How do I enable waiting lists?
In Dentally, go to 'Settings' and click 'Diary'.
Go to the 'Waiting Lists' section in the toolbar on the left.
Click the tickbox next to 'Enable waiting lists?' in the top left.
With waiting lists enabled, you can easily:
Track and report on patients that are waiting for an appointment.
Fill cancelled appointments with priority patients
Manage your lab work
Track who has an outstanding requirement for an appointment or examination
Run your waiting lists more efficiently.
How do I create a new waiting list?
To set up waiting lists you need Permission Level 4 access. To create a new one:
In Dentally, go to 'Settings' and click 'Diary'.
Go to the 'Waiting Lists' section in the toolbar on the left.
Click the 'New Waiting List' button in the top right corner.
In the window that appears, complete the fields as needed. These fields will dictate when this waiting list will be visible, and the details applied when a patient is added to the waiting list and then an appointment is created from inside the waiting list panel.
Name - A description to help you distinguish each list.
Active - Active waiting lists are shown as available to add patients to, while inactive waiting lists will be hidden when adding.
Default Appointment Days - How long the patient wants to wait on the waiting list.
Location - The site location where the waiting list will be available.
Default Status - The status which will be applied to the patient when they are added to the list - this will be 'Waiting' unless you change it.
Default Reason - The default appointment reason applied when a patient is added to the waiting list.
Default Duration - The default appointment length applied when a patient is added to the waiting list.
Default Notes - Any notes you'd like to automatically be shown in the waiting list panel every time a patient is added to the waiting list.
When you have completed the required fields, click 'Save' to finish.
Your new list will now appear in the table of waiting lists. You can edit or delete a waiting list by using the icons on the right-hand side.
💡 Top tip: We recommend creating a short notice waiting list for patients who are happy to be contacted within 48 hours of their booked appointment if a slot becomes available. When patients book, ask if they'd like to be on the short notice waiting list.
How do I add a patient to a waiting list?
In the patient record, go to the 'Appointments' tab.
Click the '+ Waiting List' button in the top right. You will be presented with the waiting list panel.
Select the chosen waiting list from the dropdown - fields such as the status and notes will populate automatically if the waiting list is set up to do so.
Complete the fields as needed.
When you have finished, ensure you click 'Save'.
An hourglass ⏳ icon will appear next to the patient's name at the top of the patient record.
A waiting list section will be added to the 'Appointments' tab in the patient record, including details such as length of time on the list and booked status.
The patient's name will also be added to the waiting list.
How do I use the pause count in a waiting list?
🚨 Important to remember: Please speak to Dentally support if you would like this feature switched on for your practice.
Dentally counts the number of days a patient has been waiting from the day they are added to a waiting list. If the patient is unable to attend the practice for a period of time you may want to start a 'Pause'. When paused, Dentally will begin a second count from the day of the pause until the pause is ended.
With a pause enabled, you can:
Know not to book an appointment for a patient who cannot attend.
Deduct the paused time from the total waiting time to get a net waiting time for the patient.
To start a pause:
Open the waiting list entry from the 'Appointments' tab.
Click the '⏸️ Pause' button (this is not available if the entry has a 'Completed', 'Declined' or 'Rejected' status).
Select the option to 'Pause Indefinitely' or add an end date
Click 'Save'.
You can pause an entry multiple times. The 'Total time spent paused' will display the cumulative amount of paused time across all pauses. The 'Current time paused' will show the number of days the the existing pause has been active for.
The figures are also included in the patient's record on the 'Appointments' tab, and in the 'Waiting List Report'.
How do I use the 'Waiting Lists' report?
Use the Waiting Lists Report to find patients to identify patients who have been waiting for an appointment, and to fill in gaps in your appointment book.
In Dentally, go to 'Reports'.
In the 'Appointment' section, select the 'Waiting Lists' report.
Use the filters on the left-hand side to adjust your view as needed.
You can see those who are overdue an appointment, the status ('Waiting', 'Booked', 'Rejected'), when they were added to the list and the number of days a patient has been waiting.
If you click on the patient's name, it will open their patient record and you can book appointments and complete other actions as needed.
