DID NOT ATTEND POLICY Posted or Updated on 1 Apr 2025

Did Not Attend (DNA) Policy

Patients failing to attend appointments is a huge and avoidable waste of valuable GP and Nurse appointments. Every year, on average, hundreds of hours of appointment time is lost at the practice due to patients who “did not attend”.

The effect of DNAs is:

• An increase in the waiting time for appointments
• Frustration for both staff and patients
• A waste of resources
• A potential risk to the health of the patient

Please help us to avoid this by cancelling your appointment in good time (preferably 24 hours ahead) so that we may offer your appointment to another patient who needs it.

You can cancel your appointment in the following ways:

• online via the NHS App
• by calling the practice directly

Mistakes do happen and the Practice understands that appointments can be forgotten about or overlooked. In such cases, the Practice will take into account the reason given by Patients.

Important information when you miss your appointment (our DNA policy)

We have a strict policy for those who do not attend their pre-booked appointment and do not bother to cancel or inform the practice of their non attendance.

• In the event that a patient does not attend (DNA) an appointment then the appointment will be recorded as a DNA
• On the first occasion a text will be sent to the patient with a link to the DNA policy and reminding them to cancel in good time if they cannot attend
• If a patient does not attend (DNA) for 3 appointments within a 12 month period, they will be sent a letter explaining that they did not attend their appointment and they have to provide an explanation to the GP Practice why they did not attend their appointment within 30 days of the letter being sent. The practice will be assessing the response to decide if there were any compelling circumstances that prevented the patient from attending his/her appointment. If no explanation is given, or no response to the letter, the practice may decide to remove the patient from the practice’s list and inform the health authority of their removal.

To avoid all of this please ensure that you cancel your appointment in good time (and an absolute minimum of half an hour before the appointment time. Anything cancelled after this time could still count as a DNA).