We have a high number of appointments each month that are missed because patients do not attend and do not inform the surgery in advance. This prevents other patients from being seen.

If you are unable to attend your appointment for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible. You can do this by phoning the surgery, or pressing CANCEL on the text appointment reminder (for pre-booked appointments). If you contact us within one hour of your appointment time, this cannot be recorded as a cancelled appointment, as we are unable to offer the slot to another patient at such short notice. In these circumstances, the appointment will be recorded as a Did Not Attend (DNA).

Our Did Not Attend (DNA) policy states that if a patient fails to attend a pre-booked appointment, a warning letter will be issued. This letter advises that three or more DNAs within a 12-month period may result in removal from the practice list.

If a patient continues to miss appointments and reaches three DNAs within 12 months despite a written warning, the case will be reviewed by the Practice Manager and GP Partners, and the patient may be asked to register with an alternative GP practice.