DNA Policy

Approximately 300 to 400 appointments per month are ‘Did Not Attend’ (DNA), i.e. the patient does not turn up for the appointment and does not contact the surgery in advance to cancel/change appointment.  The affect of these are:

· An increase in the waiting time for appointments

· Frustration for both staff and patients

· A waste of resources

GENERAL Policy

If a patient fails to attend a pre-booked appointment on more than one occasion in a 12 month period, an informal warning letter along with the practice policy will be sent to the patient. If the patient fails to attend a second appointment in the same 12 months, a second letter will be sent, advising them that a further occurrence could risk removal from the practice.

If the patient fails to attend a third appointment, the matter will be discussed with one of the partners as to whether the patient will be removed from the practice list. In which case a formal warning letter will be issued.

Warning letters are valid for a period of 12 months. Removal based on warnings greater than 12 months old will be invalid – in this case a further formal warning and period of grace will be required.

SCREENING APPOINTMENTS

Where a patient with a chronic condition or is otherwise deemed to be “at risk” fails to attend a screening or a recall appointment there may be an implied duty on the practice to follow-up the reason for non-attendance to ensure that the patient’s health is not at risk.