# No CREATE\_APPOINTMENT action (from A029) after appointment cancelled (via A034)

**URL:** <https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/no-create-appointment-action-from-a029-after-appointment-cancelled-via-a034/15103>\
**Category:** e-Referral Service FHIR API\
**Tags:** testing, fhir\
**Created:** [10 September 2026 08:23 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/no-create-appointment-action-from-a029-after-appointment-cancelled-via-a034/15103 "2026-09-10T08:23:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Daniel\_Woodhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@Daniel\_Woodhead](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/Daniel_Woodhead)\
**Post date:** [10 September 2026 08:23 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/no-create-appointment-action-from-a029-after-appointment-cancelled-via-a034/15103/1 "2026-09-10T08:23:53Z")

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Hi, when an appointment has been cancelled via Update Appointment (A034), the CREATE\_APPOINTMENT action isn’t returned by Available Actions for User (A029), so the user cannot book a replacement appointment. However they can do so in the ERS Portal. Is this a bug in the API?

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**Author:** ![George\_Craft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@George\_Craft](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/George_Craft)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2026 13:58 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/no-create-appointment-action-from-a029-after-appointment-cancelled-via-a034/15103/2 "2026-09-14T13:58:47Z")

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Hi Daniel,

Thanks for you query. This is actually expected functionality.

Once an appointment on the current shortlist entry has beeen cancelled, e-RS doesn’t allow a new appointment to be booked straight back onto that same shortlisted service via Available actions (A029)/ Book or Defer Appointment (A016). The referral needs to be re-shortlisted first before it becomes bookable again.

The reason it looks like you can rebook directly in the portal is that the “book a replacement” journey there actually performs a re-shortlist step behind the scenes as part of that single user action, it isnt booking onto the old, cancelled shortlist entry.

Therefore, to achieve the same result via api:

1. Call Change shortlist (A031), reading the same service to the referral.
2. Call Available Actions for user (A029) again , CREATE\_APPOINTMENT will now be retuyrned for the newly shortlised service.
3. Call book or defer appointment (A016) to create the replacement appointment.

Hope this helps.

George

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**Author:** ![Daniel\_Woodhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@Daniel\_Woodhead](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/u/Daniel_Woodhead)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2026 14:22 UTC](https://developer.community.nhs.uk/t/no-create-appointment-action-from-a029-after-appointment-cancelled-via-a034/15103/3 "2026-09-14T14:22:10Z")

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That makes sense. Thanks George.