Gas House Lane Surgery DNA Policy
We strive to offer as many appointments to our patients as we can, but to continue to provide this service we need to have strict guidelines in place to fully utilise every available appointment and resource.
What does “DNA” mean?
DNA means “Did Not Attend”
It is when a patient fails to attend their appointment without prior warning of a valid reason, which results in the waste of an appointment and valuable resources. It affects the service we can provide, and the appointment could have been given to another patient who may be in urgent need of care.
On average between 80-100 appointments are wasted every month at our surgery, and this is not something that the practice nor the NHS generally can sustain.
If you need to cancel your appointment because it is no longer convenient or due to unforeseen circumstances then just let us know by one of the methods below, ahead of your scheduled appointment time. Ideally, 24 hours’ notice would be appreciated, but we understand that this is not always possible. Letting us know as soon as possible allows us to re-book another patient into that time slot and this means that our clinician’s valuable time does not go to waste.
How do I cancel my appointment?
- Call the practice on 01670 513657
- Use the NHS app
- Attend the practice in person
What happens if I miss my appointment?
If you miss ONE appointment:
You will be contacted by the practice to alert you that you missed an appointment, and to direct you to review this policy so that you are aware of the next steps should you miss further appointments within a 12-month rolling period.
If you miss TWO appointments within a 12-month rolling period:
You will be sent a first warning letter from the practice advising that another missed appointment could result in you being removed from the practice list.
If you miss THREE appointments within a 12-month rolling period:
You will be sent a correspondence offering you the opportunity to speak with the practice manager to explore the reasons for the missed appointments. This will give you an opportunity to explain why you did not attend and what is preventing you from canceling appointments, to see if we can help you in any way.
If you are to be removed from the practice list you will be informed of the decision in writing, and once a removal has been actioned you have 30 days to find a new GP practice to accept you onto their register.
Punctuality:
If you are more than 10 minutes late to your appointment, you will not automatically be seen and you will likely need to re-book the appointment. We do understand that circumstances are sometimes out of your control but once again, please do try and give us prior notice when you think you may be running late, as this can have serious implications for the clinician’s subsequent patients and appointments.
