Sending ad-hoc letters and SMS messages

You can send ad-hoc letters and SMS messages from Patient Detail > Patient admin > Send letter or SMS.

Depending on your permissions, you can send ad-hoc letters and SMS messages to multiple patients from  Outpatients > Manage.

Sending ad-hoc letters and SMS messages on a mobile

You can't do this on a mobile.

Sending ad-hoc letters and SMS messages on a desktop

From Patient Detail > Patient admin > Send letter or SMS, you can send ad-hoc letters.

To view the letter editor, select Editor.

Shows information about the letter.

  • To change the letter, select Letter and choose a letter.

  • To edit the name of the letter, select Name and enter a name.

Actions available to you.

  • To preview the letter, select Preview.

  • To add attachments to the letter, select Attachments.

  • To not send a letter, select Cancel.

Shows the letter editor.

Read more about the letter editor

To view a preview of the letter, select Preview.

Shows information about the letter.

  • To change the letter, select Letter and choose a letter.

  • To edit the name of the letter, select Name and enter a name.

Actions available to you.

  • To edit the letter in the letter editor, select Editor.

  • To add attachments to the letter, select Attachments.

  • To sign the letter, or to remove a signature, select Sign Off.

  • To send the letter, select Send.

  • To not send a letter, select Cancel.

Shows the letter in your browser's PDF viewer.

From the letter editor, you can edit letters.

Select to view more settings, including:

  • Page layout

    You can make changes to page margins, footers, and headers.

  • Signatory

    You can choose the user who signs the letter, also known as the signatory.

    Choose a clinical note that contains the signatory for this letter. For example, if the signatory is the clinician who discharges the patient, then you might choose the clinical note 'Discharging clinician'.

    If no clinical note is set, then the default signatory is used and this depends on the context of the letter. For example, the default signatory might be the consultant for the current visit when the letter is generated.

Select to add a page break

Font Family

Select to choose a font for text in your letter.

If you select the font System Default size and font or System Default Title size and font, Nervecentre changes the size of the font if the patient asked for large print.

Select to add a table.

Select a cell in the table to view the options below.

Select to change the horizontal alignment of text in the cell.

Select to change the vertical alignment of text in the cell.

Select to add a background colour to the cell.

Select to add padding or a border to the cell.

Select to add a border to the table.

Select to merge or split cells.

Select to add or delete a table row.

Select to add or delete a table column

Select to delete the table.

Select to add an image.

Select to upload an image.

You can drag the image to the box, or open the file browser.

Every uploaded image saves to Nervecentre. You can use these images in other letters.

Select to add a URL to an image.

Select to choose a previously uploaded image.

Select to add a letter component. A letter component is a reusable section for a letter. For example, your organisation's logo and address.

Select to add a group of letter components.

Select to highlight fields you have added.

This helps you see at a glance where fields have been added, for example, a clinical note.

The letter you are editing.

Select a part of the letter to edit it.

You can enter any text you want. You can add tables, images, and letter components.

  1. Open the patient's record.

    • From  Inpatients, select Patient List > double-click on a patient's name > Patient Detail.

    • From  Outpatients, select Clinic List > double-click on a patient's name > Patient Detail.

  2. From Patient Detail > Patient admin, select Send letter or SMS.

  3. From Letter, select a letter you want to send.

    For example, a discharge letter.

    Information about the letter appears. This includes:

    • The letter's name

    • The recipient of the letter

    • How the letter is delivered

    • Any attachments automatically added to the letter

  4. Optional: edit the name of the letter.

  5. Optional: to add attachments to the letter:

    1. Select Attachments.

    2. Search for an attachment, or browse folders until you find an attachment.

    3. Select an attachment.

    4. Select Add Attachment.

    5. Select outside the dialogue box.

    6. To save that attachments you added, select Yes.

  6. To preview the letter, select Preview.

  7. To sign a letter, or to remove a signature from a letter:

    1. Select Sign off.

    2. Select an option.

      • To sign the letter with your name, select Sign.

      • To sign the letter for someone else, select Sign as, then select their name.

      • To remove a signature from the letter, select Un-sign.

  8. To send the letters, select Send.