What the CAPTCHA security check means for your practice, and how to request an exemption
What's changing? 🔒
Your patient-facing Patient Triage form now includes a CAPTCHA.
This is a standard web security check that confirms a request is coming from a real person, not an automated bot or AI agent.
If you don't use a third-party AI receptionist, you don't need to do anything. Your workflow, templates and triage process all stay the same.
At a glance
| Before | With CAPTCHA security check |
Patients filling in the form online | No security check | A short "I'm not a robot" check after entering their date of birth |
Patients using the NHS App or signed in with NHS login | No security check | No change. They won't see the CAPTCHA |
Requests submitted by your reception team through Accurx | No security check | No change. They won't see the CAPTCHA |
How requests reach your practice | Patient Triage inbox | No change |
Your templates and triage workflow | No change | No change |
AI receptionists / third-party tools submitting into Patient Triage | May work (not officially supported) | Will stop working unless your practice has an exemption in place |
Why are we making this change?
Bots and AI tools are getting better at automatically filling out and submitting online forms. As well as leading to fraudulent or spam submissions, a large volume of automated requests can:
Overwhelm your team's capacity to triage genuine requests
Put pressure on the Patient Triage service for every practice that uses it
CAPTCHA ensures that requests coming through Patient Triage are from real patients, protecting both your practice and the wider service.
What will patients see?
The CAPTCHA appears after the patient enters their date of birth. The patient won't be asked to do anything else differently.
Most of the time, the patient doesn't see anything, or just ticks a single "I'm not a robot" box.
Occasionally, they may be asked to complete a quick puzzle.
It takes a few seconds, and then they carry on with the form as normal
Patients who submit through the NHS App, or who sign in with NHS login, will never be shown the CAPTCHA. How to submit a request to your GP Practice using the NHS App
Neither will your team when submitting requests on a patient's behalf through Accurx.
Using a third-party integration or AI receptionist?
This is the only case where your practice may need to take action.
Accurx doesn't officially support third-party integrations or AI receptionists submitting into Patient Triage. Once CAPTCHA is switched on for your form, these tools won't be able to complete the check, so they'll stop working.
How to request an exemption
The opt-out form has now closed, but you can still request an exemption.
If your practice relies on an AI receptionist and wants to keep using it:
Ask your Practice Manager or a GP Partner to get in touch with our support team using the message bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of this page or emailing support@accurx.com to request that CAPTCHA be switched off for your practice.
We'll check they're an Admin and send them the CAPTCHA Exemption Terms.
Once they confirm in writing that they've read and accept the terms, we'll switch CAPTCHA off and let you know in the same conversation.
Please note: Your Practice Manager or GP Partner must be an Admin of your organisation.
FAQs
Do I need to do anything to turn CAPTCHA on?
Practices don't need to do anything to enable CAPTCHA.
Will CAPTCHA stop genuine patients from submitting requests?
CAPTCHA is designed to let genuine patients through with little or no effort. Most patients either won't see anything or will just tick one box. Some will occasionally get a quick puzzle to confirm they're human.
What happens if a patient can't complete the CAPTCHA?
If the check doesn't work the first time, the patient will be asked to try again. If they still can't get through, you can suggest they:
turn off any ad blocker or VPN
try a different browser or device
If that doesn't help, they can sign in with NHS login or submit their request through the NHS App, as neither shows a CAPTCHA. They can also contact the practice another way, for example by phone.
Will patients ever have to complete the CAPTCHA more than once?
Most patients only complete the check once per request. A patient who takes a long time to fill out the form or goes back and forth between pages repeatedly may be asked to complete the check again before continuing.
Do patients using the NHS App or NHS login see the CAPTCHA?
Patients who submit through the NHS App or sign in with NHS login are never shown the CAPTCHA.
We use an AI receptionist. Will it keep working?
AI receptionists and other third-party tools will stop working if CAPTCHA is enabled, unless your practice has an exemption. To request an exemption, your Practice Manager or a GP Partner who is an Admin should contact our support team using the message bubble in the bottom-right corner of this page or by emailing support@accurx.com to request that CAPTCHA be turned off for your practice.
Who can request an exemption?
Only a Practice Manager or a GP Partner who is an Admin can reach out to request that CAPTCHA be switched off, as it requires them to read and agree to our exemption terms on behalf of the practice.
How can we check if CAPTCHA has been switched off for our practice?
Get in touch with our support team using the message bubble or support@accurx.com, and we'll check and confirm whether CAPTCHA is switched off for your practice.
We don't use an AI receptionist. Can we still ask for CAPTCHA to be switched off?
Yes, you can still ask. Please tell us why you'd like CAPTCHA switched off. We strongly recommend keeping it on, as it helps protect your organisation from spam requests. The same confirmation of the exemption terms applies.
CAPTCHA has been switched off but our AI receptionist still isn't working. What should we do?
Once CAPTCHA has been switched off for your practice, the problem will be on your AI receptionist provider's side, so please raise it with them. If you're not sure whether CAPTCHA has been switched off, ask us and we'll check.
Does this change the clinical safety of Patient Triage?
CAPTCHA only checks that the person filling in the form is real. It doesn't change the questions patients are asked, how requests are triaged, or how they reach your practice. For more on how Patient Triage is kept safe, see Patient Triage: Clinical Safety.
If you have any further questions or feedback, please get in touch with our support team using the message bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of this page 👉