What to change
Explain whether the team can coordinate the appointments and how someone requests that help. Do not imply that consecutive slots exist unless the booking process confirms them.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A patient wants a consultation and a separate hygienist visit. The page directs them to reception to discuss coordinating the visits, while making clear that each appointment has its own availability and fee.
Put it into practice
Ask staff what errors commonly arise when visitors choose two independent time slots. A useful page helps people understand the practical next steps without inventing a standard interval or implying that every second appointment is automatically required.
Where the second visit is arranged later, say who starts that conversation. Patients should not have to guess whether to wait for the practice or contact the team themselves.
What to agree before publishing
Have the service owner confirm the sequence before inviting patients to book two independent slots. Explain whether both visits are arranged together or the second follows a later discussion, and identify who starts that next step. Ask the team what commonly goes wrong when visitors try to organise the sequence themselves. A practical numbered explanation can make the commitment clear without inventing a fixed interval. The patient needs to understand what can be arranged now and what remains dependent on a future decision.
How to check the result
A visitor knows how to ask for coordination and can tell whether one or both appointments have been confirmed.
A mistake to avoid
Do not encourage someone to book arbitrary neighbouring slots and assume staff can rearrange the service sequence later.
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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