The options discussed on this page are found by selecting Menu --> Setup --> Branch


The Data Screen is shown below. When new functionality comes into FLEX, there will often be a setting or switch related to it in this table, so it can be worth checking back here when updates are released. New functionality in the latest release is highlighted below and the text is in red.




Dispense

  • Dispenses can be set to automatically Post to the Till (and onto a New Receipt if needed) and to Auto Create Order when they are confirmed. 

  • Copy PD from Last Disp (when ticked) means the Pupiliary Distance from the last dispense can also be automatically brought forward.

  • Range Check Default On (when ticked) means that in a Dispense, only lenses with a suitable power range are shown in the Lens Wizard

  • Go to Till after Confirm (when ticked) means that after a Dispense is confirmed, FLEX goes straight to the Till (perhaps useful if you wish to take a deposit).

  • Hide Deposit Option (when ticked) means that the ability to take a deposit at the point of Dispense is restricted.

C/L Orders

  • Contact Lens can be set to Automatically Post To the Till (and onto a New Receipt if needed) and to Auto Create Order when they are saved. 

  • There is also a setting for FLEX to Request to Print Order, and Auto Print Order if required.

Patients

  • A Dismiss Time can be set for patients to be dismissed (disappear) from The Active Patient List after a period of inactivity: 30 minutes by default. (Auto) is if they were due to come in for an appointment and have appeared automatically, (Manual) is if you have looked them up on FLEX yourself.

  • The Default NHS Entitlement is generally only used in Scotland, where everyone gets a free sight test by default. "UK Resident" is at the bottom of the drop-down list for this.

  • Automatic Family Search (when ticked) means that when patients with the same address as others already on the system are added, it asks if you would like to Add a Patient to a Family

  • Copy Recall Preferences will reflect the original family member preferences for the new family member.

  • Non-Progressive Search - when turned on, will prevent FLEX finding patients until Enter is pressed.

Order Printouts can be set to a specific size if you wish. The details and layout of each size are broadly the same. Dual A5 prints 2x A5 landscape on 1x A4 sheet.

Dispense Agreement: This free-text box allows you to enter your own text which can appear on the Dispense Confirmation Sheet, which is required if you use Separate Disclosed Charging / Fixed Fee VAT. The option to print this comes up when a Dispense is confirmed.

Till

  • Your Financial Year Start date can be set here (the year is not important). This date is needed for generating Business Intelligence reports mapped around your financial year.

  • Post to Receipt Within (xx Days) means that when items are posted to a Patient Receipt (be it from Clinical Billing (Clinical users Only) or Dispense), FLEX can ask if this should be added to a new receipt or to pick from a list from the previous xx days (30 by default).

  • Receipt Format (tick selected) if you do not have a receipt printer installed, receipts use a template more fitting to A4 or A5 based on your selection. 

  • Print VAT Receipt (when ticked) means the amount of VAT payable prints on the receipt.

  • Print Fees on Receipt (when ticked) means the actually fee element of the VAT prints out.

  • Receipt by Sales Group (when ticked) means item details are masked on the receipt, and just entries like "Frame" appear. More details here

  • Prompt for New Receipt (when ticked) means that if the patient has no receipt when taken to the Till, FLEX will prompt to create one.

  • Separate Disclosed Charges (when ticked) means that SDC rules are used through FLEX, notably through the Dispense process. A VAT specialist can give you more details about this, and we at Optinet can put you in touch with one.

  • Default Receipt (Email) - choose a receipt which is automatically sent when Email Receipt is pressed on the Till

  • Default CCG - the default Clinical Commisioning Group which vouchers are charged to - enter or edit the names under NHS Vouchers in Till Setup

  • Prompt to print Cashing-up Report after save (when ticked) will remind the user to print this report when saving and locking the cashing up.

  • Print Transaction Date Lines on Receipt (when ticked) means that the date of the transaction will appear on each line of the receipt. Often useful for insurance claims etc., over and above the date the receipt was actually printed.

  • Allow Payments from other branches (when ticked) means that Cash, Card, Cheque and Account payments can be taken at any branch, not just the one where the receipt was created.

Examinations (previously branded Sight Tests)

  • The Contractor Name and Contractor Code appear on some GOS forms: enter the details here if they aren't already filled in.The Contractor Signature is required for English EGOS.

  • Payment Location Code is specifically for NHS Scotland sites.

  • Open the Print Shortlist When Saving The Test (when ticked) opens the Print Shortlist.

  • Cyl Format: This option will change the Cyls on the refraction tabs of a sight test so that they are always in positive or negative cyl. The default option is "As Entered" which works as normal, i.e. what is entered by the Optom.

  • Prompt to Enter Recommendations (Saving ST) - When ticked, FLEX will warn the Optometrist / User that no recommendations have been entered. These are useful at point of Dispense and also in Business Intelligence.

  • Prompt to Confirm Plano (Saving ST) - When ticked,  if both the right & left final sphere are ‘Plano’, the Optometrist will be warned when saving the Sight Test record.

Appointments

  • Gen Weeks Ahead means that appointments are generated x weeks ahead in this example, i.e. Receptionists can book Appointments up to 3 months in advance, and the Appointments planner will always cycle 3 months ahead by default. With a 0 value as shown, the diary will not auto-build.

  • Auto Attend (when ticked) means that If you don't want to manually say people have attended, they will automatically turn green upon their appointment time (you can still cancel or fail them - see Appointments)

  • If you prefer the 12 hour clock, tick 12 Hour Time.

  • Warn if booking NHS appointment early (days) means FLEX will not bring up the warning if the appointment booked falls within this generally-accepted NHS buffer of 30 days, although some health authorities have stricter rules.

  • Prompt to Split after Moving Appt. When this box is ticked, the Split Slot window will appear after an appointment is moved, so for example if a 60 minute slot was booked into a 30 minute diary template, the slots can be put back to how they were. 

  • Prompt to Split after Cancelling Appt. When this box is ticked, the Split Slot window will appear after an appointment is cancelled, so for example if a 60 minute slot was booked into a 30 minute diary template, the slots can be put back to how they were. 

  • Display Patient Note Alerts from Arrivals Widget: (when ticked) it is possible to view patient note alerts when marking a patient as arrived, from the arrivals widget on the home screen.
  • Mandatory Return Reason: When ticked, a return reason will need to be supplied before the appointment can be booked.

Unsure what any of these mean? Raise a ticket at the top of this page. Press Save when complete.