Connecting an NHS Mail application account allows incoming emails to be automatically pulled into Anima and processed as documents, removing the need for manual forwarding.
How it works
Emails are routed into a folder called
anima-pendingAnima checks that folder roughly every 20 minutes
Successfully processed emails move to
anima-processedAnything that cannot be processed moves to
anima-needs-actionand triggers a notificationNo emails are deleted - they are only moved between folders
What you'll need
Before getting started, make sure you have the following in place:
A dedicated NHS Mail application account (standard shared mailboxes will not work)
Request to have this feature switched on via your Customer Success Manager or contact [email protected]
Access to that account via a web browser (not Outlook desktop)
Admin access to Anima at clinics.animahealth.com
Overview of setup steps:
Connect your NHS Mail account to Anima - you'll link your application account in Settings > Organisation Settings > Documents > Intake
Create three folders in your NHS Mail inbox at the root level (not as sub-folders - to do this, click on the three dots next to the name of the application account, not the inbox) name them exactly as below:
anima-pendinganima-needs-actionanima-processed
Set up an auto-forwarding rule to move incoming emails into the
anima-pendingfolderReview your email processing settings in Anima, including whether to include email body content, merge multiple attachments, and auto-process emails
Test the integration by sending a few test emails and confirming they appear in Anima within 20–30 minutes
Setting up NHS Mail rules
To automate document ingestion, you'll need to set up a Rule in Outlook that moves emails into the anima-pending folder automatically.
Click the settings cog in the upper right
2. Click Rules
3. Click the + Add new Rule button
4. Create your new rule:
Give the rule a name, for example
anima emailsFor the condition, choose Apply to all messages if you'd like every email to be processed by Anima. Otherwise, choose conditions that match your preferences (for example, all messages that have attachments)
Important: add an action to move emails to the
anima-pendingfolderOptional: you can exclude certain emails by adding an exception, for example emails from specific senders
Once created, the rule will run for all new emails.
Email processing settings
You can manage how Anima handles incoming emails in Settings > Organisation Settings > Documents > Intake:
Include email body - turn this on if your documents arrive as the body of the email rather than as attachments, or if you want the content of your emails included
Merge multiple attachments - when on, multiple attachments on a single email are combined into one document
Automatically process emails - when on, emails go straight through to your clinical system. When off, they land in the upload queue for manual review
Note: These settings apply to all emails. You cannot set different options for individual emails.
Important: Make sure the rejection alert email address does not point to the same application account you're using for ingestion, or it will create a loop. Set it to a personal NHS Mail or shared inbox instead.
Common questions
Can I have different settings for different types of email?
Not on a per-email basis. The email body and attachment settings apply globally. If you receive a mix of email types, you can refine your auto-forwarding rules to handle them separately, or turn off merging so body and attachments come through as separate documents.
What if someone puts something in the wrong folder?
Anima only reads from anima-pending. Anything placed directly into anima-needs-action or anima-processed will be ignored.
What about emails we don't want Anima to process (e.g. newsletters)?
You can refine your auto-forwarding rules to exclude certain senders or subject lines.
Troubleshooting
Emails not being picked up: Check the folders are named exactly right = all lowercase, hyphenated. Confirm the auto-forwarding rule is active.
Rejection loop: If your rejection alert email points to the same application account, rejections will feed back into
anima-pending. Change it to a different inbox.Can't see the Connect NHS Mail option: Contact your Anima Customer Success Manager to have the feature enabled for your organisation.