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Recall letter

A short letter or email inviting a patient back for a review you agreed clinically: a post-discharge check, a reassessment, an annual foot review. It is for any practice that runs a recall list.

The line that matters is between a clinical follow-up and a sales message. A recall tied to a review you recommended reads as care. A general "we miss you" with an offer is marketing, and for email and SMS that usually needs consent.

The UK standards it rests on

Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR)
Govern marketing by email, SMS and phone. A message that promotes your services is likely to count as direct marketing even if it also mentions care. Post is outside PECR.
ICO direct marketing guidance
The regulator's guidance on what counts as marketing, consent and the soft opt-in. Check it before you build a recall campaign.
UK GDPR
Using a patient's contact details and health history to decide who to contact is processing personal data. Your privacy notice should cover recalls.
HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
Recalls should serve the patient's interests. Do not pressure patients into care they do not need.

Must include

Why you are writing, tied to their care
Name the review you agreed, e.g. "the six-month check we discussed at discharge". This is what keeps it clinical.
One clear way to book
A phone number or booking link. One action, not three.
Who it is from
The clinician they saw, by name, and the practice.
How to stop further recalls
An easy way to say no thanks respects the patient and keeps your list accurate.

Optional

What to do if things have got worse
Points them to book sooner, or to their GP or urgent care where appropriate.
What the review involves
Lowers the barrier for patients who are unsure whether it is worth coming in.
A reminder of their home programme
Useful even if they do not book.

The template

Replace anything in [square brackets]. Print it, save it as a PDF from the print dialog, or copy the text into your own document.

Recall letter

[Practice name] · [Practice address] · [Phone] · [Email]

Header

[Patient name]

[Patient address]

Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Letter

Dear [Patient first name],

When we finished your treatment for [condition] in [month], we agreed a review at around [interval, e.g. six months] to check [what is being reviewed, e.g. how your knee is coping with running].

That review is now due. It takes about [length] and involves [brief description, e.g. a short reassessment and an update to your exercises].

To book, call us on [phone number] or use [booking link].

If your symptoms have got worse in the meantime, please book sooner, or contact your GP if you are concerned.

If you would rather not receive review reminders from us, reply to this message or call [phone number] and we will update your record.

Best wishes,

[Clinician name], [Profession]

[Practice name]

Use it in Atlacare

Set a recall on the patient's profile with a due date and reason, and work through due recalls on the Recalls page, marking each as contacted, booked or discharged. Campaigns can target patients with a recall coming up, and campaign messages only go to patients with marketing consent recorded.

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Read the full article

How do you win back lapsed patients, and when should you not try?