This year the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays are:
Wednesday 25th December (Christmas Day)
Thursday 26th December (Boxing Day)
Wednesday 1st January (New Years Day)
Scotland has an additional Bank Holiday on Thursday 2nd January
This article covers the change in response time displayed to the patient when they complete their eConsult and also how to schedule a bank holiday closure so patients aren't able to submit eConsults.
Extended response time
The eConsult system recognises the Christmas & New Year Bank Holidays by automatically extending the time you have to respond to clinical eConsult submissions during this period.
Please see the updated response times below:
December 2024/January 2025
Submission date | Response time |
Tuesday 24.12.2024 | Friday 27.12.2023 |
Wednesday 25.12.2024 (Christmas Bank Holiday) | Monday 30.12.2024 |
Thursday 26.12.2024 (Boxing Day Bank Holiday) | Monday 30.12.2024 |
Friday 27.12.2024 | Monday 30.12.2024 |
Tuesday 31.01.2024 | Thursday 02.01.2025 (Friday 03.01.2024 if in Scotland) |
Wednesday 01.01.2025 (New Year Bank Holiday) | Friday 03.01.2025 (Monday 06.01.2025 if in Scotland) |
All Admin submissions have a 3-working-day response, the table above provides response times for clinical submissions only.
Schedule to Close over the Christmas Bank Holidays
If you are planning to remain open on the Bank Holiday days please notify us at practice.support@econsult.health.
Your practice admin(s) can schedule to close over the Christmas Bank Holidays by heading to the settings portal. If you’d like to update your admin users please let us know here.
Log into the Settings Portal
Head to 'demand management' on the left hand side of the page
Select the start date and time (when you would like to close) and the end date and time (when you would like normal service to resume).
Once the closure has been successfully added it will appear in the table below.
How do I login to the Settings Portal?
Please note only admin users can schedule closures.
You can log into the settings portal using your usual NHS Mail or Smart Inbox login.
To check your practice admin, head to ‘user management’ on the left hand side of the settings portal where you will be able to view which users are admin.
Non Smart Inbox Users
If you are not a Smart Inbox user, your emergency contacts will have admin rights in the settings portal.
If you are logging in for the first time and do not have an NHSmail account (e.g. you have an @nhs.scot or @wales.nhs.uk domain) please follow the below steps to create your login:
Head to the settings portal
Select ‘login with another email’
Select ‘forgot password’
Enter your email address
You will then receive an email from auth@econsult.health, please click 'confirm' in the email.
You will then need to create a new password
You can now login to the settings portal
During a closure:
Patients will be unable to start any consultation (including admin eConsults) on the practice's eConsult page
Patients can still access self-help and pharmacy options
eConsult Lites can still be submitted by a practice user.
If you have any questions, please contact us on the live chat through our website or Smart Inbox, or email us at practice.support@econsult.health.