It is an Unacceptable Behaviour for patients to repeatedly miss booked appointments. Patients who repeatedly miss booked appointments risk being removed from the practice register. Once removed, patients will not be permitted to register again at the Surgery for 4 months and will need to seek registration at another local GP Surgery.
The Surgery is under a great deal of pressure to provide as many appointments to the practice population as it can. Patients receive an SMS text reminder for their appointments and have the opportunity to text back cancelling their appointment. Please note this facility cannot be used where there is less than three hours before the appointment.
Unfortunately patients frequently missing booked appointments is a wasted resource the Surgery cannot accept.
Patients who repeatedly miss booked appointments will be contacted by letter with a behaviour warning and reminded of this policy.
Where the patient who has missed appointments is a child (generally defined as under 8 years) and removal from the practice register is being considered, the Surgery will contact the Health Visitor team to visit the family and conduct a child protection/safeguarding assessment prior to removal.