We’re excited to introduce our Patient Portal – making it easier than ever to schedule your appointments online.
After our clinical team have reviewed your referral, we will place you on the waiting list best suited to your condition, also taking account of the urgency of your need.
When an appointment is available to book, you will receive a text message from “Circle” or “RIVIAM”. inviting you to log into the Patient Portal and book an appointment.
Please note that not all appointment types are available to book through the portal. If this applies to you, our booking team will contact you to arrange your appointment.
What is the Patient Portal (RIVIAM)?
The Patient Portal is a secure online service – provided by RIVIAM, our trusted technology partner – that lets you book, view and cancel appointments without calling or emailing us.
It also gives helpful information about your appointment, such as parking details, how to access the site, or how to join a video appointment.
You don’t need to register to book – you can use it as a “Guest”. However, you can only access the extra features if you register.
The Portal is a web-based tool, not an app, so it will open in your usual web browser on any device – no download needed.
Step 1: Letting you know we have your referral
We will send you a text message to confirm that we have received your referral.
We’ll include a link to a questionnaire where you can tell us about any communication or accessibility needs you have.
If you are on a pathway which can be booked on the Portal, you will receive a further text message from RIVIAM when an appointment is available to book.
Step 2: Booking an appointment on the Patient Portal
Waiting times for different services vary – we want to ensure that you’re seeing the right clinician – so don’t worry if you don’t hear from us for a few weeks.
When we have appointments available for you to book, you will receive a text message from RIVIAM saying “Appointment Booking Available” with a booking link to the Portal.
If you don’t need an appointment anymore, please let us know by calling our Patient Portal support number: 0800 656 9617 and we will remove you from our waiting list.
You have two options when logging into the Patient Portal. You can either:
- Login using NHS login credentials, or
- Login as a Guest
The best way to manage your appointment is using your NHS login credentials. You can then book, view and cancel the appointment as needed. Please note that if you use a Guest login, you cannot cancel a booking after it has been made.
If you need help setting up an NHS login, please visit the NHS Login Help Centre.
The booking link will work for 5 days – please book within this time to give you the maximum flexibility to choose a date and time to suit you. If you don’t book within 5 days, the link will no longer work and our administration team will manage your booking instead.
If your condition becomes significantly worse while you’re waiting for your appointment, please contact your GP in the first instance, who will be best placed to help and advise you; they can provide more information to Circle if needed, and we may be able to manage your condition more appropriately.
If you have registered on the Portal, you will be able to cancel and rebook your appointment twice within the Portal, without having to call or email us. You will be able to cancel your original appointment and book another one in the Portal.
You will need to call us on 0800 656 9617 to change your appointment if:
- You booked as a “guest”, or
- The booking was made by our administration team, or
- If you need to change your appointment for a third time
If you cancel your appointment three times through our online booking portal, our admin team will step in to book your next appointment for you.
This process is designed to support you - it's our safety net to make sure you still get the care and follow-up you need. Our team will contact you directly to find a time that works best, or alternatively you can contact us on our Patient Portal support number: 0800 656 9617.
If you need to cancel your appointment, login to the portal using your NHS login details, navigate to Appointments and you'll see your upcoming appointments listed. Here you can choose to cancel your appointment. You'll receive an email and/or a text message confirming your cancellation.
Please call us on 0800 656 9617 if:
- You booked your appointment as a Guest on the Portal, or
- It’s the third time you’re needing to change your appointment, or
- It’s less than 24 hours until your appointment
You will be able to book another appointment when you speak to us.
Please refer to our “Did Not Attend” page for further information about what happens if you miss appointments with us.
Very occasionally, we may have to cancel your appointment at short notice (for example if your clinician is poorly). In this case, we will send you a text message to let you know.
Our administration team will book you into the next available appointment and will send you a text message and letter/email to confirm this – if the new time doesn’t suit you, please call us on 0800 656 9617 to rearrange (we are unable to manage cancellations of this sort using the Portal).
Almost all patient portal queries are best managed by calling us on 0800 656 9617 but if you can’t use the phone, please visit our contact page to find the email address for your local service.