Contact us online

With our online total triage service you can submit any medical query, including requests for appointments, sick notes and more, all from one convenient platform.

Please be aware that prescription requests should continue to be made via our existing systems, i.e. SystmOnline, requests via the website, or repeat slips dropped in to the surgery. See our prescriptions page for more information.

Anima coming soon banner

What is Anima Online Triage?

We are pleased to announce an update to the way our patients can request appointments and other healthcare-related items.

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 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 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.

For patients who meet any of the criteria below, please be reassured you can still call the surgery on 01621 816475 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
Information:

On some days, demand for a GP appointment far outweighs the safe capacity we can provide, and we may have to turn Anima off early because we are full. If you find Anima is 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.

When to use Anima Online Triage

  • General medical advice for new or on-going concerns
  • Administrative queries
  • Prescription queries
  • Requests for sick / fit notes
  • Blood tests and blood pressures
  • Flu and other vaccination enquiries
  • Annual long term health reviews including asthma, diabetes, COPD, hypertension and chronic heart disease
  • Contraceptive and HRT queries
  • Cervical Smears
  • Wound Care and Dressings
  • Child, Adult and Travel Immunisations
  • Home visit requests
  • Chasing test results
  • Chasing referrals
  • Chasing medical reports and other non-NHS work
Information:

When chasing hospital appointments and waiting list queries, please contact the hospital directly and not the practice.

How to use Anima Online Triage

How to create an account in Anima
Please see the Anima tutorial video to find out how to create an Anima account.
If you need further support please telephone the surgery or contact the Anima Support Team
How to add a dependant to your Anima account
Please see the Anima tutorial video to find out how to add a dependant to your Anima account.
If you need further support please telephone the surgery or contact the Anima Support Team
How to submit a request in Anima
Please see the Anima tutorial video to find out how to submit a request in Anima.
If you need further support please telephone the surgery or contact the Anima Support Team
What happens after I submit a request in Anima
Please see the Anima tutorial video to find out what happens after you submit a request in Anima.
If you need further support please telephone the surgery or contact the Anima Support Team
How to check your appointments and respond to an invite in Anima
Please see the Anima tutorial video to find out how to check your appointments and respond to an invite in Anima.
If you need further support please telephone the surgery or contact the Anima Support Team

Frequently asked questions

What are the opening times for Anima?

We aim to have Anima open from 06:00 every weekday, with the ability to submit a health concern closing at 16:00 or when we have reached our maximum safe level. This gives us time to triage health submissions before the practice closes.

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, and we may have to turn Anima off early because we are full. If you find Anima is 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.

Please remember that GP surgeries are not an emergency service so we will signpost you to other services within the NHS when appropriate.

Anima will not be available on bank holidays or when the surgery is closed for staff training.

How soon will I hear back?

We aim to respond to queries the same day. Some routine queries may take us a few days to get back to you as we will prioritise urgent care.

You can always check the status of your query via your dashboard when you log into your Anima account.

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 999, 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 in order to submit to the practice.

How will the surgery contact me?

When you log in to Anima with the NHS app or create an Anima account, you will be asked to give your email address and mobile phone number. By giving your mobile number you are consenting to be contacted via a short text to advise when the practice has communicated with you, either as a new contact or in response to your submission. Only by logging into your Anima account will you be able to see the contact/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 a parent’s account as a dependent but children over the age of 13 years can be considered for their own account. This consideration is based on guidelines called the “Gillick Competency” where it is recognised that children of a certain age may be mature enough to make decisions about things that affect them.

More information about the Gillick Competency

If you would like to submit Anima requests on behalf of someone else, such as a child or relative, please create an account for yourself first. You can then add dependants to your account from the “Add children / dependants” page when you are logged in.

Can we use a shared email address to sign up to Anima?

We would recommend using separate email addresses to sign up to Anima. You can set up a new email address using Outlook or Gmail etc. If you would really like to use the same email address then one person will need to sign up to Anima using the existing 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 are able to submit requests for you via Anima and can text you or call you back to inform you of the outcome of your request and book you in for the necessary appointment.

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 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 Triage is also to avoid the “8am rush” that has become a problem for many. This approach is supported by NHS England.

Can I use Anima to request a repeat prescription?

We would recommend you use your NHS account (or the NHS app) or SystmOnline to request your repeat prescriptions in the first instance. The team behind Anima are looking to provide more integrated functionality so that repeat prescriptions can be requested via Anima in future.

Acute Prescriptions

Any other medications you need that are not on your repeat list are called acute medications. Acute means the GP doesn’t want another prescription to be issued without reviewing the patient first, either by speaking to them or reviewing test results. This is why the NHS app also cannot order acute medications. Use the prescription question form to request these medications. Please note; if the medication you’ve requested hasn’t been prescribed for a while, the GP may need to see or speak with you before prescribing it.

See our prescriptions page for more information.

Can I book nurse appointments through Anima?

Yes, all appointments can be requested using the Anima system.

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.

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 contact the Anima’s support team if you have trouble using the website.

What are the benefits to me as a patient?

As a patient you will benefit from:

  • Being able to log on to see the status and outcomes of your current and past requests.
  • You can use the system in a number of different languages
  • You will be asked questions based on your issues
  • Your medical records will be more complete for the future
  • The practice responses will be clearer
  • You will receive a text message and email to let you know when the practice has responded (no more missing emails in the junk box).
  • You can provide all the information that the practice needs without waiting on the phone

What are the benefits to the practice?

As a practice, Tiptree Medical Centre will benefit from:

  • Seeing your request in a clear structured format
  • Being able to save all the information about your requests 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.
  • Less duplications of requests
  • Your requests will be clearer to understand at first glance meaning we will be able to allocate to the most appropriate members of our team, making the 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.

What about my data?

Anima is approved by NHS Digital to be used by GP practices and the other systems involved in your care. The NHS has a lengthy assurance process to ensure we meet the highest standards of safety and security. 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.

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.  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 the website anytime, even outside of surgery hours during the week.

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 personal 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.