Last updated: 16 April 2026
Appointment notifications are automatic email and SMS messages sent to patients when appointments are booked, changed, or approaching. This guide walks through setting them up, monitoring delivery, and sending manual reminders.
Jump EHR includes a built-in email service called Jump Mail that works automatically — no external email integration is required. Email notifications are sent from your practice name using a verified Jump domain.
If you prefer, you can switch to sending via your own Gmail or Microsoft 365 account in Configuration > App Integrations. You can also set up a custom email domain so messages come from your practice's own domain (e.g. hello@yourpractice.co.uk).
To send SMS notifications, an SMS integration must be connected with available credits. See the SMS - Patient Messaging article for setup instructions.
Notifications are configured per appointment type. Each type can have its own set of rules.
You can enable notifications for the following events:
| Trigger | When it fires | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Booking Confirmation | When the appointment is booked | Immediately |
| Reschedule Notification | When the appointment is moved to a new time | Immediately |
| Reminder | Before the appointment | Configurable |
| Cancellation | When the appointment is cancelled | Immediately |
| Follow-Up | After the appointment is completed | Configurable |
For each trigger, you can independently enable Email, SMS, or both.
Reminder notifications can be scheduled at these intervals before the appointment:
You can add multiple reminders for the same appointment type — for example, one at 24 hours and another at 1 hour before. Click Add Reminder to add additional reminder times.
Follow-up notifications can be scheduled at these intervals after the appointment:
For each trigger and channel combination, you can select a notification template. Templates control the content of the message and can include merge fields (patient name, appointment date and time, practice details, etc.).
Your practice may have custom templates alongside the system defaults. If no template is selected, the system uses a default message.
Once notifications are configured and appointments are booked, you can track delivery in the appointment details sidebar.
Each notification shows:
If a notification has failed, the error reason is displayed below the status.
You can send an ad-hoc notification to a patient at any time, outside of the automated rules.
You can override the recipient email or mobile number if needed. Manual notifications are logged in the notification timeline alongside automated ones.
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications not sending | No email provider available | Ensure your organisation is verified — Jump Mail is enabled automatically for verified organisations |
| SMS not delivered | No SMS credits remaining | Top up credits in the SMS integration settings |
| Notification shows as Failed | Recipient email or mobile number missing or invalid | Check the patient record has a valid email address and mobile number |
| Reminder not sent | Reminder timing has already passed when the appointment was booked | Book appointments far enough in advance for the reminder window, or send a manual reminder |
| Patient did not receive email | Email went to spam or was blocked | Ask the patient to check spam and add your practice email to their contacts |
Tip: Jump Mail works out of the box for verified organisations. You do not need to connect Gmail or Microsoft to start sending appointment notifications.
Tip: Test your notification setup by booking a test appointment for a staff member before going live. This lets you verify the template content and delivery.
Tip: Enabling a 24-hour reminder is one of the most effective ways to reduce missed appointments (DNAs).
Tip: You can send notifications to multiple appointments at once using the bulk actions in the Appointments list.