Booking shifts

A booking shift is a time window, for example tomorrow from 09:00 to 17:00, at one branch. Its main use is a walk-in queue: during a Queue-based Scheduling shift, reception gives each walk-in client the next number in the queue for one doctor or room, instead of a fixed time.

You only need booking shifts for walk-in queues. Fixed-time appointments come from each resource's working hours, not from shifts. See Set up booking.

The two modes

Before you start

• The Shifts module must be installed. Without it, Booking Shifts doesn't appear in the sidebar. It needs the Appointment Scheduling and Branches modules. See Modules.
• The doctor or room for the queue must already exist as a bookable resource at that branch.
• To open, edit or close shifts you need the Shifts permissions. Owners and Admins have them. See Permissions.

Open the Shifts page

In the sidebar, go to Appointments → Booking Shifts. The page is titled Shifts.

The list shows shifts from yesterday up to Next 30 days. To look further ahead, click Filters and change Window.

Open a queue for walk-ins

1. Click Open shift. The Open booking shift dialog opens.
2. Branch: choose the branch. This field only appears when the Branches module is on. Without it, the shift goes on your clinic's main branch.
3. Mode: keep Queue-based Scheduling.
4. Max tokens: enter how many clients the queue can take. The default is 40.
5. Start and End: set the window. The default is tomorrow, 09:00 to 17:00. End must be after Start.
6. Doctor or room: search for and choose the resource that serves the queue. It must belong to the chosen branch. A Queue-based Scheduling shift can't be saved without it.
7. Click Open shift.

One doctor or room can't have two open shifts at the same time. Shifts that end exactly when the next one starts are fine.

How reception uses the queue

When reception books a client for a procedure at that branch, the booking page shows a Join a queue section above the free times. It shows the doctor, the queue's hours and Tokens issued. Reception clicks Join queue to give the client the next number. A full queue shows Queue full.

A queue only appears in the booking page when:

• The shift's window falls in the week being booked.
• The shift's doctor or room can perform the procedure.
• The procedure needs exactly one resource. Procedures that need, for example, a doctor and a room can't use a queue.

See Book an appointment.

Open a Time-Slot shift

Follow the same steps, but choose Time-Slot Scheduling in Mode. There is no Max tokens or Doctor or room field.

See a shift's details

Click a shift's row in the Table view, or its card in the Cards and Grid views. The shift's page opens with its Mode, Window, Token utilisation (with a Full badge when the queue is full) or Resource, and a Details section with the Branch, Resource, Created and Updated times. If your role can edit or close shifts, Edit and Close shift are at the top.

Edit a shift

1. On the shift's row or card, open the actions menu and click Edit. You can also click Edit on the shift's page.
2. Change Start, End or Max tokens.
3. Click Save changes.

You can't change the mode or the doctor or room. Close the shift and open a new one instead.

Max tokens can't go below the number of tokens already issued. The dialog shows that number under the field. You can't leave the field empty.

Close a shift

1. On the shift's row, open the actions menu and click Close shift.
2. Confirm.

A closed shift leaves the list and its queue no longer appears on the booking page. Appointments already booked into the queue are not cancelled.

Find and export shifts

• Click Filters to filter by Branch (only with the Branches module), Mode (Queue-based or Time-Slot), Has resource and Window (Next 7 days to Next 90 days). Clear all resets them.
• Sort by Start, End, Mode or Created.
• Switch between Cards, Table and Grid.
• The Tokens column shows tokens issued out of the maximum, for example 12 / 40.
• Click Export, then Export as CSV or Export as XLSX. The file follows your current filters and sort.

Permissions

To let reception open queues, create a custom role with the Shifts permissions in the Operations area. See Staff & roles.

Common problems

The Open shift button is missing. Your role can't create shifts. Ask an Owner or Admin.

The Open shift button stays greyed out. For Queue-based Scheduling, pick a Doctor or room and enter Max tokens. With the Branches module, also pick a Branch.

"This shift overlaps another active shift for the same resource." That doctor or room already has an open shift in that window. Change the times, or close the other shift.

"Shift end time cannot be before the start time." Set End later than Start.

"Maximum tokens cannot be less than the number already issued." Enter a number equal to or higher than the tokens already issued.

The queue doesn't show on the booking page. Check the branch, the week, and that the procedure needs exactly one resource that the shift's doctor or room can provide.

Booking Shifts is missing from the sidebar, or the page says the module isn't enabled. Install the Shifts module. If it's installed, your role can't view shifts. See Modules.

Related

• Set up booking
• Book an appointment
• Branches