Cancellation & Failed-to-Attend Policy

(Mixed NHS & Private Dental Practice)


To ensure fair access to dental care for all patients, we kindly ask that you follow the policy below regarding appointment cancellations and attendance.


Cancellation Notice

We require a minimum of 2 full working days’ notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. If less notice is given, a late-cancellation fee may apply.


Please note that Sundays and bank holidays will not be included in these timeframes so notice to cancel an appointment scheduled for a Monday or the day after a bank holiday needs to consider the required notice period


Failed-to-Attend (FTA)

If you do not attend your appointment and have not contacted us in advance, this will be recorded as a Failed-to-Attend.


  • Private patients: A failed-to-attend fee will be charged.
  • NHS patients: NHS regulations do not allow us to charge for missed NHS appointments.
    However, repeated FTAs may result in the withdrawal of NHS treatment at our practice.


Please note that, although we normally send email reminders a day or two before appointments are due, the successful delivery of these relies on our provider and your provider and cannot therefore be guaranteed.


Therefore, you should not rely on reminders from us as the sole reminder of your appointment as we will not be responsible for any  appointments missed as a result of non-delivery of the reminder, regardless of the reasons for its failure.


Fees

Private Patients

  • A fee is payable for late cancellations or failed-to-attend appointments.
  • Fees must be paid before further appointments can be booked.


NHS Patients

  • No fees can be charged for missed NHS appointments.
  • Repeated missed or short-notice cancellations may result in removal from our NHS patient list.


Repeated Missed Appointments

Patients who repeatedly fail to attend or cancel at short notice may be removed from our patient list, as this impacts our ability to provide care to others.


Exceptional Circumstances

We understand that unexpected situations can arise. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend, and we will take your circumstances into consideration.