At Southend Coastal Surgeries, appointments used to go to the patients who got through first. By the time the morning slots had filled, staff still had to find space for people who needed urgent attention. The team wanted to organise care around the patient's needs, rather than their place in the queue.
Reviewing the request before choosing the response
In the case-study interview, the team explains how total triage changed the working day. Staff can ask for more information or a photograph, respond by message and bring a patient in when an appointment is needed. GPs, advanced clinical practitioners, paramedics and care coordinators work together to decide what happens next.
Giving clinicians time to triage meant changing the appointment rota. The team describes an initial concern that taking someone out of a traditional clinic would reduce capacity. Their experience was that reviewing requests together opened up more ways to help patients, including resolving some requests without a formal appointment.
What the practice reported
The published case study reports that, in one month, 83% of 4,040 patient contacts were triaged online. More than 40% of requests, 1,647, were resolved through messaging and redirection without a formal appointment. Same-day GP bookings increased by 380% and total GP appointments by 224% compared with the practice's reported position before Anima.
Separately, over six months, one member of staff processed 20,000 documents using Anima. These are the results reported for Southend Coastal in the case study published on 26 October 2026. The source does not specify the baseline dates for the appointment comparison; the figures describe this practice's experience, rather than an expected result for every practice.
Keeping people available for patients
The team also describes introducing Andi, Anima's AI receptionist, while retaining its reception staff and giving patients a choice of how to make contact. Staff explain that handling more requests digitally gives them time to help people who come into the practice or need support using online services.
Advice from the team
Their advice is to involve patients in the change, explain the new process and talk openly with staff about their roles. In the interview, they describe time freed up for outstanding tasks, closer working between colleagues and a continuing relationship with Anima's support team.
Explore Anima triage and appointments