What this means for your practice
Ask the supplier how availability is retrieved and rechecked before confirmation. Agree how the visitor should recover when a previously displayed slot is no longer available.
An example to discuss with your team
Reserve the last fictional slot elsewhere while a visitor is choosing it.
Questions to take to your supplier
Ask the supplier to take the last fictional slot through another channel while it is displayed online. What does the visitor see when trying to confirm? A useful recovery offers a clear next step and avoids implying that the unavailable appointment has been booked.
Agree the working process
Agree which diary determines whether a slot can actually be booked. The website may show an earlier view of that diary, so ask when availability is checked again and what happens if another channel has taken the slot. The visitor should receive a clear explanation and a useful way to continue, without being told they have an appointment that no longer exists. Include the last available slot in the demonstration because it exposes the conflict directly. Also consider the information already entered: the team should decide what can be retained appropriately so the person does not repeat unnecessary work while choosing again.
Ask reception to review the failed-booking case from its side. Does it create a task, a temporary entry or no appointment, and is that state understandable? Keep the process for uncertain results distinct from a definitely unavailable slot. Review frequent rejections with the supplier, since they may indicate information updating too slowly or a journey that waits too long before checking again.
How to check the result
Count booking attempts rejected because displayed availability was stale.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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