At Rahona Family Practice, we serve a large and growing patient population with increasing demand for appointments across all our services. Every missed appointment represents a lost opportunity to provide care to another patient in need.
We kindly ask all patients to be mindful of the time and effort our clinical team invests in every consultation, and to take personal responsibility in attending or cancelling appointments when necessary. Respecting appointment times helps us ensure fair access to healthcare for everyone in our community.
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to manage missed appointments in a fair, consistent, and transparent manner, ensuring optimal use of clinical time and resources to provide timely care for all patients.
Scope:
This policy applies to all patients registered at Rahona Family Practice.
Definition:
A “Did Not Attend” (DNA) occurs when a patient fails to attend a scheduled appointment without prior notice or cancellation.
Policy Details:
- Appointment Reminders
- The practice offers appointment reminders via SMS text where possible.
- Patients are encouraged to ensure their contact details are up to date.
- Cancellations
- Patients are requested to cancel appointments with at least 24 hours’ notice to allow reallocation of the slot.
- DNA Recording
- Missed appointments are recorded in the patient’s medical record as a DNA.
- DNA Process and Action
- First DNA: Patient will receive a text or letter reminding them of the importance of attending appointments.
- Second DNA (within 12 months): Patient will receive a formal letter explaining the impact of missed appointments.
- Third DNA (within 12 months): Patients will be removed from our practice list, subject to a final warning letter and review by the Practice Manager and GP partners.
- Exceptional Circumstances
- The practice will consider exceptional or mitigating circumstances (e.g. emergencies, mental health issues) before taking any action.
- Vulnerable Patients
- Children, elderly patients, and those with known vulnerabilities will be managed with additional care and appropriate safeguarding protocols
Patient Responsibilities:
Patients are expected to attend appointments punctually and to notify the practice in advance if they are unable to attend.
Review of Policy:
This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if significant changes in practice.
Contact:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact reception.
