NHS Patient Attendance Policy
Boroughbridge Dental Centre
At Boroughbridge Dental Centre, we are committed to providing high-quality NHS dental care to our community. Due to the high demand for NHS services, limited funding, and the need to ensure fair access for all, it is essential that appointment slots are used responsibly.
What does “Failure to Attend” (FTA) mean?
FTA refers to missing a scheduled appointment without providing adequate notice. This includes not arriving for your appointment or cancelling at very short notice, which can disrupt our schedule and prevent other patients from receiving timely care.
Why do we track appointments and have this policy?
Frequent missed appointments, including Failures to Attend (FTA) and Short Notice Cancellations (SNC), not only affect your own dental care but also have a considerable impact on other patients and the smooth running of the practice.
Repeated no-shows reduce appointment availability for others and make it more challenging for us to provide timely care to everyone. After three missed appointments, you will be removed from our NHS patient list. This policy helps us distribute resources fairly and ensures we can continue to serve the needs of the wider community effectively.
How the policy works:
● First missed appointment or Short notice cancellation: We will contact you to remind you of our attendance policy and kindly ask you to reschedule. This initial contact is to help you understand the importance of keeping your appointments and to prevent further missed visits.
● Second missed appointment or Short notice cancellation: We will reach out again to emphasise how crucial regular attendance is for your ongoing care. At this stage, we will discuss the importance of commitment to your treatment plan and encourage you to attend future appointments.
● Third missed appointment or Short notice cancellation: If a third appointment is missed without prior notice, you will be automatically removed from our NHS patient list. This step is necessary to ensure fair access to appointments for all patients and to manage our limited NHS capacity effectively.
What we expect from you:
Please provide at least 24-48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. We understand that unexpected situations can occur, and we are sympathetic to these circumstances.
By notifying us in advance, you enable us to offer the appointment to another patient who may be waiting for care.We thank you for your cooperation in supporting fair and accessible NHS dental services for everyone.
Alternatives if you are removed from the NHS list:
If you wish to continue receiving dental care with us, your options include:
Private Treatment: You can choose to continue with private dental care, which offers greater flexibility and appointment availability. Please note, private treatments require a deposit paid upfront, and costs are not covered by NHS funding.
Join Denplan: We also offer Denplan, a flexible dental payment plan that allows you to spread the cost of routine dental care, ensuring ongoing access to our dental team.
Our Commitment:
We thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Our goal is to provide fair, accessible NHS dental services for everyone, while maintaining the quality of care. Your attendance and cooperation are vital to achieving this.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss your options, please contact our reception team.
Thank you for your continued support.
