Describe a request for a preferred practitioner

What to change

State whether the preference is a request or a confirmed choice. Explain how the team responds if the requested practitioner is unavailable for the appointment type.

A worked example

Illustrative example

A consultation request lets someone name their usual clinician. Its confirmation says the team received the preference and will contact them with available options, rather than implying that a slot has been reserved.

How to check the result

A reader can distinguish expressing a preference from receiving a confirmed appointment with a named person.

A mistake to avoid

Avoid promising continuity automatically when the practice's process still requires a conversation about availability.

Your action checklist

Use these checks to prepare a discussion with your team or supplier. Tick a check when you have recorded the decision or evidence, rather than when a feature has simply been promised.

Decisions to recordConfirm which stage establishes the practitioner assigned to the appointment.Write the preference question so people can also indicate that they have no preference.Show how the final response confirms the practitioner, location and appointment details together.

Evidence, open questions and decisionsNext action and responsible role

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