NHS Patients

Failing to Attend/Late Cancellation of Appointments Policy for NHS Patients: Under NHS regulations, we are unable to charge NHS patients who fail to attend their appointments or who cancel at short notice (less than 24 hours’ notice is insufficient). A patient who fails to attend their appointment or cancels at short notice will be sent a letter (including this policy), warning them that they will lose their NHS entitlement here if they fail to attend or cancel at short notice again within three years. If a further appointment is missed or cancelled at short notice within these three years, we will withdraw the offer of NHS treatment at this practice. Should they wish to remain a patient here, they will need to register on a private basis. This is in line with the NHS Choices website, which states, ‘Your dentist can terminate your treatment if you miss your appointment without letting the dental practice know. You may then need to pay again for a new course of treatment. While surgeries cannot charge you for not turning up, NHS England has the right to ask you to find another dental practice if you continue to miss appointments. As with all medical facilities, we strive to see our patients on time; however, due to the nature of healthcare, this is not always possible. If a patient arrives late for their appointment and treatment cannot be carried out, this will be regarded as a failure to attend. This policy does not affect your ability to seek NHS care at another NHS practice.

Private Patients

Patients attending appointments for private treatment will incur a charge of £1.50 per minute to cover the surgery's running costs. This charge applies to private treatment appointments that have been missed or cancelled at short notice. For example, a missed 30-minute appointment will incur a charge of £45.

Practice Plan Patients

If you fail to attend or give less than 48 hours’ notice on more than one occasion, you will have to wait until you are entitled to your next appointment. Alternatively, you can pay for the missed appointment.

*Discretion may be used if there is a good reason for the appointment being missed.