Before proceeding with troubleshooting, please ensure that you have followed each step of the guide linked below:
Use this guide if you have completed the GP Connect setup but appointment slots are not appearing correctly in Anima. Each section describes what you might be seeing and walks you through exactly how to fix it.
After making any change in SystmOne, 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.
Important: changes to slot types in SystmOne will not apply until you restart SystmOne. If you have made slot type changes and slots are still not showing, restart SystmOne first before testing again.
Issue 1: Slots not showing in Anima after setup
You might be seeing this if: you have created slot types in SystmOne but they are not appearing when booking through Anima, or slots appear but the wrong appointment method is showing.
Step 1: Check your slot type settings
In SystmOne, click Setup at the top, then Users & Policy, then Organisation Preferences.
In the pop up window, find Patient Call Screen on the left-hand side and click Slot Types.
Find the slot type that is not showing and click Amend Slot Type.
Check the following:
Type must be set to Bookable. If it is set to Embargo or Blocked it will not be available via GP Connect.
Bookable through remote booking must be ticked. This is the most critical checkbox for GP Connect to work.
Appointment Method must match the type of appointment you want to show in Anima. For example, if you want a face to face appointment to appear, Appointment Method must be set to Face to Face.
National Slot Type Category should be set to Practice - Care Related Encounter - General Consultation Routine or whichever category you normally use.
Click OK to save.
Restart SystmOne for the changes to take effect.
Note: you need to do this for every slot type you want to be bookable through Anima, not just one.
Step 2: Check your rota and slot type booking rules
In SystmOne, go to Setup, Users & Policy, Organisation Preferences, then click Provider under GP Connect on the left-hand side.
In the first box (Rota Booking Rules), confirm that the rota type you want to be bookable is listed. If it is missing, click + to add it, select the second option (only allow specific organisations), and click OK.
In the second box, confirm your practice is listed against that rota type. If not, click + to add it.
In the third box (Slot types that can be booked into via GP Connect), confirm your slot type is listed. If it is missing, click + to add it, select the second option, and click OK.
In the fourth box, confirm your practice is listed against that slot type. If not, click + to add it.
Click OK at the bottom to save all changes.
Finally, trigger a refresh of slots in Anima via Organisation Settings
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 appears to be switched on but slots are not showing when staff try to book through Anima.
Work through the three checks below in order.
Check 1: The Enable GP Connect Appointments Provider checkbox is ticked
In SystmOne, click Setup, Users & Policy, Organisation Preferences.
In the left-hand menu, click Provider under GP Connect.
Check that the Enable GP Connect Appointments Provider checkbox is ticked at the top of the page.
If it is not ticked, tick it and click OK to save.
Check 2: The rota type has a booking rule and your organisation has access
Stay in Setup, Users & Policy, Organisation Preferences, Provider under GP Connect.
In the first box under Rota Booking Rules, check that the rota type you want to be bookable is listed. If it is missing, click the + symbol to add it. When the Rota Booking Rule dialog appears, select the rota type from the dropdown and choose the second option: Only allow organisations that have a specific rule to book into this rota type. Click OK.
In the second box below, check that your practice is listed against that rota type. If it is missing, click the + sign, find your rota type in the Available column and move it to Selected using the right arrow, then click + under Organisations to add your practice site. Click OK.
Click OK again at the bottom to save all changes.
Note: your practice may appear under more than one organisation in SystmOne. If you are unsure which to add, add both.
Check 3: The slot type has a booking rule and your organisation has access
Still in the same Provider screen, check the third box (Slot types that can be booked into via GP Connect). Your slot type must be listed here. If it is missing, click +, find the slot type, select the second option, and click OK.
Check the fourth box. Your practice must be listed against the slot type. If it is missing, click + in the fourth box, move the slot type to the Selected column, then click + under Organisation to add your practice. Click OK.
Click OK again at the bottom to save all changes.
Then do this in Anima: go to Settings (bottom left), Organisation Settings, Practice settings, scroll down and click Force appointment slots update.
Issue 3: Booking links issue - a specific GP or clinician is not appearing
You might be seeing this if: staff send a booking link through Anima but one or more clinicians do not appear as options for the patient to book with.
This can mean that the clinician does not have a GP Connect role assigned in SystmOne.
In SystmOne, click Setup, Users & Policy, Staff & Organisation Setup.
Find the clinician who is not appearing. Right-click their name and select Amend Staff.
In the pop up window, click the Local Settings tab at the top.
Check that the GP Connect role field has a role selected. If it is blank, click the dropdown and select the appropriate role.
Click OK to save.
Here's a list of GP connect roles:
General Medical Practitioner
Salaried General Practitioner
Student Practice Nurse
Specialist Nurse Practitioner
Sister/Charge Nurse
Staff Nurse
Midwife
Community Practitioner
Community Midwife
Dietician
Pharmacist
Psychotherapist
Clinical Psychotherapist
Social Worker
Health Care Support Worker
Healthcare Assistant
Counsellor
Phlebotomist
GP Registrar
Sessional GP
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
Open the Anima desktop app.
Click Settings (bottom left) → Organisation Settings → Practice settings
Scroll down slightly and click Force appointment slots update
Issue 4: Appointments not showing in SystmOne after being booked through Anima
You might be seeing this if: a patient was sent a booking link, selected a slot, but the appointment is not showing in the SystmOne calendar.
Check 1: Is the slot type correctly configured?
Go to Setup, Users & Policy, Organisation Preferences, Slot Types under Patient Call Screen. Find the slot type used for that appointment and check that Type is Bookable and Bookable through remote booking is ticked. If either is incorrect, amend the slot type, click OK, and restart SystmOne.
Check 2: Is the rota type listed under Rota Booking Rules?
Go to Setup, Users & Policy, Organisation Preferences, Provider under GP Connect. Check the first box to confirm the rota type is listed. Check the second box to confirm your practice organisation is listed against that rota type. If either is missing, add them following the steps in Issue 2, Check 2 above.
Check 3: Is the slot type listed under Slot Type Booking Rules?
Check the third and fourth boxes on the same Provider screen to confirm the slot type is listed and your practice has organisation access. If either is missing, add them following the steps in Issue 2, Check 3 above.
If none of the above applies, contact your Anima account manager with the following: your practice ODS code, the rota type and slot type used, the date and time of the affected appointment, and a screenshot of the Provider screen showing your Rota Booking Rules and Slot Type Booking Rules.
Issue 5: Some slots not showing in Anima but others in the same session are
You might be seeing this if: some appointment types appear when booking through Anima but others are not showing.
This might mean a specific slot type is missing from the Slot Type Booking Rules, or the organisation has not been granted access to that slot type.
Go to Setup, Users & Policy, Organisation Preferences, Provider under GP Connect.
In the third box, check whether the missing slot type is listed.
If it is missing, click + to add it, select the second option, and click OK.
In the fourth box, check whether your practice is listed against that slot type. If not, click + to add it.
Click OK at the bottom to save all changes.
Also check that the slot type itself is correctly configured. Go to Slot Types under Patient Call Screen in Organisation Preferences and confirm Type is Bookable, Bookable through remote booking is ticked, and Appointment Method is set correctly.
Finally, trigger a refresh of slots in Anima via Organisation Settings
Open the Anima desktop app.
Click Settings (bottom left) → Organisation Settings → Practice settings
Scroll down slightly and click Force appointment slots update
Issue 6: 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 in SystmOne. Go to Appointments, Appointment Ledger, right-click a rota, select Administration, then Amend to check the rota type name. If any rota that should be bookable contains your GPAD keyword, rename it, update your booking rules, 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.
Issue 7: The error "SystmOne Not Currently Open" appears
This error means SystmOne is not running or is not accessible on the machine being used. Ensure SystmOne is open and that the user is logged in before attempting to use GP Connect booking through Anima.
Issue 8: I clicked "Force appointment slots update" but slots are still not showing
Changes made in SystmOne can take up to 3 hours to fully propagate, even after forcing an update. Wait a few minutes after clicking the button, then test again by going to the Anima dashboard, opening a patient request, clicking the + icon next to Appointments under the Plan column, selecting Book appointment now, and searching for Face to Face Consult. Click Create new appointment to see if slots appear in the calendar.
If slots are still not showing, work back through Issues 1 to 3 to confirm your slot types, rota and slot booking rules, and clinician GP Connect roles are all correctly configured. Also restart SystmOne if you have made any slot type changes, as these do not take effect until SystmOne is restarted.
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.
Screenshots of your settings in S1 after following the steps and guides above.