A Gateway PC is required within the surgery to be logged into SystmOne at all times
Introduction:
Hero now integrates directly with SystmOne, enabling healthcare providers to streamline patient workflows, manage messaging, and maintain interoperability between Hero and the EHR
This connection is powered by Hero Sidekick, a small desktop application that runs on a Gateway PC. Together, Sidekick and the Gateway PC create a secure, always-on bridge between Hero and SystmOne
Because of the technical requirements of SystmOne, using Hero effectively depends on having a correctly configured Gateway PC running Sidekick. This article explains what a Gateway PC is, why it’s needed, and how Sidekick uses it to keep everything in sync
Find more about why a Gateway PC is required here
Setting up Hero Sidekick
Download and install Sidekick
Download the installer and run it on your Gateway PC machine. Click here to download the Hero Sidekick installer
Login to Sidekick
Login to Sidekick using a Hero account – This will be the email provided as the technical contact at the practice added from the onboarding form
Keep it running continuously for consistent record writing
Critical: If Sidekick goes offline, write to record will fail
Approve connection in SystmOne
The first time Sidekick connects, SystmOne will show a security pop-up like this:
Click “Approve” to allow Sidekick to connect.
This only appears the first time. If you miss it, close both Sidekick and SystmOne and then reopen. The security prompt should reappear
Enabling Gateway Mode in Sidekick
Sidekick includes a Gateway mode toggle designed for using Sidekick purely as a connection point between Hero and SystmOne
When enabled, Gateway mode disables all other features and ensures Sidekick runs in a streamlined, background-only mode for stable SystmOne integration
Where to find it:
Open Sidekick
Go to Settings (top-right)
Click into User Settings
Scroll to find the Gateway mode section
Toggle it on
The setting will look like this:
What it does:
Disables non-essential features such as messages or UI components not relevant to SystmOne
Ensures Sidekick behaves as a passive background agent, reducing UI interruptions and improving reliability
Recommended for designated Gateway PCs
Once enabled, Sidekick will focus solely on syncing Hero with SystmOne. This is especially useful for server-room or back-office devices where no day-to-day usage of Sidekick is expected
How to configure booking
Go to Hero settings > Integrations > SystmOne
You’ll see three sections to configure:
Locations
Practitioners
Slot types
Use the search box in each section to look up your SystmOne records
Sidekick must be running and connected to SystmOne to fetch results
Select the correct SystmOne item for each and save
Once saved, these items will appear in Hero whenever you create or manage appointments
If no match is found when a patient books the appointment is booked into your designated Unregistered Patient record (usually a “test” or “dummy” patient in SystmOne)
Setting up your unregistered patient
To make sure unmatched bookings are captured correctly, you’ll need to set a designated unregistered/test patient in Hero:
In Hero, go to Settings > Integrations > SystmOne
Under the Overview section, you’ll see a field for Unregistered patient NHS number
Enter the NHS number of the patient record in SystmOne you’ve created for this purpose (usually a “test” or “dummy” patient)
Save your changes
Common issues & troubleshooting
If Hero is not functioning correctly within SystmOne, check the following:
Is the Gateway PC switched on and logged into SystmOne?
Is Sidekick running on the Gateway PC?
Has the user logged out instead of locking the PC?
Has the Gateway PC restarted without logging back in?
Is the correct Gateway PC assigned in SystmOne settings?
Next steps: ensuring a smooth experience
Confirm with your IT team that a dedicated Gateway PC is set up for Hero.
Ensure staff are aware of the need to keep it logged in at all times.
Monitor connection stability and report issues if data syncs are failing.