What does “DNA” mean?
DNA means Did Not Attend.
A DNA occurs when an appointment is not attended, and the patient has not contacted the practice in advance to cancel it. Or, where the cancellation is so late as to make it impossible to allocate that time to another Patient who needs treatment.
If you need to cancel your appointment, it is important that you inform the practice in good time. Where possible, we require at least 24 hours’ notice. However, we appreciate this is not always possible and therefore we request that no less than 2 hours’ notice is provided if you need to cancel an appointment with us. If the appointment is cancelled with less than 2 hours’ notice, this will still be classed as a DNA as we will not have sufficient time to offer this appointment to another patient.
What can I do to cancel my appointment?
- Call the Practice
- Contact us via askmyGP if it is before 11:00am
What happens if I miss an appointment?
If you miss ONE appointment:
You will be sent a letter to remind you that you have missed an appointment and direct you to review this policy, so you are aware of the next steps if you fail to turn up to any other appointments within a 6-month rolling period.
If you miss TWO appointments within a rolling 6-month period:
You will be sent a warning letter from the practice, advising you that another missed appointment could result in you being removed from the practice list.
If you miss THREE appointments within a rolling 12-month period:
You will be sent a removal letter indicating that you are being removed from the practice list unless there was a valid reason for you missing your appointment. If there is a valid reason, then the third DNA will be removed but the first two DNAs will remain in place.
