What this is
Some documents arrive directly in Anima through MESH. Particularly for EMIS practices, MESH is the secure NHS messaging service that hospitals and other organisations use to send things like discharge summaries and clinic letters.
Previously, when one of these documents wasn't right for your practice, you could download and archive it, but the sender had no automatic way of knowing there was a problem. MESH rejection means that when you archive an eligible MESH document, you can now pick a reason for rejecting it, and Anima sends a message back to the sender letting them know the outcome.
How to reject a document
Nothing changes for the documents you handle normally. The only new thing is an extra option when you archive an eligible MESH document — you can reject it with a reason if it shouldn't have come to you:
Archive without rejecting — use this when the document is fine and you're simply filing it. A success confirmation is sent back to the sender automatically.
Reject and archive — choose a reason from the dropdown, then select Reject & archive. The reason is sent back to the sender and the document is archived in one step.
The Reject & archive button only becomes available once you've selected a reason.
Not every MESH document can be rejected. The rejection dialog and reasons only appear for eligible document types. Other MESH documents are archived as normal, with no reason sent back to the sender.
The three rejection reasons
Pick the reason that matches the situation:
Rejection reason | When to use it |
Patient is not known at this practice | The patient has never been registered at your practice. |
Patient previously registered here but has moved | The patient was registered with you before, but has since moved on. |
Issue with document contents | The problem is with the document itself. i.e. it won't open, won't display, contains no usable clinical information, or is clearly the wrong content. |
Please double-check before rejecting
⚠️ A rejection cannot be undone. The reason you choose is sent back to the sending organisation and acted on at their end, so an incorrect rejection — or the wrong reason — creates work and confusion for the team on the other side. Make sure only documents that genuinely should be rejected are rejected, and that the reason is correct.
However, you can still review the file/archived document under the 'Archived' view in your Anima Documents homepage. These disappear from view after 30 days.
What happens after you reject
When you reject an eligible document, Anima sends your chosen reason back to the sending organisation over MESH. They'll see that the document wasn't accepted and why, so it's then their responsibility to correct the issue. For example, re-checking the patient's registration or re-sending a readable copy to the right place.
Good to know
A document can only be responded to once. Once you've archived or rejected a MESH document, no further response can be sent for it. The reject option only appears while the document is still awaiting a response.
Not every MESH document can be rejected. The rejection dialog and reasons only appear for eligible document types. Other MESH documents are archived as normal, with no reason sent back to the sender.
You need permission to archive documents. Anyone who can archive documents at your practice can send a rejection. If you don't see the option, check your permissions with your practice administrator.