Please note: If you are a Trust or Pharmacy user using Batch Messaging in Accurx web, please see this article.
Accurx Batch Messaging is a paid-for feature in the premium tier of Accurx Desktop. Learn more about Accurx's paid-for features, including how to get access here.
Accurx Batch Messaging allows you to send the same message to a group of patients. This includes attaching SNOMED codes or documents to your text message or collecting structured information from a group of patients by sending Questionnaires as a Batch Message.
Batch Messages prioritise the NHS App for GP organisations in England as the primary delivery method. Patients with the NHS App and notifications enabled will receive their messages first through the app. If a message remains unread for 24 hours (or 3 hours for the 24-hour reminder message and the Blood Pressure Monitoring Questionnaires) or fails to be delivered, Accurx automatically sends the message via SMS as a fallback. For patients without the NHS App or with notifications disabled, the system defaults to SMS to ensure all patients receive critical information.
For urgent communications, Accurx minimises delays by sending an SMS fallback if the patient does not read the NHS App message within 60 minutes. This ensures timely delivery for critical communications.
Jump to the section you need 🚀
Types of Batch Message:
🎬 Starting your Batch Message
If your organisation has access to Accurx Batch Messaging, you can find it by clicking the downward arrow on the toolbar and selecting 'Batch message'.
Once you are on the Accurx Batch Messaging page (which opens in the browser), click 'Send a batch message' to start your first message.
Upload a file of patient details
You will see some information about what the CSV file needs to include. When you have created the CSV file, select 'Upload File'.
You can find more information about exporting a CSV file from your EPR here.
Note: When creating your CSV file, exclude patients you don't want to message (e.g., those who have declined consent for SMS communication or are deceased). Batch Messaging currently won't filter these users out from the CSV file.
Scheduling or staggering messages not only facilitates operational efficiency but also acts as an automated safeguard to exclude deceased patients from the recipient list. Adhering to these practices ensures compliance with best communication standards.
If any patients cannot be contacted, you will see their details on the 'Review Patient List' page. You can download the list of non-contactable patients by clicking 'Download List'.
Why a patient cannot be contacted
Why a patient cannot be contacted
Contact details not provided → The required contact methods (e.g., mobile number or email address) are missing in the CSV file.
Not a UK phone number → The phone number provided in the CSV file is not recognised as a valid UK phone number (+44).
Mobile number is likely to fail → If we tried to message this number in the last 3 months and the message failed to deliver, we won't contact this number. This applies only to workspaces where this feature is enabled.
Patient deceased → The patient is marked as deceased.
Unable to retrieve contact details → We aren’t able to obtain the patient's contact information from the clinical system or the Patient Demographic Service (PDS).
To upload the list, click 'Continue'. You will then see how many patients have been added as recipients. You are now ready to compose your message.
✍️ Composing your Batch Message
Standard messages
Standard messages
You can write your own message or choose a template. Creating and editing templates can be done in your 'Manage Templates' section. You can learn more about how to do this here.
Attachments
Attachments
You have the option to have an attachment. To do so, click the paperclip icon, and you’ll be prompted to navigate to your local drive to select the correct file to attach.
Since different files may have the same name but be in different locations, please check the file name and location on your computer before selecting a file to share with a group of patients.
This must be a generic attachment, as all patients will receive the same document. So please make sure the attachment does not contain any private patient information.
Once you have added the attachment, you will see the attached document's name, as shown below. It's good practice to double-check that this is the document you want sent to a group of patients.
If you would like to preview the attached document, click the document name shown below to open it.
Patients will be able to access the attachments via a link and will need to enter their DOB.
SNOMED Code
SNOMED Code
You can also add an SNOMED Code to the message, which will be saved to the patient record.
Note: Patients can't reply directly to Batch Messages, but our solution is Custom Questionnaires.
You can create your own questionnaire and send it via Batch Messaging to collect patient responses in bulk! Here's a link with some more info.
It's important to remember that healthcare professionals and providers are the Data Controller and therefore are responsible for ensuring that patients receive only documents intended for them. You can read more about your responsibilities when using Accurx as a Data Controller in our Data Processing Agreement (Sections 5 and 6).
Questionnaires
Questionnaires
You can also send a Questionnaire as part of a Batch Message. These are the same Questionnaires you have access to when texting individual patients using the little green toolbar.
Note: Any replies to Questionnaires sent via Batch Messaging will come back to the Accurx inbox of the Accurx Desktop toolbar, just like individual Questionnaires do.
Tip: Some Questionnaires (the BMI Questionnaire, Ethnicity Questionnaire, Smoking Questionnaire, and Custom Questionnaires that do not have any free-text answers) will automatically save your responses to the record. To review the responses in the inbox instead, select Not Saving Responses and amend this to Saves Responses.
⏳ Scheduling or Staggering a Batch Message
Batch Messages can be scheduled for a future date, or staggered to send over working days.
To do this, click the arrow next to the Send button.
🛫 Sending and Saving the Batch Message
Once you're happy with the message, click 'Send'. Your Batch Message will be sent to the patients in the list you uploaded.
All messages are saved to the patient's record in your clinical system unless you untick the 'Save' button.
Note: After sending a Batch Message, please make sure your Accurx Desktop toolbar is connected to your medical system in order to allow the Batch Message to save.
Batch Message saving takes about 2 seconds per patient, so if you sent a large Batch Message, check back later if you haven't seen the messages saved yet.
🔁 How to Undo a Batch Message
Sent a Batch Message to the wrong list, or spotted a typo? You’ve got 10 seconds to undo it 👇
After you click 'Send' on a Batch Message, a 'Sending batch message' notification appears at the top of your screen with an 'Undo' button that appears for 10 seconds.
Click 'Undo' within the 10 seconds.
You’ll see a confirmation message. The batch is cancelled before any messages go out, so no patients receive it.
The notification stays on screen even if you move to another page, so you can still undo while you carry on working. After 10 seconds, the Batch Message can no longer be undone.
Note: Undo is only available for Batch Messages you send now, including staggered batches that start sending straight away.
To stop a Batch Message you’ve scheduled for later, open your Batch Message list, click 'More' and then 'Cancel sending'.
If you see 'Sorry, we couldn’t undo sending this batch message', the Batch Message has already started sending and couldn’t be cancelled. See the 'What if I’ve made a mistake?' section below.
📫 Batch Message Delivery Statuses
Delivery statuses within a Batch Message 👇
Scheduled - A Batch Message is scheduled for delivery.
Sending - A Batch Message is sending, or we're waiting for delivery confirmation.
Done - A Batch Message has finished delivering.
Cancelled - A Batch Message has been cancelled.
Saved - A Batch Message has finished saving to the medical record.
Saving - A staggered Batch Message is saving to the medical record.
More details:
Patient list - The number of patients included in the Batch Message.
Delivered - The number of texts and NHS App messages that have received delivery confirmation from the network provider.
Note: This does not include emails, as we do not receive delivery receipts from email providers.
Patients without a valid mobile number - The number of patients without a valid contact number. For example, they have only a landline listed in their medical record.
Failed to deliver - The number of messages that did not deliver. For example, the patient's phone was switched off.
Batch Message Paths for GP Organisations
To reduce SMS costs and make messages accessible to different groups of patients, Batch Messages can be sent in a variety of ways - SMS, email and via the NHS App.
Paths and their priority
Paths and their priority
Email ✉️ - This mode of communication is prioritised. If a patient's email address is included in the CSV file for the Batch Message, the patient will be emailed the message.
*There is no fallback SMS sent if an email is left unread or fails to deliver.
NHS App 📱 - This is the second messaging channel. If a patient has the NHS App installed on their mobile phone, with notifications switched on, and no email address is included in the CSV file, the patient will receive their message via the NHS App. (Only for organisations in England)
If the patient doesn't open their message in the NHS App after 24 hours (3 hours for the Blood pressure 4-day and 7-day home monitoring Questionnaires), we'll send a fallback message via text (SMS) to make sure they don't miss it.
Text (SMS) 📞 - This messaging path is the fail-safe. If no email address is included in the CSV file and the patient hasn't installed the NHS App or switched on notifications, the message will be sent via text (SMS). The patient will also receive their message via text (SMS) if they haven't opened their message in the NHS App after 24 hours (3 hours for the Blood pressure 4-day and 7-day home monitoring Questionnaires).
This table outlines the different paths Batch Messages can take, depending on the Batch Message type and available options.
Batch Type | Email included in CSV | No email, but has the NHS App | No email, no NHS App |
Simple Message | Emailed ✉️ | NHS App 📱 | SMS 📞 |
Questionnaires | Emailed ✉️ | NHS App 📱 | SMS 📞 |
Self-Book | Emailed ✉️ | NHS App 📱 | SMS 📞 |
Batch Message paths for non-GP organisations
Batch messages can be sent via SMS or Email for non-GP organisations.
Paths and their priority
Paths and their priority
1. Email ✉️ - This mode of communication is prioritised. If a patient's email address is included in the CSV file for the Batch Message, the patient will be emailed the message.
*There is no fallback if an email is left unread or fails to deliver.
2. Text (SMS) 📞 - If there is no email address included in the CSV file, the message will be sent via text (SMS).
Batch Type | Email included in CSV | SMS included in CSV |
Simple Message | Emailed ✉️ | SMS 📞 |
Questionnaires | Emailed ✉️ | SMS 📞 |
Self-Book | Emailed ✉️ | SMS 📞 |
🧠 Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’ve made a mistake?
What if I’ve made a mistake?
Within 10 seconds of sending:
- After you click 'Send' on a Batch Message, a 'Sending batch message' notification appears at the top of your screen with an 'Undo' button that appears for 10 seconds.
- Click 'Undo' within the 10 seconds.
- See the '🔁 How to Undo a Batch Message' section above.
Scheduled for later: Cancel it from your Batch Message list using More → Cancel sending.
Already sent: A Batch Message can’t be recalled once it’s gone out. If it included an Accurx link, attachment or Questionnaire, our support team can revoke patients’ access to its contents. Please note that a revoked link can’t be reactivated.
Why is my Batch Message status still showing as 'Sending'?
Why is my Batch Message status still showing as 'Sending'?
The 'Sending' status within a Batch Message indicates that we are still awaiting delivery confirmations for some messages before we mark the Batch Message as 'done'. This might only be one or two messages, though.
If you'd like to see how many have been successful/failed, please click on the 'View details' button to the right of your Batch Message.
Please note that if you're seeing an 'unable to save' error, this is different from your messages simply showing as 'Sending'. If your messages are still 'Sending' (and not showing an error), it means we're still awaiting delivery confirmation. You can check the status of each message by clicking the 'View details' button to the right of your batch message.
If the error persists and messages are still not saving to the clinical system, please chat with us so we can look into the issue for you.
If you still have any questions or concerns, feel free to chat with us using the green message bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of this page. 👉