemail greeting: during sessions
A physiotherapist mostly treats alone, so the phone rings during sessions. Physiotherapy has no out-of-hours service like general practice: the greeting is about the diary, and refers to the doctor for the rest.
“Hello, you have reached [name] physiotherapy. I am in a session and cannot answer. Leave your name, your number and the day that suits you after the tone, and I will call you back between patients. To cancel a session, let us know at least [24 hours] ahead [by text to number / online]. If you need a doctor, call your GP. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
Speech therapist voicemail greeting: parents and sessions
At a speech therapist it is often a parent calling, for a first assessment or to move a session. The greeting asks for the child’s name and a good time to call back.
“Hello, you have reached [name] speech therapy. I am in a session. Leave your name, your child’s name and age, your number and a good time to call you after the tone. To cancel a session, let me know at least [24 hours] ahead [by text to number]. Thank you.”
Psychologist voicemail greeting: with a crisis line
A call to a psychologist may come from someone in distress. The greeting then gives a number that answers at once, day and night. In Dutch, the Zelfmoordlijn answers on 1813, free and 24 hours a day; in French, the Centre de Prévention du Suicide on 0800 32 123, free and 24 hours a day.
“Hello, you have reached [name], psychologist. I am in a session. Leave your name and number after the tone and I will call you back [today / tomorrow]. If you are in distress or thinking about suicide, call the Zelfmoordlijn on 1813 or the Centre de Prévention du Suicide on 0800 32 123, free, day and night. In immediate danger, call 112. Thank you.”
Midwife voicemail greeting: pregnancy and the first weeks at home
A midwife gets follow-up calls, and calls from worried pregnant women. The greeting gives the maternity unit for what cannot wait.
“Hello, you have reached [name], midwife. I am in a consultation or on a home visit. Leave your name, your number and your due date after the tone and I will call you back [today]. If it cannot wait, call the maternity unit of [hospital] on [number]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
Home nursing voicemail greeting
A home nurse is on a round and cannot answer at the wheel. The greeting says when they call back, and what to have at hand for a new patient.
“Hello, you have reached [name], home nursing. I am on my round. Leave your name, address, number and the care you need after the tone, and I will call you back [between patients / at the end of the round]. For new care, keep your doctor’s prescription at hand. If it cannot wait, call your doctor or [1733]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
Voicemail greeting for a podiatrist, dietitian, occupational therapist or osteopath
For a paramedical practice without an out-of-hours service, three things are enough: you are with a patient, you will call back, and here is how to cancel.
“Hello, you have reached [name], [podiatrist / dietitian / occupational therapist / osteopath]. I am with a patient and cannot answer. Leave your name and number after the tone and I will call you back [today]. To book or cancel, you can also [book online at website / text number]. Thank you.”
Voicemail greeting for a medical centre, group practice or polyclinic
With several practitioners the greeting must stay short: a menu of three options at most, or one message that points to the online diary.
“Hello, you have reached [name of the practice]. The front desk can be reached on [days and hours]. For an appointment, [book online at website / call back during those hours]. Leave your name, your number and your doctor’s name after the tone and we will call you back. In the evening and at weekends, call [1733 / out-of-hours number]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you.”
Trilingual voicemail greeting for Brussels: Dutch, French and English
Greet in the languages first, then give the essentials in each, with the same out-of-hours number.
“Goeiedag, bonjour, hello. U bent verbonden met de praktijk van dokter [naam]. ’s Avonds en in het weekend belt u [1733], bij levensgevaar 112. Vous êtes au cabinet du docteur [nom]. Le soir et le week-end, appelez le [1733], en cas d’urgence vitale le 112. You have reached the practice of Dr [name]. In the evening and at weekends, call [1733], in an emergency 112. Dank u, merci, thank you.”
Voicemail greeting for an unexpected closure
Illness, training, an outage: say when the practice reopens and who takes patients until then. Change the greeting the same day, and put the usual one back on your return.
“Hello, you have reached the practice of Dr [name]. The practice is closed [today / until date]. Appointments in that period will be moved: we will call you. If you need a doctor before then, call Dr [colleague] on [number]. In the evening and at weekends, call [1733 / out-of-hours number]. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Thank you for your understanding.”
Mistakes to avoid on a medical practice voicemail
Most come from a greeting recorded once and never listened to again.
- Asking callers to describe their symptoms: it is health data, and nobody hears it in time.
- Giving 1733 in a municipality where the out-of-hours post still has its own number.
- Forgetting 112, or saying it so early that the patient hangs up before the diary part.
- Promising a call back “within the hour” that nobody can keep.
- Leaving the holiday greeting on after you are back.
- A greeting over a minute long, or a menu of more than three options.
Voicemail takes a message, it does not book the appointment
Every message left becomes a call back, often between two patients, and some callers hang up without leaving one. An AI receptionist answers, says it is an AI, books or moves the appointment in the diary and leaves a summary. It never triages and reads out your urgent route as the voicemail would.
Tilcao does this in dental practices today and sets it up for GPs, physiotherapists and other care practices on request. What it does and does not do is on AI medical receptionist, and what a human answering service costs on medical telesecretariat in Belgium.
Questions practices ask
Should a GP’s voicemail give 1733?
Yes, where it works. 1733 handles requests for a doctor on duty in the evening, at night, at weekends and on public holidays in a large part of Belgium, but some out-of-hours posts still have their own number. Check which applies to your municipality, say it twice, and add 112 for life-threatening emergencies.
Can patients leave their symptoms on the voicemail?
Better not to ask for it. What a patient says about their health is health data under Article 9 of the GDPR, and professional secrecy applies to what the practice learns. Ask for a name and a number, let only the people who call back listen, and delete messages once handled.
What should a physiotherapist’s voicemail say?
That you are in a session, when you will call back, how and how far ahead to cancel a session, and 112 for life-threatening emergencies. Physiotherapy has no out-of-hours service: for a medical problem, the greeting refers to the GP.
How long should a medical office voicemail greeting be?
Under about 30 seconds read aloud. A bilingual or trilingual greeting takes longer, so keep each language to the essentials and put the rest on your website. Time it before you record, then call the practice from your mobile and listen as a patient would.
Is there a way for calls not to end on voicemail?
A human telesecretariat or an AI receptionist. Tilcao, an AI receptionist, answers, books the appointment in the diary and reads out your urgent route; it runs in dental practices today and is set up for other care practices on request.