---
title: How do I stop recalls reaching patients who already have an appointment booked?
description: Abtrace includes a double-booking exclusion feature, so you can avoid contacting patients who already have a relevant appointment booked. You set this up when creating an automated recall.
---

[Skip to content](https://help.abtrace.co/can-i-check-if-a-patient-already-has-a-blood-test-booked#main-content)

[![abtrace-logo-colour@2x-3.png\]](https://help.abtrace.co/hs-fs/hubfs/abtrace-logo-colour@2x-3.png?width=124&height=60&name=abtrace-logo-colour@2x-3.png)](https://help.abtrace.co/?hsLang=en)

Open main navigation

Close main navigation

- [Go to abtrace.com](https://www.abtrace.com/)

[Go to abtrace.com](https://www.abtrace.com/)

 Hello. How can we help you?

- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

1. [Abtrace Support Portal](https://help.abtrace.co/?hsLang=en)
2. [Automated Recalls](https://help.abtrace.co/automated-recalls?hsLang=en)
3. [FAQs](https://help.abtrace.co/automated-recalls?hsLang=en#faqs)

# How do I stop recalls reaching patients who already have an appointment booked?

Abtrace includes a **double-booking exclusion** feature, so you can avoid contacting patients who already have a relevant appointment booked. You set this up when creating an automated recall.

 

### How it works

When building a recall, you can exclude patients who already have an appointment booked by:

- **Member of staff** — available for both EMIS and SystmOne.
- **Slot type** — available for EMIS.

SystmOne currently supports exclusion by member of staff only. We're working on adding slot-type exclusion for SystmOne too.

You can also set a **time range** for the exclusion, so patients are only skipped if their appointment falls within the window you specify — in the last set number of days, or within the next set number of days. 

![](https://help.abtrace.co/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jan-21-2025-12-38-18-2334-PM.png?width=670&height=329&name=undefined-Jan-21-2025-12-38-18-2334-PM.png)

### Why use double-booking exclusion

- 🚫 **Avoids unnecessary messages** — patients who have already booked won't receive a recall asking them to book again.
- 😌 **Reduces patient confusion** — prevents mixed messages that can prompt duplicate bookings or queries to your reception team.
- 📅 **Cuts down on wasted appointments** — helps avoid patients booking a second slot they don't need, freeing up capacity for others.
- 🧑‍💻 **Lowers front-desk workload** — fewer duplicate bookings and follow-up calls to untangle.
- ⭐ **Improves patient experience** — patients only hear from you when they actually need to act, keeping your communications relevant and trusted.

 

- [Getting started](https://help.abtrace.co/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content)

    - [Account & Installation](https://help.abtrace.co/getting-started?hsLang=en#account-installation)
    - [EMIS Setup](https://help.abtrace.co/getting-started?hsLang=en#emis-setup)
    - [SystmOne Setup](https://help.abtrace.co/getting-started?hsLang=en#systmone-setup)
    - [Compliance](https://help.abtrace.co/getting-started?hsLang=en#compliance)
- [User Management Portal](https://help.abtrace.co/user-management-portal?hsLang=en#main-content)

    - [Users & Practice Configuration](https://help.abtrace.co/user-management-portal?hsLang=en#users-practice-configuration)
    - [Practice-level emails & reports](https://help.abtrace.co/user-management-portal?hsLang=en#practice-level-emails-reports)
    - [Rules Management](https://help.abtrace.co/user-management-portal?hsLang=en#rules-management)
    - [Analytics](https://help.abtrace.co/user-management-portal?hsLang=en#analytics)
- [Proactive Monitoring Tool](https://help.abtrace.co/proactive-monitoring-tool?hsLang=en#main-content)

    - [Patient View](https://help.abtrace.co/proactive-monitoring-tool?hsLang=en#patient-view)
    - [Population View](https://help.abtrace.co/proactive-monitoring-tool?hsLang=en#population-view)
    - [Optimisation View](https://help.abtrace.co/proactive-monitoring-tool?hsLang=en#optimisation-view)
    - [Analytics View](https://help.abtrace.co/proactive-monitoring-tool?hsLang=en#analytics-view)
    - [FAQs](https://help.abtrace.co/proactive-monitoring-tool?hsLang=en#faqs)
- [Automated Recalls](https://help.abtrace.co/automated-recalls?hsLang=en#main-content)

    - [Recall Guides](https://help.abtrace.co/automated-recalls?hsLang=en#recall-guides)
    - [Clinical Programmes](https://help.abtrace.co/automated-recalls?hsLang=en#clinical-programmes)
    - [FAQs](https://help.abtrace.co/automated-recalls?hsLang=en#faqs)
- [Patient Engagement](https://help.abtrace.co/patient-engagement?hsLang=en#main-content)

    - [Patient Portal](https://help.abtrace.co/patient-engagement?hsLang=en#patient-portal)
    - [Messaging](https://help.abtrace.co/patient-engagement?hsLang=en#messaging)
    - [Questionnaires](https://help.abtrace.co/patient-engagement?hsLang=en#questionnaires)
- [Troubleshooting](https://help.abtrace.co/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#main-content)

    - [Account & log in](https://help.abtrace.co/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#account-log-in)
    - [Common Errors](https://help.abtrace.co/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#common-errors)
    - [SystmOne](https://help.abtrace.co/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#systmone)
    - [EMIS](https://help.abtrace.co/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#emis)
    - [Network & connectivity](https://help.abtrace.co/troubleshooting?hsLang=en#network-connectivity)
- [Contact us](https://help.abtrace.co/contact-us?hsLang=en)

[![abtrace-logo-colour@2x-Sep-24-2025-07-33-42-6579-AM](https://help.abtrace.co/hs-fs/hubfs/abtrace-logo-colour@2x-Sep-24-2025-07-33-42-6579-AM.png?width=130&height=63&name=abtrace-logo-colour@2x-Sep-24-2025-07-33-42-6579-AM.png "abtrace-logo-colour@2x-Sep-24-2025-07-33-42-6579-AM")](http://abtrace.co)