TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
The Ardens LTC Annual Recall System provides a streamlined, standardised approach to managing annual long-term condition (LTC) recalls within EMIS and SystmOne. It enables practices to combine multiple condition reviews, improve efficiency, and support best practice patient care. Learn more about the recall system by accessing our support articles.
Click here for SystmOne Practices
Availability
When will the new reports be available?
The updated 2026/27 reports will be released at the beginning of April.
Do we need to install or download anything?
No. All resources will be automatically available to Ardens users in EMIS and SystmOne.
Will the old recall system still be available?
The current system for EMIS practices will remain available alongside the new system until March 2027. For SystmOne practices there will be enhancements and improvements to the existing resources.
Plan
How does birth month recall work?
Patients are identified based on their birth month for annual review scheduling.
Can we change a patient’s recall month?
Yes, EMIS practices can add a diary entry to change the recall month and SystmOne practices will add a dual code.
Will searches run automatically each month?
No. Searches update when manually run, but identify patients due within their recall month.
What about practices where birth month recall doesn’t work (e.g. student populations)?
Practices can use the chosen recall month to call patients at time that works best i.e. term times.
Are QOF and non-QOF conditions included?
Reports will be available for 'QOF + IIF' and 'QOF + IIF + Best Practice'.
Can it help prevent incorrect booking with clinicians?
Potentially, but this may require practice-specific workflow setup.
Does this replace EMIS A/B/C recall systems?
Yes, but gradually. Both systems can run in parallel until 2027.
Can it be used alongside other systems (e.g. Abtrace)?
Yes. Ardens searches can be used to validate patient cohorts.
Notify
If a patient has multiple LTCs, will they receive multiple invites?
No. Patients will receive a single invite covering all their conditions for their initial assessment.
Will the invite specify each condition?
No. A generic invite code is used. However, condition-specific (QOF) codes can also be added if required.
How many invites should be sent?
QOF requirement: 2 invites
Best practice: 3 invites
What happens after 3 invites?
Patients will appear in separate “other” reports so they are not lost to follow-up.
Will patients who already had a review be included?
No. Patients already recorded as completed or excluded within the financial year will not appear in invite reports.
Can we invite patients before their recall month?
Yes. Searches can be run at any time (e.g. 1–2 months in advance).
How are care home and housebound patients managed?
They are excluded from standard invite searches and managed in separate folders.
Are vulnerable groups (e.g. SMI, LD) identifiable?
Yes. These patients can be viewed separately in reports.
Is a generic invite code used?
Yes. A single generic invite code is used for LTC recalls.
Can QOF-specific codes still be added?
Yes. Practices can add QOF codes alongside the generic code.
Are QOF exclusions and PCA included?
Yes a process will be included for this.
Assess
Are templates updated automatically?
Yes. Templates are automatically updated. No action required.
Will templates adapt to patient conditions?
For EMIS practices templates are “smart” working and will only display relevant LTCs for each patient. For SystmOne practices LTCs will be displayed in bold for the patient.
Can we still use existing templates (e.g. multimorbidity)?
Yes. Existing templates will remain available alongside the new LTC templates.
Can questionnaires be combined for multiple conditions?
You would need to send separate condition questionnaires. However, we do have some questionnaires such as the LTC wellbeing questionnaire that will capture data to be used across several conditions.
Does the system include medication monitoring?
Not in the initial release. This will be added in future updates.
Will it show required blood tests for medications?
Not initially. This functionality will be included later.
Why does it show blood tests within the last 2 months?
This reflects clinical relevance (recent results may not need repeating).
Does it include diary blood tests for EMIS practices?
Yes. Both diary and routine tests are displayed.
Will diary entries auto-complete when tests are done?
No. Diary entries must be manually completed.
Review
Are there condition-specific reports?
Yes. Reports can be further filtered by individual conditions (e.g. asthma-only, COPD-only).
Can we separate patients with only one LTC?
Yes. There are reports specifically for single-condition patients.
Evaluate
Will reports show patients with no activity in the last year?
Yes. There are searches to identify patients with no activity in the previous or current financial year.
Automation
Is the recall system automated?
Currently, searches and processes are manual.
Is full automation planned?
Yes. A future Ardens Manager module will:
- Identify eligible patients
- Send communications (SMS, NHS App, email)
- Link to booking, questionnaires, or triage
When will automated recalls be available?
Planned for later in the year (date TBC).
Training
Will training sessions be recorded?
Yes. All webinars are recorded and shared on our recorded webinar pages.
Click here for SystmOne practices
Will slides and recordings be available?
Yes. Both slides and recordings will be sent out following the webinars and included in the description of the webinar recording.
How do we book training?
You can book training by emailing: training@ardens.org.uk
If you require any further assistance on the process above, please contact Ardens support on: support@ardens.org.uk