What to change
Explain the practice's actual rule for multiple attendees before booking starts. Distinguish accompanying someone from receiving a separate appointment at the same visit.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A dental page says each patient needs their own appointment and offers reception help with arranging nearby times. A parent can then check that both children have separate confirmed details.
Put it into practice
Ask your supplier to test two fictional family members rather than only a single adult. The confirmations should make it possible to see who each appointment is for without relying on the order in which forms were completed.
Check that each confirmation identifies the intended attendee clearly. A shared email address should not make the appointments indistinguishable to the adult organising several visits at once.
What to agree before publishing
Use two fictional family members to review the booking route and confirmations. The system should make clear whose details belong to each appointment and whether each visit requires a separate request. Ask the booking team how linked arrangements are discussed if needed. A shared reply address should not make the final messages indistinguishable. Patients organising several visits need to check the attendee, time and service for each one without assuming the order in which forms were completed will remain obvious later.
How to check the result
The reader knows whether a booking covers one patient or a specific group arrangement.
A mistake to avoid
Do not treat an additional name in a free-text note as a confirmed extra appointment or assume staff will extend the slot.
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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