The practice is committed to providing timely and accessible healthcare for all our patients. Missed appointments (also known as Did Not Attend or DNA) significantly affect our ability to provide this service. This policy outlines how we manage missed appointments and what steps patients can take to avoid them.
1. Awareness of Missed Appointments
If you miss an appointment, we will notify you. You may still require the appointment, so please contact the practice as soon as possible if you wish to rebook.
If you believe we have made an error with your booking, please let us know immediately so we can investigate and prevent future issues.
2. Impact of Missed Appointments
Missed appointments reduce availability for other patients and increase waiting times. In most cases, a missed appointment needs to be rebooked, using an additional appointment slot unnecessarily.
On average, around 100 appointments each month are booked but not attended. This represents the equivalent of approximately seven full mornings of doctor appointments lost.
3. Practice Policy on Repeated Missed Appointments
To ensure fair access to healthcare for all patients, the following policy applies:
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Patients who miss three appointments within a six-month period may be removed from the practice list and asked to register with another surgery.
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This policy does not apply if the missed appointment was due to a confirmed booking error by the practice.
4. Appointment Reminders
If you have a mobile phone, you can receive free text message reminders for your appointments. To sign up, please ensure that the practice has your most up to date mobile number.