Every missed appointment costs the NHS money. If you are unable to attend an appointment it is vital you contact the surgery to cancel the appointment to make it available for another patient.
We have a DNA policy in place at the practice to ensure that patients, who repeatedly miss their appointments without contacting the surgery and without good reason, are notified and advised that any further missed appointments may lead to them being removed from the practice register.
It is quick and easy to cancel an appointment with the surgery:
- Text cancellation number (07826 605897) – available 24 hours a day
- Through online access - available 24 hours a day
- Through an automated telephone service (01977 610009 option 1 then option 1) – available 24 hours a day
Every time you fail to attend an appointment it is recorded in your electronic patient record. If you fail to attend two or more appointments within a 6-month period you will receive a letter from the practice detailing the dates and times of the appointments that you have missed, and advising you of the different ways that you can contact the surgery to cancel your appointment.
You will be also be advised that if there is a further instance within the same 6-month period whereby you do not attend an appointment and fail to notify the surgery, your registration with the practice will be reviewed and you may be removed from our list. However, no further action will be taken at that stage.
If you fail to attend a further appointment within the same 6-month period, you will receive a second letter from the practice, again detailing the dates and times of the appointments that you have missed.
You will be notified that, as previously explained in your first letter, due to your non-attendance/cancellation of appointments, your registration has been reviewed by a Partner GP and you will now be removed from our practice list. It is practice Policy that a Partner GP will always review a patient record prior to agreeing removal, as patient safety is of paramount importance.
Upon receipt of this letter you will be notified of a 4-week period whereby you can contact the surgery by letter, addressed to the Practice Manager, to review this decision, if you feel that there were any specific problems preventing you from cancelling your appointments.
If, after the 4-week grace period, you have not made contact with the surgery, you will receive a third and final letter confirming that as we have received no further correspondence from you, we are therefore arranging for you to be deducted from the practice register as a result of your failure to either attend or cancel three or more appointments within a consecutive 6-month time frame. You will be advised that the removal will be immediate, and therefore you must make arrangements to register at an alternative GP practice. You will also be provided with information of how to register with an alternative GP surgery.