We have listened to patient feedback and introduced Anima – a new way to contact the Practice online. We are excited about this change and the benefits it will bring to our patients. Find out more about Anima here.
What is Anima?
Anima is a way to contact us online. Use Anima to tell us about a new or ongoing medical issue, request an appointment, ask for a sick note or get assistance with an admin matter.
The first time you use Anima you will need to sign up for an account. Then you can login and start your request plus add children/dependants profiles to your account. Use our website to find what assistance you need and it will explain how to use Anima to contact us.
Ordering repeat prescriptions online
To order repeat prescriptions online, use the NHS App, not Anima.
How to sign up to use Anima
If you want to use Anima you will need to sign up for your own Anima account. Patients who prefer to contact us by phone or in person can continue to do so.
We recommend you sign up for your Anima account as soon as possible. This will mean it is available for you to use when you need it.
You must be registered as a patient with Meon Health Practice and aged 13 years or older. Younger children and other dependants can be added to your own Anima account once you have signed up (see next section below).
- You will need your email address and mobile phone number. If you already have an NHS account you can easily sign up with this (if you have the NHS app you will have one).
- Select “Meon Health Practice PO15 6JF” as your GP Practice, regardless of which of our surgeries you normally use.
- There is no need to download an app, our website will link you directly to Anima.
Add children & dependants to your Anima account
You can add your own children and other dependants to your Anima account. We recommend you do this as soon as possible, as we may need to manually verify your relationship to your dependant.
After you login to Anima, click ‘Settings’, then ‘Dependants and Children’ to enter their details. If you receive a message saying your dependant could not be verified, don’t worry. We will be informed and can manually do this or contact you if we need more information.
When you can use Anima
You can use Anima to submit medical and admin requests to the Practice:
Medical requests
Medical requests can be submitted during surgery opening hours; 8:00am – 6:30pm, Monday to Friday.
Use a medical request when you want:
- an appointment for a new or ongoing medical issue
- medical advice.
We aim to respond by the end of the next working day.
During busy periods, when we have reached our safe clinical capacity we will not be able to accept medical requests. We will aim to accept Anima medical requests from 8:00am the next working day. If you feel you do need advice today please either call or visit the surgery or visit 111.nhs.uk.
Admin requests
Admin requests can be submitted between 8:00am – 8:00pm, Monday – Friday.
Use an admin request when you need:
- a sick note / fit note for your employer
- test results
- travel advice
- to make a change to your personal details
- a copy of your medical record
- a form completed.
We aim to respond within 3 working days.
During busy periods
Demand for our services remains very high. Like other practices, some online services will be unavailable if we have reached our safe clinical capacity.
We will stop accepting medical Anima requests.
- You will still be able to contact us by phone or visit the practice.
- We will always assist with urgent medical issues during our opening hours.
- We will continue to accept Anima admin requests between 8am – 8pm, Monday – Friday.
- We will aim to accept Anima medical requests from 8:00am the next working day.
Submitting a request
Once you have created your Anima account, you will be ready to start submitting requests to the practice.
Our website provides information about appointments, prescriptions, admin & general enquiries and will direct you to Anima if appropriate. From there, log in to your Anima account. You will then be taken to the Anima dashboard and can choose from the following options:
- get help for a new or ongoing medical issue (available during opening hours if we have sufficient capacity)
- submit an admin request (available 8am – 8pm)
- access NHS online help and advice (always available).
If you are contacting us about a child/dependant, make sure you have selected their name before you submit the request.
You will be asked to answer questions written by doctors. These are the same questions we will ask if you phone or visit us.
Complete the Anima form and submit your request. This will be sent directly to our clinical triage team for review.
What happens after you submit a request?
We will contact you to explain what will happen next:
- For medical requests: our clinical triage team will assess your information and aim to contact you by the end of the next working day.
- For admin requests: we aim to contact you within 3 working days.
We will contact you and may offer:
- a consultation either face-to-face, by telephone or by text with a health professional
- a test for further investigation, e.g.: a blood test
- a new prescription
- a referral to a specialist
- details of other NHS services who can assist you
- information about self-care.
Consultations by phone or by text can be more flexible and often mean a GP, nurse or another healthcare professional can help you sooner.
We may ask you for more information
If we send you a message about your request, you will receive an email and/or a text. You will be able to view messages and directly respond in your Anima account. We will call you instead if you cannot receive emails or texts.
You will be able to track your request at any time in your Anima account.
Getting help with Anima
If you are having problems using Anima, you can visit the Anima help centre.
If you still need help, come into the surgery or call us on 01329 845777. Early mornings tend to be busier.
Why we have chosen Anima
We have reviewed various online consultation systems and talked to other practices. We believe Anima is the most suitable solution for our patients and staff. Anima is approved by the NHS and fully accredited to provide services to primary care practices.
Anima helps us:
- gather information in an organised way, making it easier and faster to identify who can help you.
- offer appointments in order of clinical urgency and need.
- send information directly to your health record, we do not need to re-enter it.
- make use of our limited resources in a safe and efficient way.
Patients using Anima can:
- easily view the status and outcomes of current and past requests.
- receive email and text messages to know we have responded.
- make it easier for those patients who must use the phone to contact us.
Patient feedback received so far
Some patients have had early access to Anima and said that the system is:
“easy to use”
“very straight forward and convenient”
“helped me to get what I wanted”
“impressive – I entered my NHS App log in details and Anima recognised me as a Meon Health Practice patient”.
Frequently asked questions about Anima
What about patients without internet access?
We know not everyone has internet access. Calling the practice on 01329 845777 or visiting in person is still possible. We will complete an Anima request on your behalf. All requests go to our triage team to assess, no matter how you choose to contact us.
Why has it taken so long to introduce Anima?
We acknowledge it has been a long time since we turned off our previous eConsult system which was no longer suitable. In the meantime, we have researched new systems to ensure we choose the right one. Anima offers an easy-to-use patient interface. However, the ‘back-end’ of the system is complex and has required changes to our internal processes. We are grateful for your patience whilst we worked on this.
Data security
Anima is approved by the NHS and fully accredited to provide services to GP practices. Anima comply with all NHS standards for data security. Anima are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (under company name Continuum Health).
Will Anima affect my care?
No, all appointments will continue to be offered according to clinical urgency and need. Your request will be handled in exactly the same manner whether you complete the Anima request online yourself, or contact us via telephone, where our patient services team will ask the same questions to ensure equity of access for all patients.