Last review date 03/02/2023

Sending SMS - MJOG & SystmOne

Many practices now use MJOG for sending SMS to patients. MJOG practices should also use SMS via SystmOne. Each has its pros and cons, but by combining the use of MJOG & SystmOne the practice and the patients can gain the most benefit from SMS.  


MJOG Pros

  • Uses secure NHSmail 
  • A good tool for sending out batches or campaigns of SMS
  • Campaigns can be scheduled to send at a later date and over a number of days
  • Allows patients to reply to the SMS with configured key words that can record data and read codes directly into the patient record 
  • Excellent for capturing any consents, declines, smoking status and other QOF related pieces of data
  • Can be used to send out appointment reminders
  • Patients can cancel the appointments by SMS
  • Following attendance at an appointment can automatically send the 'Friends and Family Test' questions 
  • There is no requirement to change passwords for the NHSmail account used by MJOG as this is managed by MJOG.


MJOG Cons

  • Unless very experienced, can be time consuming to setup a new campaign
  • Unable to send immediate confirmation of booking an appointment
  • Cannot send an SMS via MJOG directly from the patient record 


SystmOne Pros

  • Uses secure NHSmail
  • Sends the appointment confirmation SMS immediately on booking
  • Able to send one off messages to patients direct from the patient record
  • Can quickly send a batch of SMS from a list in SystmOne that you perhaps don't want to code any responses 
  • Send hyperlinks by one off SMS for patient information leaflets and websites 


SystmOne Cons

  • Patients cannot reply to SMS sent from SystmOne
  • Cannot automatically capture any data 
  • Cannot cancel appointments by SMS
  • Cannot schedule SMS from SystmOne 
  • Cannot be used to automate 'Friends and Family Test' questions

How to configure SystmOne to independently send SMS   

When you first install MJOG you will be asked to provide an NHSmail email address for the exclusive use of MJOG. That's ok but there will be occasions when you still want to send an SMS from within SystmOne. In order to be able to do this you will need a second NHS.net email account setup in SystmOne. 


NHSmail setup

Your local NHSmail administrator will be able to create the account but any NHSmail accounts that you want to use to send SMS must be 'White Listed' otherwise SMS will fail. Usually 'White Listing' is done by your local Commissioning Support Unit and is basically an approval process to allow SMS to be sent from that account.  


SystmOne setup

So once you have your NHSmail account created and 'White Listed'; 

  • Go to 'Setup > User & Policy > Organisational Preferences 
  • Scroll down on the left to 'Email & SMS > NHSmail'. In here you can enter the email address and password
  • click on 'Send Test Email' to check it works

Next move down the organisational preferences to 'SMS'; 

  • Ensure that 'Enable SMS Messaging' is ticked
  • Ensure that 'SMS Gateway' is set to 'Enabled with NHSmail (requires your NHSmail credentials - see NHSmail section)' is selected


One issue with using MJOG is that it cannot send the appointment confirmation messages at the time of booking an appointment. So it is better to have SystmOne send the confirmations. If you move down the organisational preferences to 'SMS & Appointments' you will see this is the top option. With this ticked SystmOne will send an immediate appointment confirmation SMS and MJOG will send the appointment reminders. 


With the above settings in place you should now be able to not only email but send SMS from all areas of SystmOne and have MJOG send appointment reminders and campaigns as before.


Please remember: The password for the NHSmail account used by SystmOne will expire every 90 days and will need changing via the NHSmail portal and on your SystmOne, otherwise it will stop sending SMS messages from your SystmOne.