What is the context?
The Meddbase Fast Booking Portal features a single-page interface that allows for quicker and more efficient booking of appointments or services. Patients can easily see a wide range of availability at a glance through a branded and customised interface. Additionally, the portal is fully compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA standards, ensuring accessibility for all users.
The Fast Booking Portal is linked to your Meddbase Chargebands, you control which services patients can book without requiring a patient portal account. This control means that services needing longer pre-appointment or triage workflows are gated, while high-volume, quick services can be booked swiftly by any patient, reducing drop-off.
What is the purpose of this article?
The purpose of this article is to give a guide on how to configure and utilise the new FPB with your patient portal.
The setup of the Fast Booking Portal follows the same setup and chamber prerequisites for the patient portal. To learn more about the Patient Portal, please see Patient Portal Setup.
Prerequisites
The Fast Booking Portal (FBP) is highly configurable in terms of theme, logos, additional text and other features. You will need to raise a request with your account manager/support, stating that you would like an FBP. Once your request is received, the Solutions Engineer team will provide you with a list of specifications and requirements that you need to supply. Based on this information, they will create your customised FBP.
If you require client-specific branding, this can be customised per chargeband. The Solutions Engineer team will also provide details on what customisation options are available, including dimensions and theme specifications.
You will be provided with your Fast Booking Portal link which you will then use to test your configuration after following the below instructions.
Configuration of the Fast Booking Portal
Once our Solution Engineers have created the Fast Booking Portal, with your agreed theme, you will need to configure the chargeband and settings that determine what appointments and services patients can book through the portal.
Each FBP link is linked to a chargeband, which can either be a dedicated FBP chargeband or an existing online-enabled chargeband already in use.
Please note: If you are looking to use the FBP on an existing chargeband that is 1) online enabled 2)has a signup-invite code already set 3) already provides services, please jump to Step 4.
Step 1: Create an Online Chargeband
- Each chargeband you want to use with the FBP must be online enabled.
- Once you have clicked Enable Online Booking, read the dialogue window asking if you wish to notify patients on this chargeband that online access is now permitted. As we are configuring this, click Allow With No Notification.
- Ensure that each payer type using the FBP has its own FBP-specific chargeband.
- To learn more about creating an online chargeband, see Creating an Online Chargeband.
Step 2: Set a Signup Invite Code on the Chargeband
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Each online-enabled chargeband will require a unique signup invite code. The invite code dictates the services a patient can book using that link and who the payer is.
- This signup invite code can be alphanumeric, or randomly generated.
- To learn more about Signup Invite codes, see Creating an Invite Code for Patient Portal sign-up.
Step 3: Configure Billing Rules on the Chargeband
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Set up billing rules according to your organisation’s finance and billing structure.
Step 4: Create a Patient Self-Book Rule and Add It to the Chargeband
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The patient self-book rule is important as it dictates what appointments and services a patient can book via the FBP.
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Ensure the rule is added to the chargeband to enable self-booking. Without this rule, the patient will not be able to book any appointments.
Step 5: Test Your Link
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Verify that patients can successfully sign up and book appointments using the Fast Booking Portal link.
- You will have been provided with your dedicated Fast Booking Portal link.
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To test each chargeband you set up for use with the FBP, you will need to change the last part of the URL :
- https://fast.patientbooking.co.uk/Your chamber API Key/Chargeband Signup Code
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the system prevent duplicate patient records?
When a patient signs up through the FBP (Front Booking Portal), the system checks for existing records to prevent the creation of duplicates. Here's how it works:
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- If the patient is new and doesn't have a record in the system, a new patient profile will be automatically created.
- If the patient already exists, the system applies matching criteria to link the new sign-up to the existing record.
The matching criteria used to identify existing patients are:
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- Name
- Surname
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Mobile Number
If all of these criteria match an existing patient, the system will link the new sign-up to the existing patient profile, avoiding the creation of a duplicate record.
Can I customise the theme/colour of the FBP?
- Yes, you can customise the theme and colour of the Fast Booking Portal. To do this, provide your theme and colour requirements to the Solution Engineer responsible for creating your portal. Any additional customisations will need to be requested again.
Can I have multiple Fast Booking Portals?
- Yes, you can have multiple Fast Booking Portals. Each Fast Booking Portal (FBP) is linked to a specific chargeband, which is identified by a signup invite code. This means that each chargeband has access to its own FBP, allowing for customisation per client.
How do I configure the services that patients can book?
- Services are configured through the chargeband settings in the system. Each chargeband must be online-enabled, and services can be predetermined based on the payer type, such as self-paying or employer-paid.
What should I do if a patient is having trouble accessing the FBP?
- If a patient is experiencing issues accessing the FBP, firstly, ensure that the link provided is correct. If the issue persists, check for any browser or device compatibility problems or advise the patient to contact your bookings team directly.
How do I set up different services for different payer types?
- Each payer type can have a dedicated FBP chargeband, which determines the services available for booking. The setup for different payer types ensures that only services relevant to that payer type are available for booking.
How are payments handled through the FBP?
- Yes, payments for self-pay patients can be taken through the FBP. This would be a requirement you list when speaking with our solution engineers. *This requires you to also have the Opayo Payments integration.
Can patients complete a booking without authentication?
- No, confirmation of the patient's identity is required. This is done via a 2-factor authentication code being sent to the provided email address and phone number that the patient provides when booking.
Review date
This article was last updated on 27th February 2025.