Nookal setup guide

What you need, the seven setup steps, what happens on a booking call, and what 2care reads and writes in Nookal.

4 min read

How it connects

2care connects to Nookal through Nookal's own API. An administrator at your practice authorises the connection, and access is limited to scheduling and patient details.

Every practitioner's diary is read live during the call, each with its own rules. Each booking is written into Nookal before the caller hangs up, so every diary stays correct.

Terms used here

Practitioner. A clinician with their own diary and booking rules in Nookal.
Appointment type. A kind of visit with its own duration, set per practitioner.
Location. One of your practice's sites.
Class. A group session that Nookal holds as bookable.

Before you start

Item	Who provides it
A signed data processing agreement (DPA) with 2care	Signed before any patient data moves
Authorisation of the connection by a Nookal administrator	Your practice owner or manager
Your practitioners and the locations each one works from	Your practice manager
The appointment types and classes callers may book	Your practice manager
Each practitioner's own booking rules	Your practice manager

Setup

Sign the DPA. No patient data is read until it is in place, and regional hosting is available where you require it.
Authorise the connection. Your administrator grants access in Nookal, and your onboarding specialist walks them through it.
Connect and check. We confirm that your practitioners, locations, appointment types and classes come through as you expect.
Map your appointment types. Durations are read per practitioner, so each booking takes the time that practitioner has set.
Capture each practitioner's rules. Tell us who takes new patients, at which sites, and anything particular to their diary.
Run a test round trip. We book a test appointment, open it in Nookal with your team watching, then cancel it.
Switch the line over. Your number forwards to 2care at the hours you choose. See forwarding your number.

On a booking call

Step in the call	What the caller hears	What happens in Nookal
Identity	A request for their name and date of birth	The caller is matched to their patient record, so a returning patient is recognised
Availability	Open times with the practitioner and at the location they asked for	All practitioner diaries are compared live for that appointment type and site
Choice	The time they chose, read back	The slot is checked again at the moment of booking
Booking	Confirmation of the appointment	The booking is written into Nookal against the practitioner who suits the request
Confirmation	A text with the date, time and address	The presenting reason and a record of the call are kept against the patient

The agent confirms the appointment only once Nookal has accepted it. If the time was taken in the meantime, Nookal refuses the booking and the agent offers the next open time with that practitioner, or an earlier one with a colleague.

What 2care reads

All practitioner diaries, compared in the moment
Appointment types and durations per practitioner
Patient records, so returning patients are matched
Class and group session availability, where your practice runs them
Locations across your practice

What 2care writes

The booking, against the practitioner who suits the request
Patient contact details, confirmed before saving
The presenting reason, kept with the appointment
Cancellations, released for the waiting list
A record of the conversation, against the patient

What 2care never touches

Clinical notes, results and medications
Anything outside the access your administrator granted
Any action your team could not undo: every write records the call that caused it

Courses of treatment

In allied health the booking that counts is often the next one. When a plan needs a run of visits, the agent schedules them all against live availability, so the patient does not have to phone back for each.

When a plan is nearly out of sessions, the agent flags it before it lapses.

Questions

How does it choose between practitioners?

From what the caller asks for and what Nookal shows as free. If they name somebody, they get that person; if not, they are offered the soonest suitable option.

Can it book group sessions or classes?

Yes. Where Nookal holds them as bookable, they go through the same live availability check as a one to one appointment.

How long does setup take?

Most practices are live in about 5 business days once the connection is authorised and practitioner rules are captured.

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