Anima

Please only use for non-urgent on-line consultations.

 

Introducing Anima – Our New Online Triage and Request System

We are pleased to announce a major update to the way you can request appointments and other healthcare services. From 3rd September we have launched a new system called Anima, which has replaced Patchs.

Anima is a secure, easy-to-use system that allows you to submit medical and administrative requests online. It integrates directly and confidentially with your medical record, helping our clinical team assess your needs quickly and safely. It does not require software registration – a common cause of frustration

Improving patient access is always one of our top priorities.  We hope that using this online platform will help streamline your experience with our surgery.

Why Are We Using Anima?

Demand for GP services is rising, while the number of available clinicians is under pressure nationwide. By moving to a digital-first triage system, we can:

• Ensure patients are seen by the right person at the right time
• Improve access to care and reduce wait times
• Prevent the daily “8am rush” for appointments
• Get the right clinical information from you to process your request
• Help us use our limited resources safely and fairly
• Nationwide changes to the GP contract are requiring online access to surgeries to be more readily available.  There is also an ever increasing demand within General Practice.

Anima is also supported by NHS England as a modern and effective way to deliver general practice care.

What Can I Use Anima For?

Eventually you will be able to use Anima to submit requests for the following (although not all these services will be available at the start):

• Routine, or follow-up appointments
• Medical advice for new or ongoing issues
• Fit (sick) notes
• Test results
• Vaccinations (flu, childhood, etc.)
• Wound care and dressings
• Contraception and HRT queries
• Letters, forms and reports
• Cervical smears and other nurse appointments

How Does It Work?

We would like to ask for your patience whilst we change to Anima as we are aware that introducing any new system may have some teething troubles, however we are not anticipating any disruption.

A link on the Mountwood Surgery web-site home page will connect you to the Anima online consultation platform that allows you to submit requests to the practice.

Using Anima, you will be able to submit requests tailored to whatever medical problem or admin request you have. Anima will ask you all the same questions that a doctor or someone else at the practice would usually ask, meaning they will have all the information needed to help you and make a decision about next steps.  The forms are designed carefully to gather a high level of detail, to enable clinicians to deal with your request safely and effectively.

Your request is reviewed by our GP-led triage team, who get back to you with an outcome - whether that’s advice, a prescription, or an appointment. If you need to be seen, you’ll be offered a slot based on clinical urgency and need.

• We aim to respond to medical requests within three days initially.  In the coming months, this response will be reduced to the same day
• Admin requests may take a few working days
• Urgent requests – please do NOT submit after 5pm to ensure our clinicians have enough time to process your request in a safe way
• Please do not use Anima for emergency or life-threating requests – call 999 or go to the local A&E 
• Please don’t call the surgery to chase Anima requests—we will contact you via your NHS App or SMS/call

Can Everyone Use Anima?

Anima is our preferred method for contacting the surgery. However, we understand that not everyone might be able to use it easily. Please contact our friendly reception team, who will assist and answer your questions or concerns.

We also have the following support available:

• Care Navigators can help you submit an Anima request over the phone for the first time
• Our Anima Ambassadors are available at the practice to support you in person
• We will be hosting some interactive events for patients to be able to come down to the surgery to ask questions / help navigate Anima (dates to be confirmed)

What are the benefits to me as a patient?

As a patient you will benefit from:

• You can provide all the information that the practice needs without waiting on the phone
• You will be asked questions based on your issues (asked without medical jargon)
• You will be able to log on to see the status and outcomes of your current and past requests.
• The practice responses will be clearer
• You will be managed more equitably and effectively, connecting you efficiently to the right person for the right service.
• You can use the system in a number of languages
• You will receive a text message via the NHS App / SMS text message / email to let you know when the practice has responded

What are the benefits to the practice?

As a practice, we will benefit from:

• We will see your request in a clear structured format
• We will be able to save all the information about your requests in a structured way into your medical records â This will help staff when looking at your records for this episode of care or in the future
• As patients can see the status of their request, we should get less duplicates that clog up the system
• Your requests will be cleared to understand at first glance and so the team will be able to allocate correct people, thus making our turn around more efficient
• Your requests will come into our system with a Red, Amber, Green rating with clear information about what responses have trigger the rating. This will allow the team to focus on any urgent requests
• We will be able to provide clearer responses due to the way that Anima builds the response as we perform actions. These responses will be safer as well as it will be secured behind a log in.

Useful Videos

How to submit a request: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy_vkM615YE

What happens next with my request?: https://youtu.be/A20J_r766UQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time do I have to submit my request?

You have 30 minutes to complete and submit your request.

Near the end of this time, you might see a message saying you can save your request and return to it later. At the moment, this feature is not available, and it isn’t possible to save the form and come back to it. Anima is aware of this message and is working on a fix.

Please try to finish the form within the 30‑minute limit. If you’re unable to do this, please contact reception and they will be happy to help. 

We will also be offering digital support workshops soon for anyone who would like help using Anima. Please keep an eye on the practice website news for booking information.

Can I submit a request for someone else (family member/carer)?

Yes – Anima allows you to submit a request on behalf of a family member or someone you care for. You’ll be asked to confirm whose details you're entering and who should be contacted.

Is Anima an app?

No, Anima is accessed through a website. You don’t need to download anything. QR codes are available in reception to take you straight to the site.

Why have we changed to Anima?

GP practices are experiencing significant strain with declining GP numbers and increasing demand. Ensuring that patients are seen by the appropriate clinician in the right place and at the right time means that patient care and experience is improved, and it reduces pressure on GP practices, allowing GPs to spend their time where it is most needed. This approach is supported by NHS England who have advised that GP surgeries should provide digital triage to their patients.

Why should I use Anima?

Anima allows your GP to get to your consultation or requests much faster than traditional methods. The biggest benefit is that these changes will mean there will be no more “8am rush” to queue on the telephones or queue at the surgery. No matter what time you contact us all our appointments will be prioritised by our clinical team based on medical urgency.

What about my data?

Anima is approved by the NHS and works with your GP practice in order to enable us to provide you with care. We sign specific agreements to let us do this, and only collect data that we need in order to make this happen. https://www.animahealth.com/privacy-policy

Will I get a GP appointment if I telephone the surgery or come into reception?

All requests for GP appointments will go through Anima for clinical triaging before an appointment is offered. The quickest and easiest way to submit a request is online, but you can still telephone the surgery or come into reception if you wish. The reception team will input your request into Anima on your behalf and you will then be contacted later that day or, for non-urgent requests, a few days later with a notification of an outcome or offer of an appointment.

What are the opening times for Anima?

Initially Anima will be replacing PATCHS and be open at the same times as it is currently in the morning and afternoon (Monday to Friday every week, excluding public holidays). This window will gradually extend in the months to come.  The timings will depend on capacity at the surgery on the day and be regularly reviewed. Our opening times will be updated in real time.

Why is Anima closed?

On some days, demand for a GP appointment far outweighs the safe capacity we can provide. On these days, we may have to turn Anima off early because we are full. If you have an emergency in these situations, please call the reception team who will be happy to help. Remember there are out of hours services available when we close, including 111 and 999.

How soon will I hear back?

We aim to respond to medical requests within three days initially.  In the coming months, this response will be reduced to the same day. You can always check the status of your query via your Anima dashboard.

What happens if I can’t access the internet or don’t feel confident using it?

Our reception team are always happy to help! They are able to submit requests for you and can call you back to inform you of the outcome of your request and book you in for the necessary appointment.

Will patients with fewer symptoms be put to the bottom of the appointment list?

Digital triage means that requests are prioritised in order of need. All requests will be looked at by a GP on the same day where possible and the level of care decided at that point. This means that patients will be seen at the right time and by the right person. By triaging, we give priority to the most poorly of our patients.

Can I still use Anima if I don’t have a mobile phone?

Absolutely! During your sign-up process, we will ask you for both an email address and a mobile phone number. This is so we can let you know when your doctor has made a decision regarding the request you have submitted.

But don’t worry if you do not have a mobile phone, we will simply use your email address to notify you. If you don’t have an email address either, then we will telephone you on your landline.

I share the same email address as my partner, can we use the same account?

To help us with patient identification and to ensure that information sent to you by your GP practice remains secure, each account created with Anima needs to be related to a unique email address. However, one user can register and then add another user as their dependant. This means that the ‘primary’ user will be able to submit Anima requests on behalf of the dependant account.

Can I use Anima to request a repeat prescription?

Yes, requests you can order repeat prescriptions on Anima.

You can also still use the NHS App. If patients prefer to not use an app, they can request their prescription via their pharmacy, or email the surgery.

Can I see the clinician of my choice?

Yes! You can specify your preferred clinician at the time of making your request. We will accommodate specific requests wherever we can, although on occasion we may not be able to offer appointments with a clinician of choice if they are away or have no available appointments.

Read more Frequently Asked Questions here

What if I need help?

If you need extra support, please email the Anima support team directly at: support@animahealth.com

Alternatively, please ask our reception team, who will be happy to help.