Practice Policy on Missed Appointments

The Baffins Surgery agrees that:

• Each appointment is a valuable opportunity for our patients
• Pressure on appointment times shows that there is a need for every single appointment we have available
• Doctors and Nurses appreciate that there are times when it is necessary to cancel appointments
• Reception staff are always willing to help rearrange cancelled appointments. See the section headed ON LINE APPOINTMENTS on the Appointments page.

The Baffins Surgery staff will endeavour to:

• Make best use of appointment for each and every patient
• Provide a helpful booking service via Reception
• Provide a telephone Appointment Cancellation Service to help patients who are not able to attend their appointment, or who no longer need their appointment

The Baffins Surgery expects our Patients to:

• Be courteous to staff booking appointments
• Attend the appointment they have made
• Contact the Surgery to cancel if they cannot attend
• Contact the Surgery if they no longer need to attend

The Baffins Surgery, on NHS advice, will:

• Monitor those patients who do not attend their appointment, and who do not cancel at least one hour beforehand
• Remind patients, by letter and verbally, that 3 missed appointments can lead to removal from the Practice List
• Remove patients, within a timescale relative to individual patient demand, from the Practice List, after 3 missed appointments.