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August Bank Holiday 2025

How to close for the August Bank Holiday and extended response times over this period

Ruby Culmer avatar
Written by Ruby Culmer
Updated today

This year the August Bank Holiday is:

  • Monday 25th August

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 August Bank Holiday by automatically extending the time you have to respond to clinical eConsult submissions during this period.

See below for details on the Bank Holiday period response times.

Submission date

Response time

Thursday 21.8.24

Tuesday 26.8.24

Friday 22.8.24

Wednesday 27.8.24

Saturday 23.8.24

Wednesday 27.8.24

Sunday 24.8.24

Wednesday 27.8.24

Monday 25.8.25 (Bank holiday)

Wednesday 27.8.24

Tuesday 26.8.24

Thursday 28.8.24

*All Admin submissions have a 3-working-day response, the table above provides response times for clinical submissions only.


Schedule to Close over the August Bank Holiday

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 August Bank Holiday by heading to the settings portal. If you’d like to update your admin users please let us know here.

  1. Log into the Settings Portal

  2. Head to 'demand management' on the left hand side of the page

  3. 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).

  4. 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:

  1. Head to the settings portal

  2. Select ‘login with another email’

  3. Select ‘forgot password’

  4. Enter your email address

  5. You will then receive an email from auth@econsult.health, please click 'confirm' in the email.

  6. You will then need to create a new password

  7. You can now login to the settings portal

The first time you login, you will also be asked to set up 2-factor authentication. You can check our guide here for support with setting this up.


During a closure:

  • Patients will be unable to start consultations on the practice's eConsult page depending on the type of closure you have set

    • If you have selected 'Clinical closed (admin open)' patients will be unable to start any clinical consultations

    • If you have selected 'Admin closed (clinical open)' patients will be unable to start any admin consultations

    • If you have selected 'Clinical and admin closed' patients will be unable to start any clinical consultations

  • 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.

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