Why this happens
When a patient cancels or moves an appointment, Hero asks EMIS to make the change. If EMIS refuses, or can't be reached after a few tries, the change doesn't go through and you get an alert.
How you're told
It appears in your Hero Inbox as an Incomplete booking task. Its details say "EMIS cancel failed for appointment ID…" or "EMIS reschedule failed for appointment ID…", followed by the appointment number.
What it means for you
NHS practices. Hero waits for EMIS before confirming a change. If EMIS refuses, nothing changes: the appointment stays at its original time in both Hero and EMIS, and the patient is told the change didn't go through.
Practices where Hero confirms first (mainly private practices). The patient was told the change had worked before EMIS replied, so Hero and EMIS may now disagree. For a failed cancellation, the appointment is probably still in EMIS. For a failed reschedule, EMIS probably still has the original time and not the new one.
What you can do
Open the task and find the appointment.
Check the appointment in EMIS.
If the patient still wants to cancel, cancel it in EMIS so the slot is free.
If the patient still wants to move, book the new time in EMIS and cancel the old one. If the new time has gone, agree another time with the patient.
Let the patient know the outcome.
When to contact us
Use the support form (https://herohealth.fillout.com/supportform?partner=Direct) if:
you get these alerts regularly
you can't find the appointment in EMIS
you think two patients are now booked into the same slot
Related articles
What does an "Incomplete booking" alert mean and what should I do?
Cancellation policy
How do I reconnect EMIS or fix a locked EMIS account?