Wasted Appointments
Did Not Attend (DNA) policy
An excessive number of our appointments are wasted every week. Patients book appointments and then fail to attend (DNAs).
Due to the exceptionally high demand for our appointments we cannot allow patients to continue to waste appointments in this manner.
Going forward, if you are unable to attend an appointment that you have booked we will expect you to cancel it in a timely manner to enable us to offer it to other patients.
Patients can cancel appointments in the following ways:
In person at our reception desk.
Over the telephone by speaking to one of our Receptionist (during our opening hours)
In writing ( via Royal Mail or by hand delivered letter - we have letter boxes inside and outside the building)
Using our on line facility or the NHS APP ( this is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year) - please asked our Reception team for details.
The GP Partners at the Surgery have now decided that they will consider whether consistent failure to cancel appointments that are not attended constitutes a breakdown in the relationship between the Patient and the Surgery. Where there are no extenuating circumstances (clinically or non- clinically) it may be determined that the patients should be removed from the Practice List.
We will now be monitoring the use of our appointments and will be writing to patients who have more than 3 DNAs in the last 12 months.
DID NOT ATTENDS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
- In October 2024, we had 188 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 33 hours of wasted clinical time
- In November 2024, we had 159 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 32 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In December 2024, we had 139 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 28 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In January 2025, we had 152 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 40 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In February 2025, we had 156 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 32 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In March 2025, we had 170 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 36 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In April 2025, we had 283 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 76 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In May 2025, we had 170 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 36 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In June 2025, we had 132 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 25 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In July 2025, we had 163 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 35 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In August 2025, we had 194 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 44 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In September 2025, we had 128 patients to failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 22 hours of wasted clinical time.
- In October 2025, we had 252 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 36 hours of wasted clinical time
- In November 2025, we had 196 patients who failed to attend their appointments. This equated to 44 hours of wasted clinical time.