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    Set up SMS notifications

    Turn on paid text reminders and waitlist alerts, set your sender name, and understand how patients choose SMS or WhatsApp.

    SMS (text) reminders sit alongside your email reminders. Patients need a mobile number on their record. You turn SMS on in Communications, confirm the per-text charge, then choose appointment reminders and optional smart waitlist alerts.

    Note

    SMS is charged at 8p per text on your Clinic Membership subscription invoice each month — not billed by a separate SMS company account. A quieter clinic often lands around £4–5 a month for reminders; busier clinics pay more based on volume. Usage and an estimate show in settings after you enable SMS.

    Tip

    If you also use WhatsApp notifications, each patient can receive mobile reminders on WhatsApp or SMS — never both. They (or you on the patient card) pick one channel. Email reminders still send as usual.

    Turn on SMS in Clinic Membership

    1. Go to Settings → Communications.
    2. Find Text (SMS) notifications.
    3. Switch the toggle on — the setup panel opens.
    4. Tick I understand SMS is charged separately at 8p per text on my Clinic Membership invoice.
    5. Click Save and continue.
    6. Turn on Appointment reminders (timing matches your email reminder setting). Optional: turn on Smart waitlist alerts. Set Sender name (3–11 letters or numbers, no spaces), click Save sender, and check This month for usage and estimated cost.
    Communications settings with Text SMS notifications toggle on and charge notice
    Settings → Communications — turn on Text (SMS), confirm the 8p charge, then Save and continue.
    SMS appointment reminders and waitlist toggles on with sender name
    Reminders and optional waitlist alerts on — sender name and this month’s usage at the bottom.

    Note

    If SMS is not available on this environment yet appears instead of the toggles, contact Clinic Membership support to have SMS switched on for your clinic.

    Patient preferences

    • Patients need a mobile number on their card for SMS to send.
    • On the patient card under Preferences, staff can set Receive reminders by SMS (or choose WhatsApp vs SMS when both channels are on for the clinic).
    • Patients can also update this in their member account when they sign in.
    • Prefer email only turns off WhatsApp and SMS for that patient; email reminders continue.

    What happens next

    Still stuck?

    Send us a message and we'll get you sorted. If you're logged in, you can also use the ? Help button in your admin dashboard.

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