Anima is an online consultation platform that allows you to submit requests to your GP 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 your GP practice would usually ask, meaning they will have all the information they need to help you and decide about next steps. Anima can help your GP manage health consultations, administrative tasks, send communication, all from one platform.
It’s important to know that Anima is not an AI doctor: Anima does not make diagnoses, and Anima doesn’t decide what should happen next. It is still your GP practice that decides on the most appropriate care for you.
All requests that you submit through Anima are sent to your GP practice, and a member of staff at your GP practice will be the one who reviews your request and decides what should happen next. Anima just makes the process quicker and more convenient for both you and your GP practice!
For patients who meet any of the criteria below, please be reassured you can still call the surgery on 01245 360253 or 01376 341411 where one of our reception team will be able to assist you:
- If you do not have access to the internet, or struggle using it;
- If you have a language barrier;
- If you have a disability;
- If you are in mental health crisis;
- If you are neurodivergent.
They can submit a request for you and you will be contacted by a member of the Triage Team to inform you of the outcome and book an appointment if necessary:
Anima
Anima seamlessly and confidentially integrates with your medical record, bringing improvements to how you access care and appointments and how our staff assess your condition.
The online triage form through Anima will ask you the same questions, streamlining the process. This allows for our patients to use to contact us about a medical problem, admin request or ask a simple question.
We are dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition for our patients. To help with this, we’ll be actively updating you on various platforms, ensuring you feel supported and well-informed leading up to our exciting launch. 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.
What is Anima and why are we changing our system?
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 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 needed the most. The idea behind a total digital triage is also to avoid the 8am rush that has become a problem for many. This approach is supported by NHS England, who have advised that GP surgeries consider this approach in future.
Anima seamlessly and confidentially integrates with your medical record, bringing improvements to how you request appointments and how our staff assess your condition.
Anima allows our Clinical Triage team to continue to improve access times by helping us to direct you to the most appropriate care for your medical needs. This ensures we make use of our limited resources in the most safe and efficient way. All appointments will continue to be offered according to clinical urgency and need. By using this triage system, it means that patients will be managed more equitably and effectively, connecting our patients efficiently to the right person for the right service.
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 and email to let you know when the practice has responded.
Useful Videos
Submit request: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy_vkM615YE
Frequently Asked Questions
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?
Anima is open from 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday every week, excluding public holidays.
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.
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 of have no available appointments.
What if I need help?
If you need extra support, please head to Anima’s Support Centre.
Alternatively, please ask our reception team, who will be happy to help.