How the booking page picks a date for patients

When a patient picks a treatment, the time-selection page does not just open on today. It lands them on the next day that actually has bookable slots, so nobody's first impression is an empty page.

What the patient sees

• If today has slots, they see today.
• If today is empty (for example, your minimum notice has swallowed the remaining slots, or you are not on shift), the page jumps forward to the first available day and shows a Next available note with that date, so the jump is obvious rather than confusing.
• A row of date chips lets them move between days, and the selected chip scrolls into view automatically.

When the automatic jump does not happen

If the patient arrived through a link that names a specific date, or they tapped a date chip themselves, that explicit choice is honoured even if the day is empty. The jump only applies when no date was asked for.

What controls availability

Where slots come from is unchanged: your shifts, treatment durations, buffers, minimum notice and booking window together decide which days have slots. If patients are landing a long way in the future, that usually means your shifts are sparse or your minimum notice is generous; both are adjustable in Settings.