Any patient who fails to attend for their own or their child’s appointment without informing the practice incurs a burden to the practice and to other patients in terms of lost appointments. Many appointments every day are missed without being cancelled. Every missed appointment is an appointment that could have been given to another patient who needed it.
Please help us to help you by always cancelling an appointment you are unable to attend or no longer need, well in advance, so that it may be offered to someone else.
Due to high levels of patients not attending appointments, we have reviewed our practice policy. Patients who fail to attend appointments and do not contact the surgery in advance will be managed according to the practice DNA policy as set out below:
- Any patient who misses their appointment without cancelling in advance will be sent a standard text reminder notifying them of the missed appointment and a reminder of our policy if they continue to miss appointments.
- If a patient fails to attend 2 appointments within the last 12 months, their case will be discussed at a practice meeting. An informal warning letter may be sent to the patient, advising them that a further missed appointment could risk removal from the practice.
- If the patient fails to attend a third appointment within 12 months of a warning letter, the matter will be discussed at a practice meeting, and a majority agreement will be reached as to whether the patient will be removed from the practice list. The patient will be informed of the outcome of this meeting with a formal letter.
- Warning letters are valid for a period of 12 months. Removal based on warnings greater than 12 months old will be invalid – in this case a further formal warning and period of grace will be required.
- For parents, please note that the policy above will also apply to children who are not brought to their appointments. Missed appointments will trigger a discussion in a practice meeting and review with our safeguarding lead. Failing to bring children to their appointments can be a sign of other problems that would need further action.