How to Complete Your CLOA Form (Number Porting)

Purpose of This Article

The CLOA is one of the most commonly chased items during onboarding. Errors or missing information in the form are the leading cause of porting delays. This article helps you complete it correctly the first time, understand what porting involves, and know what to expect once the process is underway.

Main Content

What Is the CLOA?

The Customer Letter of Authority (CLOA) is a formal document that authorises QuantumLoop AI to transfer your main surgery phone number from your current telephony provider to QuantumLoop AI's telephony infrastructure. This process is called number porting.

Once ported, your surgery phone number is answered by EMMA. Your patients continue to call the exact same number they have always used. The change is invisible to them.

What Number Porting Does and Does Not Change

It is important to understand what porting affects and what it does not.

What changes:

• Your main patient-facing surgery number is moved to QuantumLoop AI's infrastructure so EMMA can answer it

What does not change:

• Your patients' phone number for calling the surgery — this stays exactly the same
• Your existing telephony contract with your current provider — porting one number does not breach your existing agreement
• Your internal phone system, extensions, IVR, and staff lines — these remain with your existing provider and continue working as normal
• Your business continuity plan — if EMMA is unavailable, calls automatically revert to your existing fallback arrangement

Which Number to Port

Port your main patient-facing number — the number patients call to reach reception.

Do not port:

• Staff or manager direct lines
• Internal numbers
• Numbers not used by patients

If your surgery uses an IVR to direct calls to multiple departments, EMMA can be configured to replicate that routing. In most cases, only the main line needs to be ported. If you are unsure, your account manager will advise you.

Why Accuracy Matters

The CLOA is cross-checked against the details your current telephony provider holds on their records. If the address, postcode, or provider details in your form do not exactly match what your provider has on file, the port request will be rejected and will need to be resubmitted. This is the most common cause of porting delays.

Before completing the form, confirm with your current provider that the postcode and address on their system are accurate and up to date.

What to Prepare Before You Start

Have the following to hand before opening the form:

• Your surgery name and address, exactly as registered with your current telephony provider
• Your surgery postcode, confirmed as accurate with your current provider
• Your main patient-facing phone number (the number to be ported)
• The name of your current telephony provider
• Your account number or service reference with your current provider (if available)

The CLOA typically takes around 15 minutes to complete.

A Note on the Duplicate Sections

The CLOA form asks for your practice details in two sections. This is a standard template provided by the porting and VoIP provider, not something QuantumLoop AI has designed. The duplication exists because the provider uses both sections to cross-check your details against those held by your current telephony supplier. Complete both sections with your surgery's details.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Gather the information listed in the preparation section above before opening the form.
2. Open the CLOA form using the link provided in your onboarding email from QuantumLoop AI.
3. Complete Section 1 with your surgery details, including name, address, postcode, and current telephony provider information.
4. Complete Section 2 with the same surgery details as requested.
5. Confirm the phone number you want to port. This should be your main patient-facing number only.
6. Check all details carefully before submitting. Pay particular attention to your postcode and address — these must match exactly what your current provider holds on file.
7. Submit the form.
8. QuantumLoop AI will initiate the port request and keep you updated on progress.

What Happens After You Submit

Once QuantumLoop AI receives your CLOA, the porting process is initiated. Here is what to expect:

• QuantumLoop AI submits the port request to the telephony provider on your behalf
• You will receive an email from your current telephony provider asking you to validate and approve the port request. Approve this promptly — delays in approval push back your porting date
• Receiving a confirmed acceptance date typically takes around two to four weeks, though this varies and is outside QuantumLoop AI's control
• Go-live can happen within two days of the acceptance date being confirmed
• Your account manager will keep you informed at each stage

While porting is in progress, your phone system continues to operate exactly as it does today. Patients are unaffected throughout.

Troubleshooting

My port request has been rejected. The most common reason is a mismatch between the details in your CLOA and the details your current provider holds on their system. Check your address and postcode with your current provider, correct the CLOA, and resubmit. Your account manager will guide you through this.

I have not received the validation email from my current provider. Check your spam or junk folder. If it has not arrived after a few days, contact your current provider directly to ask them to resend it.

I approved the validation email but have not heard anything further. Contact your account manager or email support@quantumloopai.com. They can check the status of your port request with the porting team.

Porting is taking longer than expected. Porting timelines depend on your current telephony provider and are outside QuantumLoop AI's control. Your account manager will keep you updated. If you have concerns, contact support@quantumloopai.com.

I submitted incorrect details and need to amend the CLOA. Contact your account manager as soon as possible. The sooner any errors are corrected, the less impact there will be on your timeline.

I am not sure who my current telephony provider is. Check your surgery's invoices or speak to your practice manager. Common NHS telephony providers include Wavenet, BT, and others. Your account manager can help identify this if needed.

FAQs

Will our patients notice anything when the number is ported? No. Your patients call the same number they have always used. The porting process happens entirely behind the scenes.

Does porting affect our existing telephony contract? No. Porting your main patient-facing number to QuantumLoop AI does not breach your existing agreement with your telephony provider. Your provider continues to supply your internal phone system, extensions, and staff lines as normal.

What happens if EMMA goes down after porting? If EMMA is unavailable, calls to your ported number automatically revert to your existing business continuity arrangement — for example, diverting to a mobile or ringing directly at the surgery, as before EMMA. Patients are never left without a way to contact you.

Can we port more than one number? Yes, if your surgery has additional patient-facing numbers you want EMMA to answer, these can also be ported. Discuss this with your account manager when completing the CLOA.

How long does porting take? Receiving a confirmed acceptance date typically takes around two to four weeks from submission, though this varies by provider. Go-live can follow within two days of acceptance being confirmed. Timelines are outside QuantumLoop AI's direct control but your account manager will keep you updated throughout.

What if we want to go live before porting is complete? Once porting is complete, if EMMA is not yet fully live, all calls automatically forward to your substitute number so there is no gap in service. Go-live does not happen until porting is confirmed and your practice is ready.