How does Anima work?
- Register
Create an account on Anima or log in using your NHS app login details
Within your account dashboard, you can see the status of any request you have made, book appointments and contact the practice.
- Submit
Whenever you have a health concern, you complete a request on the Anima website.
You can submit requests for a variety of medical and administrative queries.
If you want to request a GP appointment please select the option “I want help with a medical issue”
- Review
This request is then reviewed by a Clinician the same day and an appropriate outcome is emailed to you, along with a text message.
FAQs
What are the opening times for Anima?
We aim to have Anima open from 7am – 5pm every weekday.
Occasionally we may have to close Anima early, see below for more details
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 find anima closed as we have reached the maximum number of submissions for that day, and your health concern is urgent, please consider using the NHS 111 service or in an emergency dial 999 or attend A&E.
Anima will not be available on bank holidays or when the surgery is closed for staff training.
How soon will I hear back? How will the surgery contact me?
We aim to respond to all queries on the same day.
Some more routine queries may take us a few days to get back to you. You can always check the status of your query via your Anima dashboard.
How will the surgery contact me?
When you create an account in Anima you will be asked to give your email address and mobile number. By giving these details you are consenting to be contacted by the practice. Only by logging into your anima account will you be able to see the response in full, therefore ensuring complete confidentiality between the practice and yourself.
Can my children have anima accounts
Anima accounts can be created by patients 16 years and over. Anyone under that age should be attached to parent/ guardians account as a dependant but children over the age of 13 years can be considered for their own account. This consideration is based on guidelines called 'Gillick Competency' where it is recognised that children of a certain age may be mature enough to make decisions about things that affect them.
Can we use a shared email address to sign up to Anima?
We would recommend using separate email addresses to sign up to Anima. If you would like to use the same email address then one person will need to sign up to Anima using the email address and add the other person as a dependant. However, we will need written consent from both parties as medical information for one another will be accessible to both users.
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 can 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.
Anima is telling me to stop submitting my health concern as the system says I have a medical emergency, but I want to submit to the surgery?
If, when submitting a medical concern, you are advised by Anima that you should seek medical help via 111 or 99, please follow this advice.
We are not an emergency service and your health issue may be better treated by emergency health professionals.
We are notified by Anima when patients amend red-flagged answers to submit to the practice.
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 are 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 “8 am 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.
Can I use Anima to request a repeat prescription?
Currently, the process of requesting medication through Anima is not available. We would recommend you use the NHS app to request your repeat prescriptions or come into the surgery and drop in your repeat list via the dispensary team.
Any other medications you need that are not on your repeat list are called acute medications. Acute means the clinician doesn't want another prescription issued without reviewing the patient first.
Please note, if the medication you’ve requested hasn't been prescribed for a while. The Clinician may need to see or speak with you before prescribing it.
Can I book nurse appointments through Anima?
You can certainly use Anima to request nurse appointments, but these can also be booked by calling reception in the usual way.
Is Anima an App?
No, Anima is not an app currently. It can only be accessed through the website. The Anima team are working on integration with the NHS app and we will update you when this has happened.
You can log into Anima using your NHS app login credentials, or create your own unique Anima username and password.
Can I contact Anima directly?
Yes! We would encourage you to email Anima’s support team at support@animahealth.com if you have trouble using the website.
What are the benefits to me as a patient?
- Being able to log on to see the status and outcome of your current and past requests
- You can use the system in several languages
- You will be asked questions based on your issues
- Your medical records will be complete for the future
- The practice response will be clearer
- You will receive a text message and email to let you know when the practice has responded
- You can provide all the information that the practice needs without waiting on the phone.
I don't want to use Anima, I just want to see a GP
We strongly believe that accessing services, advice and guidance this way is much more efficient in comparison to previous models. It only takes up to 10 minutes to complete an Anima submission and 2-3 minutes for a GP to process. Research shows that 70% of patient requests can be closed without the need for a face-to-face appointment which means that you may not even have to come to the surgery. Also, you can access NHS-based help via Anima anytime, even outside of surgery hours during the week.
What are the benefits to the practice?
As a practice, The Market Cross Surgery will benefit from
- Seeing your request in a clear structured format
- Save all the information about your request in a structured way into your medical records- this will help staff when looking at your records for this episode of care or in the future.
- Fewer duplications of requests
- Your requests will be clear and we will be able to allocate to the most appropriate members of our team, making the turn-around more efficient.
- Your request will come into our system with a Red, Amber Green rating with clear information about what responses have triggered these ratings. This will allow the team to focus on any urgent requests.
- We will be able to provide a clear response due to the way anima builds the response as we perform actions.
What about my data?
Anima is approved by NHS Digital to be used by GP practices and the other systems involved in your care. Your data is safe and shared only with us for the purposes of your direct care. Your data is stored and sent securely using industry best practices. Only data that is necessary to provide you with care is collected.
Anima Privacy Policy
For patients whose GP practice uses Anima to manage and process online consultations, Anima acts as a ‘data processor’ on behalf of your GP practice. This means that we only process personal data to the extent that is required for your GP practice to provide you with the care that you need. When you submit a request through Anima, your data is not shared with any third parties, nor are you subject to any advertising when using Anima.
Some clauses in our privacy policy only apply to users of our website, and this is so we can account for advertising services and cookies that may be present in users’ browsers.
Anima is certified to NHS and UK government standards for data security and information governance: all data processed through Anima is secure (encrypted) both in transit (when it is sent) and at rest (when it is received), and all data is stored in the UK. No patient data is shared outside the UK.