At Lillywhite Dental Practice, we are committed to providing high-quality dental care to all our patients. We understand that circumstances can sometimes change and that patients may occasionally need to rearrange or cancel appointments.
However, missed appointments and late cancellations have a significant impact on our practice, our team and other patients waiting for treatment.
To ensure we can offer appointments fairly and efficiently, we operate the following policy for both private and NHS appointments.
1. Cancelling or Rearranging Appointments
We understand that circumstances can change and that patients may occasionally need to cancel or rearrange appointments.
Private Appointments
We require a minimum of 48 hours' notice if you are unable to attend a private appointment.
Cancellations made with less than 48 hours' notice may result in your booking deposit being retained.
NHS Appointments
We ask NHS patients to provide as much notice as possible if they need to cancel or rearrange an appointment.
Cancellations made on the day of the appointment at short notice, may be recorded as an FTA and count towards our two-strike policy.
Failure to notify the practice that you cannot attend will also be recorded as an FTA.
Please contact our reception team by telephone or email as soon as possible if you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment.
2. Failed to Attend (FTA)
A Failed to Attend (FTA) is recorded when:
- A patient does not attend their scheduled appointment without providing prior notice.
- A patient cancels their appointment on the day, particularly at short notice.
- A patient arrives too late for their appointment to be accommodated.
The practice will consider individual circumstances when determining whether an FTA should be recorded.
3. Private Appointment Deposits
For all private appointments, a deposit is required at the time of booking to secure your appointment.
The deposit will be deducted from the cost of your treatment or appointment on the day of attendance.
If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, your deposit may be retained by the practice and may not be refunded or transferred to another appointment.
Where cancellations are made with at least 48 hours' notice, deposits can be transferred to a rearranged appointment or refunded, subject to our booking terms and conditions.
We understand that genuine emergencies and exceptional circumstances can occur, and these will be considered on an individual basis.
4. Repeated Missed Private Appointments
Repeated failure to attend private appointments or cancellations at short notice can significantly affect our ability to offer appointments to other patients.
Where a patient repeatedly fails to attend, the practice reserves the right to:
- Require a further deposit to secure future appointments.
- Require full prepayment for future appointments.
- Review the patient's suitability for continued care at the practice, in accordance with our contractual and professional obligations.
5. NHS Appointments – Two-Strike Policy
Please note that deposits and missed appointment charges do not apply to NHS appointments.
However, we operate a two-strike policy for patients who repeatedly fail to attend their NHS appointments.
First Missed NHS Appointment – Strike One
If you fail to attend your NHS appointment without providing prior notice, or cancel on the day without sufficient notice, this may be recorded as your first FTA.
A warning will be issued to make you aware that any further missed appointments may result in the practice reviewing whether it can continue to offer you routine NHS appointments.
Second Missed NHS Appointment – Strike Two
If you fail to attend a second NHS appointment, or have a further short-notice cancellation, this may be recorded as your second FTA.
Following a review of the circumstances, the practice may decide that it is no longer able to offer you routine NHS appointments, subject to NHS contractual requirements and professional guidance.
First NHS Appointment Non-Attendance
If you fail to attend your first NHS appointment booked with us without prior notice, no further NHS appointments will be provided.
6. Running Late
Please arrive on time for your appointment.
If you anticipate being late, please contact reception as soon as possible.
Depending on your arrival time and the nature of your treatment, we may need to rearrange your appointment to avoid affecting other patients.
If you arrive too late for your appointment to be accommodated, this may be recorded as an FTA.
7. Emergencies and Exceptional Circumstances
We appreciate that genuine emergencies and unforeseen situations can occur.
These will be considered on an individual basis, and we will always aim to be fair and understanding when reviewing missed appointments or late cancellations.
Please contact the practice as soon as possible if an emergency prevents you from attending.
8. Our Commitment to You
Our aim is to provide the best possible dental care while respecting everyone's time.
When you miss an appointment without sufficient notice, this prevents another patient from receiving potentially essential dental treatment.
We therefore kindly ask all patients to respect their booked appointments and notify us as early as possible if they are unable to attend.
Thank you for your understanding, cooperation and continued support.
The Team at Lillywhite Dental
