Before proceeding with troubleshooting, please ensure that you have followed each step of the guide linked below:
https://intercom.help/animahealth/en/articles/10393561-how-to-set-up-gp-connect-bookable-appointments-emis
Use this guide if you have completed the GP Connect setup for EMIS but appointment slots are not appearing correctly in Anima. Each section describes what you might be seeing and walks you through how to fix it.
After making any change in EMIS, you must always trigger a refresh in Anima. You will find a reminder of how to do this at the end of each section. If you are unsure which issue applies to you, start at Issue 1 and work through each section in order.
Issue 1: Slot types are configured but templates are not working
You might be seeing this if: slots exist in EMIS but are not pulling through into Anima, or the template setup seems correct but nothing changes.
Step 1: Check your slot type details
In EMIS, click the Appointment Book tab at the top.
In the toolbar on the right, click Appts Config.
In the window that opens, click Slot Types in the left-hand menu.
Find the slot type you want to check and double-click it to open Slot Type Details.
Check the following:
Status Type must be set to Face to Face (Surgery) or Telephone/Audio.
If it says Not an Appointment or anything else, the slot will not work with GP Connect.
The Bookable Slot box at the top must be ticked.
Make any corrections and click OK at the bottom to save.
Note: you need to do this for every slot type you want to be bookable through Anima, not just one.
Step 2: Update your session template
In EMIS, click the Appointment Book tab, then click Create Session.
At the bottom of the box, click Load from Template and find the template you want to update.
Under All slots GP Connect bookable?, click Set all, then click Apply Filter.
In the Apply Filter box, check:
Filter Type is set to Organisation Group.
Name shows the Anima organisation group you created during setup (e.g. AnimaRHL).
Number of slots matches the total number of bookable slots in that session.
Kind is set to Reserve.
5. Click OK, then click Save as template at the bottom of the screen.
Finally, trigger a refresh of slots in Anima via Organisation Settings
Whenever you make a change of your settings in EMIS, you need to trigger a refresh so that Anima recognises the changes you’ve made.
Open the Anima desktop app.
Click Settings (bottom left) → Organisation Settings → Practice settings
Scroll down slightly and click Force appointment slots update
Issue 2: GP Connect is active but Anima shows "booking not available"
You might be seeing this if: the GP Connect integration is switched on but when staff try to book through Anima, it says booking is not available.
Work through the three checks below in order.
Check 1: Your Anima organisation group is set up correctly in EMIS
In EMIS, click the EMIS bubble button in the top left corner.
Go to Configuration, then click Organisation Configuration.
Look at the Organisation Groups list on the left. Your Anima group (e.g. AnimaRHL) should appear here.
Click on the group and check that your practice's ODS code is listed under Organisations on the right.
If the group is missing or the ODS code is not listed, you will need to recreate it.
Click Add in the top right, name the group, then use the magnifying glass to search for your practice by ODS code and add it.
Check 2: Your session filter references the Anima organisation group
Go to Appointment Book, click Create Session, and load your template using Load from Template at the bottom of the window pop-up.
Next to All slots GP connect bookable? ensure Set all is selected.
Click Apply Filter and check that the Name field shows your Anima organisation group.
If it is blank or shows a different group, update it, click OK, and click Save Template.
Check 3: Individual slots are marked as GP Connect bookable
Go to the Appointment Book in EMIS.
Right-click on one of the slots that should be bookable and select Slot Properties.
In the panel that opens, scroll down and check:
GP Connect Bookable is ticked.
Externally Bookable is set to No.
Patient Facing Services is not ticked (this would make the slot visible on the NHS App instead).
If GP Connect Bookable is not visible at all, the slot type is not configured correctly. Go back to Issue 1 and check your slot type details.
Finally, trigger a refresh of slots in Anima via Organisation Settings
Whenever you make a change of your settings in EMIS, you need to trigger a refresh so that Anima recognises the changes you’ve made.
Open the Anima desktop app.
Click Settings (bottom left) → Organisation Settings → Practice settings
Scroll down slightly and click Force appointment slots update
Issue 3: A specific GP or clinician is not appearing when sending booking links
You might be seeing this if: when staff send a booking link through Anima, one or more clinicians do not appear as options.
This almost always means the clinician does not have a GP Connect role assigned in EMIS.
In EMIS, click the EMIS bubble button and go to Configuration, then Organisation Configuration.
Click Users in the bottom-left sidebar.
Find the clinician who is not appearing. You can scroll through the list or use the Search button.
Double-click their name to open Edit User. Click Role in the left-hand tab.
Check that Job Category is set to one of the supported roles:
GPs: General Medical Practitioner, Salaried General Practitioner, GP Registrar, or Sessional GP.
Nurses: Specialist Nurse Practitioner (prescribing), Staff Nurse (non-prescribing), Sister/Charge Nurse, or Student Practice Nurse.
Other clinical staff: Pharmacist, Health Care Support Worker, Healthcare Assistant, Phlebotomist, Counsellor, Dietician, Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychotherapist, Social Worker, Midwife, Community Practitioner, or Community Midwife.
Set Patient Facing Services Booking to All Appointments.
Click OK to save.
Note: you need to do this for every clinician whose appointment book you want visible in Anima. It is worth checking all clinical staff, not just the one reported as missing.
Finally, trigger a refresh of slots in Anima via Organisation Settings
Whenever you make a change of your settings in EMIS, you need to trigger a refresh so that Anima recognises the changes you’ve made.
Open the Anima desktop app.
Click Settings (bottom left) → Organisation Settings → Practice settings
Scroll down slightly and click Force appointment slots update
Issue 4: An appointment booked through Anima has not appeared in EMIS
You might be seeing this if: a patient was sent a booking link and selected a slot, but the appointment does not appear in the EMIS calendar.
Check 1: Was the slot GP Connect bookable at the time of booking?
Go to the Appointment Book in EMIS and find the slot in question.
Right-click the slot and select Slot Properties.
Check whether GP Connect Bookable is ticked.
If it is not ticked, the slot was not set up to receive bookings from Anima. Refer to Issue 1 to correct the slot type and template for future sessions.
Check 2: Does the filter number match the available slots?
Go to Appointment Book, click Create Session, and load the relevant template.
Click Apply Filter and check that the Number of slots matches the actual number of bookable slots in that session.
If there is a mismatch, update the number, click OK, and click Save Template.
Check 3: Was a slot type changed after setup?
If a slot was switched to a non-GP connect bookable type (such as Catchup Slot) after the session filter was applied, there will be a mismatch between the filter and the actual slots. To fix this, go to the template, click Apply Filter, update the Number of slots to reflect the current number of bookable slots, click OK, and click Save Template.
If none of the above applies, contact [email protected] with the following: your practice ODS code, the name of your Anima organisation group in EMIS, the date, time, and session name of the affected appointment, and a screenshot of the Slot Properties for the affected slot.
Issue 5: Some slots are showing in Anima but not others in the same session
You might be seeing this if: a session has multiple slots but only some are visible when booking through Anima.
This is usually caused by a mismatch between the filter number and the actual bookable slots, or by individual slots having a different slot type to the rest of the session.
Right-click one of the missing slots in the Appointment Book and select Slot Properties.
Check whether GP Connect Bookable is ticked. If not, note the Slot Type shown.
Go to Appts Config, click Slot Types, and find that slot type. Check it has the correct Status Type and that Bookable Slot is ticked (see Issue 1 in this article).
Go back to the template, click Apply Filter, and confirm the Number of slots matches all the bookable slots you expect to see.
Click OK and Save Template.
Then do this in Anima: go to Settings, Organisation Settings, and click Force appointment slots update.
Issue 6: The "Slot availability status" error message appeared in EMIS
You might be seeing this if: EMIS showed a warning that reads "This action will change the number of GP Connect slots available to filters. Please amend the filters before amending the session."
This warning appears when you change a slot to a type that is not GP Connect bookable. It means the filter number in your template is now incorrect.
Click OK to close the warning.
Go to Appointment Book, click Create Session, and load the relevant template.
Click Apply Filter and update the Number of slots to reflect the new total of bookable slots.
Click OK and Save Template.
Then do this in Anima: go to Settings, Organisation Settings, and click Force appointment slots update.
Issue 7: Slots are showing on the NHS App when they should not be
You might be seeing this if: patients can see GP Connect slots on the NHS App, or a slot is appearing on the NHS App when it should only be bookable through Anima.
Right-click the slot in the Appointment Book and select Slot Properties.
Make sure Patient Facing Services is not ticked. If it is ticked, the slot will appear on the NHS App.
Make sure Externally Bookable is set to No.
Click OK to save.
Also check the session template. When creating or editing a session, make sure All slots Patient Facing Services bookable is not selected.
Issue 8: I clicked "Force appointment slots update" but slots still are not showing
Changes made in EMIS can take up to 3 hours to fully propagate, even after forcing an update. Wait at least 10 to 15 minutes after clicking the button, then test again by going to the Anima dashboard, opening a patient request, then in the middle column click the plus + icon next to Appointments, clicking Book appointment now. Search for a face to face consult and click Create new appointment to see if slots appear in the calendar.
If slots are still not appearing after 30 minutes, work back through Issues 1 to 3 to confirm your slot types, session filter, and clinician roles are all correctly configured.
Issue 9: Rota names are not showing for appointment bookings
Important: if your rota type name or rota name contains your GPAD keyword, it will not be visible for GP Connect appointment bookings in Anima. This is by design. GPAD rotas are for triage appointments only.
Check the names of your rota types and session templates in EMIS. If any that should be bookable contain your GPAD keyword (e.g. if they are both 'ANIMA'), rename them to remove it, then update your templates and force a refresh in Anima.
Your test rota should also be set within the next 7 days of your calendar, otherwise it may not appear during testing.
Still not resolved?
Contact our support team at [email protected] To help resolve things as quickly as possible, please have the following ready:
Your practice ODS code.
The name of your Anima organisation group in EMIS.
The session name and date affected.
A screenshot of the Slot Properties for one of the affected slots.
A screenshot of the Apply Filter settings from your session template.