Healthcare Chatbot: Reduce DNAs, Automate Bookings
AI-powered patient communication for dental practices, GP surgeries, and NHS clinics.
Our healthcare chatbot handles appointment bookings, sends reminders, and answers patient queries 24/7 — fully GDPR compliant and built for UK healthcare.
Healthcare Admin Challenges We Solve
UK practices spend 30-40% of staff time on repetitive admin. Here's what AI automation addresses.
Missed Appointments (DNAs)
The average dental practice loses £25,000/year to DNAs. GP surgeries waste millions in unfilled slots when patients don't show or cancel late.
Phone Lines Constantly Busy
Patients can't get through. Staff spend hours answering the same questions. New patients give up and go elsewhere.
After-Hours Booking Demand
40% of patients want to book outside 9-5. They search online at 10pm but can't complete a booking until tomorrow.
Repetitive Admin Tasks
Prescription requests, test result queries, insurance forms. Staff time consumed by tasks that could be automated.
How Our Healthcare Chatbot Works
From first enquiry to recall appointment — AI automation supports every patient touchpoint.
Patient Enquiry
Patient contacts via website, WhatsApp, or phone
Details
AI handles initial triage and captures key information
Example
Appointment Booking
AI checks availability and books directly into system
Details
Real-time calendar integration with practice management software
Example
Appointment Reminders
Automated SMS/WhatsApp reminders before appointment
Details
48hr, 24hr, and day-of reminders with easy rescheduling
Example
Post-Visit Follow-up
Automated satisfaction surveys and recall reminders
Details
Treatment follow-ups, recall appointments, and feedback collection
Example
Intelligent Appointment Booking
Patients book the right type of appointment with the right clinician. AI understands the difference between a check-up and an emergency.
- Real-time availability from your calendar
- Treatment-specific appointment types
- Family/multi-person bookings
Smart Reminder System
Multi-channel reminders that patients actually respond to. Easy rescheduling means fewer complete no-shows.
- SMS, WhatsApp, or email reminders
- One-tap confirm or reschedule
- Automatic waitlist filling
Patient Query Handling
Instant answers to common questions about opening hours, services, costs, and more — freeing your team for patient care.
- Service and pricing information
- Insurance and payment queries
- Location and parking details
AI vs Traditional Patient Communication
See how AI-powered patient communication compares to phone-only and basic online booking.
| Feature | Feature | Phone Only | Basic Online Booking | Hand On Web AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
After-Hours Booking | ||||
Intelligent Triage | staff only | |||
Appointment Reminders | manual | basic | ||
Prescription Queries | staff time | |||
Multi-language Support | limited | |||
WhatsApp Integration | ||||
DNA Reduction | limited | |||
Emergency Escalation |
Solutions for Every Healthcare Setting
Whether you're a single dental practice or multi-site NHS clinic, our AI adapts to your workflows.
Dental Practices
From single-chair practices to multi-site dental groups, AI handles bookings while you focus on patient care.
- Appointment booking 24/7
- Treatment cost queries
- Emergency triage
- Recall management
GP Surgeries
Reduce phone queue times and administrative burden with intelligent patient routing.
- Triage assessment
- Prescription requests
- Test result queries
- Referral status updates
NHS Clinics
GDPR-compliant solutions that integrate with NHS systems and meet public sector requirements.
- NHS-compliant hosting
- EMIS/SystmOne ready
- Accessibility standards
- Multi-language support
Private Healthcare
Premium patient experience with instant responses and seamless booking across multiple locations.
- VIP patient handling
- Consultant matching
- Insurance queries
- Cross-location booking
Built for UK Healthcare Compliance
Patient data security is non-negotiable. Our solutions are designed from the ground up for healthcare.
GDPR Compliant
Full compliance with UK GDPR including data processing agreements, retention policies, and subject access request handling.
UK Data Hosting
Patient data processed and stored exclusively in UK data centres. No data leaves UK jurisdiction.
NHS DSP Toolkit Ready
Designed to help practices meet NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit requirements.
Access Controls
Role-based access ensures only authorised staff can view patient interactions and data.
Emergency Escalation
AI recognises emergency symptoms and immediately directs patients to appropriate urgent care.
Full Audit Trail
Complete logs of all patient interactions for compliance, quality assurance, and dispute resolution.
Healthcare Chatbot: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthcare chatbot and how does it work?
A healthcare chatbot is an AI-powered assistant that handles patient enquiries, appointment bookings, and administrative tasks automatically. It uses natural language processing to understand patient questions and integrates with your practice management system (like Dentally, Software of Excellence, EMIS, or SystmOne) to access real-time appointment availability and patient records. Unlike basic online booking, it can handle complex queries, provide intelligent triage, and communicate via multiple channels including your website, WhatsApp, and SMS.
Is a healthcare chatbot GDPR compliant?
Yes, our healthcare chatbots are fully GDPR compliant and designed specifically for UK healthcare regulations. Key compliance features include: UK-based data processing (your patient data never leaves the UK), encryption at rest and in transit, audit logs for all interactions, data processing agreements included, and the ability to handle subject access requests. We also ensure compliance with NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit requirements for practices working with the NHS.
How much can a dental chatbot reduce missed appointments?
Dental practices using our AI chatbot system typically see a 35-45% reduction in DNAs (Did Not Attends). This is achieved through intelligent reminder sequences: patients receive reminders at 48 hours, 24 hours, and on the morning of their appointment. Crucially, patients can easily reschedule via a simple reply rather than just cancelling or not showing up. The chatbot can also automatically fill cancelled slots by contacting patients on the waiting list.
Can the chatbot integrate with our practice management software?
Yes, we integrate with all major UK healthcare software systems. For dental: Dentally, Software of Excellence, Exact, and Carestream. For GP/NHS: EMIS, SystmOne, Vision, and Microtest. The integration enables real-time appointment booking, patient record access (with appropriate permissions), and two-way sync for cancellations and rescheduling. Integration typically takes 2-5 days depending on your system.
What happens if a patient has a medical emergency?
Patient safety is paramount. Our healthcare chatbot is trained to recognise emergency situations and escalate immediately. If a patient describes symptoms suggesting a medical emergency (chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, etc.), the chatbot immediately provides emergency service numbers (999/111) and can alert your on-call staff. We never attempt to provide medical advice or diagnose conditions - the AI is for administrative support only.
How does the chatbot handle patient triage?
The chatbot performs administrative triage, not clinical triage. It helps route patients to the right service (routine vs urgent appointment, correct department, appropriate staff member) based on the nature of their enquiry. For example, a dental patient asking about tooth pain might be offered an emergency slot, while someone asking about whitening would be directed to cosmetic consultation. Clinical decisions are always made by qualified staff.
Can patients book appointments outside of office hours?
Yes, this is one of the biggest benefits. Our data shows 40% of appointment bookings come outside traditional 9-5 hours. Patients can book at 11pm on a Sunday, and the appointment is confirmed instantly in your calendar. This is particularly valuable for working patients who struggle to call during business hours. The chatbot handles everything from availability checks to sending confirmation details.
What languages does the healthcare chatbot support?
Our healthcare chatbot supports multiple languages including English, Welsh, Polish, Urdu, Punjabi, and Bengali - reflecting the diverse patient populations across UK healthcare. The chatbot automatically detects the patient's language preference and responds accordingly. This is particularly valuable for NHS practices serving diverse communities where language barriers can impact access to care.
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