How Long the SOPHIA Abandoned-Call SMS Link Remains Active

Purpose of Document

Practices and patients occasionally raise questions about the SOPHIA SMS link. How long does it last? What happens if the patient does not use it quickly? What if the patient tries to use it hours later? Support staff must be able to answer these questions accurately and explain the link behaviour clearly.

Background: What the SOPHIA SMS Link Is

SOPHIA is QuantumLoop AI's SMS and chat fallback assistant. When a phone call cannot be completed via EMMA, SOPHIA provides the patient with a secure link to continue their request digitally. The patient taps the link, opens a browser-based chat interface, and completes their request by typing. The practice receives the same structured outcome as a standard EMMA submission.

The SOPHIA SMS link is a secure, time-limited URL sent to the patient's mobile phone number. It is tied to the specific call that triggered it, including the patient's identity details collected so far and the context of the call where available.

When SOPHIA Sends an SMS Link

SOPHIA sends an SMS link in the following scenarios:

SOPHIA does not send SMS links to landline callers. Landline callers receive verbal next-step signposting instead.

How Long the SOPHIA Link Remains Active

The SOPHIA SMS link remains active for 24 hours from the time it is sent.

Within this 24-hour window, the patient can tap the link at any time and open the SOPHIA interface to complete their request. The interface will retain the context from the original call where available, such as the patient's verified identity details, so the patient does not need to start entirely from scratch.

After 24 hours, the link expires. If the patient taps an expired link, they will see a message indicating the session has ended. They will need to call the surgery again or visit the surgery's website to start a new request.

SOPHIA session timeout within an active link

Once a patient has opened the SOPHIA link and started a session, SOPHIA includes an automatic session timeout for security. If the patient stays inactive for too long within an open SOPHIA session, the session will end automatically. The patient will need to tap the link again (if still within the 24-hour window) to start a new session.

This session timeout is a security feature that prevents personal health information from remaining visible on an unattended device.

What Happens When a Patient Uses the Link Successfully

When a patient taps the SOPHIA link within the 24-hour window and completes their request:

1. SOPHIA guides the patient through the request using the same structured question flow relevant to their request type
2. The patient submits their request via SOPHIA
3. The submission appears in the practice's dashboard as a SOPHIA submission
4. As of V12 (May 2026), every SOPHIA submission is attributed to a named verified patient through Patient ID

The practice actions the SOPHIA submission in the same way as any other enquiry in the dashboard. The submission type will be visible as SOPHIA rather than EMMA, but the content and actioning process is the same.

What Happens When the Link Expires

If the patient does not use the SOPHIA link within 24 hours and the link expires:

• The patient receives no further automatic SMS reminder
• The patient would need to contact the surgery again through a new call or by visiting the surgery website
• No submission will appear in the dashboard from that specific SOPHIA link

If a practice is concerned that a patient with an urgent need received an expired link without completing their request, this should be handled through the practice's standard clinical governance process for identifying patients who may have been unable to submit a request.

SOPHIA SMS Message Types (From March 2026)

As of 5 March 2026, SOPHIA sends one of two scenario-specific messages:

Disconnected-call message: sent when the call drops unexpectedly. This message references the disconnection so the patient understands why they are receiving the link.

Neutral continuation message: sent for all other scenarios including the patient choosing SOPHIA, poor call quality directing the patient to SOPHIA, or a practice-directed SOPHIA flow. This message does not reference a disconnection.

Before March 2026, a single generic message was sent in all scenarios. The generic wording was "sorry our call was disconnected" which was inaccurate when the patient had chosen SOPHIA or been redirected rather than experiencing a drop. The scenario-specific messages corrected this.

Woodingdean Surgery: SMS Link Sent Without Full PDS Verification

As of 2 February 2026, EMMA ensures that a SOPHIA SMS link is sent for Woodingdean Surgery callers even when full registration verification has not been completed. Previously, if a caller disconnected before being fully verified against PDS, the follow-up SMS link was not always sent, leaving patients unable to continue their request.

This improvement ensures no patient is blocked from receiving the SOPHIA continuation link due to an incomplete verification step. This specific improvement applies to Woodingdean Surgery.

Common Questions From Practices and What to Check

"A patient received the SOPHIA link but says it is no longer working"

The most likely cause is that the link has expired after 24 hours, or the patient's SOPHIA session timed out due to inactivity.

What to do:

• Ask the practice when the original call was made and when the patient is attempting to use the link
• If more than 24 hours have passed since the call, the link will have expired
• Advise the practice to ask the patient to call again or submit via the surgery's website
• No action is required from the QuantumLoop team for an expired link

"A patient used the SOPHIA link but we cannot see the submission in the dashboard"

If the patient opened the link but did not complete and submit the request, no submission will appear in the dashboard.

What to do:

• Check the dashboard for any SOPHIA submissions from that patient on the day of the call
• If no submission is present, it is likely the patient opened the link but did not complete the request
• Advise the practice to contact the patient if clinically necessary

"We are receiving more SOPHIA submissions than before since V12"

This is expected. V12 introduced Lifeline, which tells every patient at the start of every call that a SOPHIA link will be sent if the call drops. This means patients who would previously have called back are now completing their request via SOPHIA instead.

What to do:

• Confirm the surgery is on V12
• Reassure the practice this is expected behaviour and a positive outcome
• Remind the practice that SOPHIA submissions are actioned in the same way as other enquiries in the dashboard
• Every SOPHIA submission in V12 is attributed to a named verified patient

"The patient received two SOPHIA messages"

Before February 2026, patients could receive multiple SOPHIA invite notifications. This was resolved and patients now receive a single SMS invite.

What to do:

• Confirm whether the incident predates February 2026
• If after that date, escalate to engineering with the affected call ID and surgery ODS code

Step-by-Step Triage Process

1. Confirm the trigger scenario: dropped call, silent caller, Lifeline, eConsult SOPHIA invite, Pathways fallback, or AskMyGP redirect.
2. Confirm whether the caller was on a mobile or a landline. Landline callers do not receive SMS links.
3. Confirm when the SMS was sent and when the patient is attempting to use it.
4. If the link has expired (more than 24 hours after sending), advise the patient to contact the surgery again.
5. If the link is within the 24-hour window and is not working, escalate to engineering with the call ID.
6. If no SOPHIA submission is in the dashboard, confirm whether the patient completed the SOPHIA request or only opened the link.

What to Tell the Practice

Example wording explaining the 24-hour link validity:

"The SOPHIA link is active for 24 hours from the time it is sent. If the patient taps the link within that window, they can complete their request and it will appear in your dashboard as a SOPHIA submission. After 24 hours the link expires and the patient would need to contact the surgery again. There is no automatic reminder sent to the patient if they do not use the link within that window."

Example wording when a practice asks about increased SOPHIA submissions on V12:

"Since our V12 release, EMMA tells every patient at the start of every call that if the call drops they will receive a secure link to continue their request. This means patients who would previously have called back are now completing their request through SOPHIA instead. The submissions arrive in your dashboard with the same structure as other enquiries and are actioned in the same way."

Common Mistakes

• Telling a practice the SOPHIA link is permanent. It expires after 24 hours.
• Not checking whether the patient is on a mobile or a landline before investigating why they did not receive a SOPHIA link. Landline callers never receive SMS links.
• Not knowing that a SOPHIA submission only appears in the dashboard if the patient fully completes and submits the request through SOPHIA. Opening the link without submitting does not create a submission.
• Treating an increase in SOPHIA submissions on V12 as a platform issue rather than expected Lifeline behaviour.
• Not checking whether the two-message issue predates February 2026 before escalating.

Escalation Guidance

Escalate to engineering if:

• A mobile caller did not receive a SOPHIA SMS link after a dropped call or silent caller disconnect
• The SOPHIA link is not functioning within the 24-hour window
• A patient is receiving two SOPHIA messages after February 2026
• SOPHIA submissions are not appearing in the dashboard after the patient confirms they completed the request

When escalating, always include:

• Surgery name and ODS code
• Consultation tool used
• Call ID and timestamp
• Whether the caller was on mobile or landline
• Whether the SOPHIA SMS was sent and at what time
• Whether the patient attempted to use the link and at what time
• Whether a submission appears in the dashboard