Overview
Waiting List Auto Book automatically books the longest-waiting patient into a Group Appointment when a space becomes available, based on their position on the Waiting List and their priority. A confirmation is sent to the patient immediately, so no action is required from staff.
Auto Book is configured per Group Appointment Type from Settings > Appointment Book > Waiting List.
How Auto Book Works
When a patient is removed from a full Group Appointment that has patients waiting, and Auto Book is enabled for that Appointment Type, PracSuite checks the Waiting List for that appointment.
If a patient is waiting and the Timing Restrictions allow it (see below), the longest-waiting patient, ranked by priority, is automatically booked into the vacant space. A confirmation SMS or email is sent to the patient straight away using the templates configured for Auto Book.
If a pass is available and Pass Redemption is enabled, it's redeemed automatically as part of the booking.
Setting Up Auto Book
Step 1:
Go to Settings > Appointment Book > Waiting List.
Step 2:
Select the Group Appointment Type you want to configure.
Step 3:
Select Auto Book.
Step 4:
Choose the Type to set how patients are notified when they're auto booked. This applies when a patient has confirmations enabled for both SMS and email, and controls whether the confirmation goes out on one channel or both:
Email – sends by email only.
SMS – sends by SMS only.
Prefer SMS – sends by SMS only, in preference to email.
Prefer Email – sends by email only, in preference to SMS.
Both SMS and Email – sends by both SMS and email.
Step 5:
Under Template Settings, choose whether the confirmation should use your existing System Confirmation Settings or a Custom Template for SMS and email. Use the Message Preview to check how the confirmation will look before saving.
Step 6:
Under Pass Redemption, turn on Automatically redeem pass if available once appointment is booked if you'd like a patient's pass used automatically when they're booked in. This is off by default.
Step 7:
Set your Timing Restrictions (see below).
Step 8:
Select Save.
Timing Restrictions
Timing Restrictions control how close to the appointment start time Auto Book is allowed to fill a vacant space. There are two options:
No restriction, auto book any time a vacancy occurs (not recommended) – a vacancy is filled as soon as it occurs, at any time. This isn't recommended: last-minute cancellations give patients no real notice, and overnight cancellations for early classes can auto book someone who's asleep.
Do not auto book within X hours/minutes of appointment start – vacancies that open up within this window before the appointment starts won't be auto booked, giving patients enough notice to attend.
You can also turn on Apply a stricter rule for early morning appointments to set a longer lead time for classes that start early in the day, when patients are less likely to see a same-day confirmation in time. For example, a class starting before 7:00am with an 11 hour rule won't auto book a vacancy that opens any time after 8:00pm the previous night.
Allowing Patients to Join the Waiting List Online
Patients only enter the Auto Book process once they're on the Waiting List, whether added by staff or joined online. To allow patients to join a Group Appointment Type's Waiting List through Online Booking, go to Settings > Online Booking > Services, select the Service and Appointment Type, and turn on Allow patients to join the Waiting List. See Enabling Group Online Bookings for more on setting up Group Appointment Types for Online Booking.
Once enabled, this section shows which Waiting List Automation mode is active for that Appointment Type, with a link through to the main configuration page.
Sending the "Added to Waiting List" Email
When a patient joins the Waiting List online, PracSuite can send them a confirmation that they've been added. This is configured on the same Online Booking Appointment Type page, separately from the Auto Book confirmation:
Send "Added to Waiting List" Email – turn this on to send the confirmation.
Email Template – choose PracSuite Default or a Custom Template.
This confirmation is only sent when a patient joins the Waiting List through Online Booking. It isn't sent for Waiting List entries added by staff, and it's separate from the confirmation sent when a patient is Auto Booked into the class, which is configured on the main Waiting List Automation page (Step 5).
What Patients Experience
Patients who join the Waiting List through Online Booking receive an "Added to Waiting List" confirmation, if it's enabled for that Appointment Type, letting them know they don't need to do anything else. If a space opens up and Auto Book books them in, they then receive the appointment confirmation configured in Step 5 above.
Patients can remove themselves from the Waiting List at any time by logging into their online account, or via the Appointment Manager link in the confirmation email they've received, if one's included, which is often quicker since it doesn't require logging in.