Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

How to Manage Your VIP Patient List

The VIP patient list tells EMMA which patients should bypass her entirely and be transferred directly to reception on every call. Admin users can add and remove patients from the list at any time from the dashboard Settings page. This article explains how it works and how to keep your list up to date.

Purpose of This Article

The VIP list is one of the most important tools available to your practice for protecting vulnerable patients. This article explains who it is for, how to manage it, and how to keep it accurate as your patient list changes.

Main Content

What Is the VIP Patient List?

The VIP patient list is a list of patients who should always be transferred directly to your reception team when they call, without EMMA attempting to handle their request. When a patient on the VIP list calls, EMMA identifies them via their phone number and transfers them immediately — no conversation, no questions asked.

The VIP list is your practice's way of telling EMMA which patients need a human, every time. It operates as a hard override. No transfer sensitivity setting, no call flow configuration, and no other setting can prevent a VIP patient from reaching reception.

Who Should Be on the VIP List

The decision about who goes on the VIP list is entirely yours. There are no fixed rules. Common examples from practices using the system include:

  • Patients with active cancer treatment or palliative care needs
  • Patients with learning disabilities or cognitive impairments
  • Patients with active safeguarding concerns
  • Housebound patients with complex needs
  • Patients who have previously expressed difficulty using automated systems
  • Any patient where your clinical team agrees a human voice matters most

The list should reflect your practice's clinical judgement. It can be as broad or as specific as you choose.

How EMMA Identifies VIP Patients

EMMA matches VIP patients by their registered phone number. When a call comes in from a number that matches a patient on your VIP list, the call is transferred to reception immediately.

This means the patient must be calling from the number registered in their record. If a VIP patient calls from a different number — a mobile they do not usually use, or a public phone — EMMA will not recognise them as a VIP caller for that call.

If a patient is vulnerable and you want to ensure they always reach reception regardless of number, speak to your account manager about additional configuration options.

How to Access and Manage the VIP List

The VIP patient list is managed from the EMMA Settings page in the dashboard. Only Admin users can add or remove patients.

The list can be updated at any time. There is no need to contact support or your account manager to make changes — it is fully self-service.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To add a patient to the VIP list:

  1. Log in to the QuantumLoop AI dashboard at https://quantumloopai.com/ql-dashboard
  2. Navigate to Settings in the left-hand menu.
  3. Select EMMA Settings.
  4. Locate the VIP Patient List section.
  5. Click Add Patient (or equivalent button).
  6. Enter the patient's details as required — name and registered phone number. [NEEDS VERIFICATION — please confirm the exact fields required when adding a patient]
  7. Save the entry.
  8. The patient is now on the VIP list and will be transferred to reception on their next call.

To remove a patient from the VIP list:

  1. Follow steps 1 to 4 above to navigate to the VIP Patient List section.
  2. Locate the patient you want to remove.
  3. Select the option to remove or delete their entry.
  4. Confirm the removal.
  5. The patient is removed from the list immediately.

Keeping the List Up to Date

The VIP list is only as useful as the information in it. We recommend building a regular review into your practice's admin workflows:

  • Add patients to the list as soon as a vulnerability or clinical need is identified
  • Remove patients when their circumstances change and they no longer need VIP routing
  • Review the full list periodically — for example, as part of your quarterly clinical admin review — to check that all entries are still appropriate

There is no automatic synchronisation between your clinical system and the VIP list. Updates must be made manually in the dashboard.

Troubleshooting

A patient on our VIP list was not transferred to reception. The most likely reason is that they called from a number that is not registered against their entry in the VIP list. Confirm the phone number they called from and check it matches what is recorded in the dashboard. If the number is correct and the transfer did not happen, contact support@quantumloopai.com with details of the call.

I cannot find the VIP Patient List section. The VIP Patient List is in the EMMA Settings section, which is only accessible to Admin users. If you cannot see it, your account may be set to Standard user access. Contact your practice manager or an Admin user to check your permissions. See: Understanding User Roles and Permissions (article 4.4).

We want to add a large number of patients to the VIP list at once. Contact your account manager or support@quantumloopai.com to discuss a bulk upload option. Adding patients individually is straightforward for small numbers, but a bulk process may be more practical for larger lists.

A patient we added is not being recognised as a VIP caller. Confirm the phone number saved in the VIP list exactly matches the number the patient is calling from. Even small differences — for example, a leading zero versus a country code — can prevent a match. If the number is correct, contact support@quantumloopai.com.

We are not sure whether a patient should be on the VIP list. The decision is entirely your practice's. If you are unsure, discuss it with your clinical lead or practice manager. The list can be updated at any time, so there is no risk in adding a patient temporarily while you consider their needs.

FAQs

Does the VIP list work alongside other safety overrides? Yes. The VIP list is one of several reasons a call will always transfer directly to reception, alongside emergency symptoms, suicidal ideation, safeguarding concerns, and other safety overrides. All of these operate independently and none can be disabled by practice settings.

Can we have more than one phone number for a patient on the VIP list? [NEEDS VERIFICATION] — please confirm whether multiple numbers can be registered per patient on the VIP list.

Do patients know they are on the VIP list? No. The VIP list operates silently in the background. Patients are not informed that their call is being treated differently. From their perspective, they are simply connected to reception as normal.

Is the VIP list shared across all users at our practice? Yes. The VIP list applies at surgery level. Any Admin user at your practice can view and update it.

How quickly does adding a patient take effect? Immediately. Once a patient is saved to the VIP list, their next call will transfer to reception.

Does removing a patient from the VIP list take effect immediately? Yes. Once removed, EMMA will handle their calls through the standard flow from the next time they call.

Can we automate the VIP list, for example by adding all patients over a certain age? This can be explored with your account manager. One approach is configuring EMMA to detect when a patient states they are over a certain age and route them to reception automatically, without needing to add individuals to the VIP list manually. Raise this requirement with your account manager if it is relevant to your practice.