Did Not Attend

A DNA ( Did Not Attend ) is an occasion on which a patient does not attend a booked appointment with a member of the practice team without contacting the surgery to cancel prior to the appointment time.

The Surgery reserves the right to remove patients from the practice list if they DNA four appointments within a 12 months period.

DNA 1

If a patient DNA first occasion, a code will be added to the Patient’s medical record and it will be counted in our system.

DNA 2

If a patient DNAs two appointments, a splash screen will be added to their record where the Patient makes a further appointments, they will be asked to confirm their intention to attend.

DNA 3

In the event of a third DNA within a twelve-month period, a reminder letter will be sent to the Patient along with the DNA leaflet.

DNA 4

When a fourth DNA has occurred within 12 months period, a further letter will be sent to the Patient, the case will be reviewed and a decision will be taken with regard to addressing the Patient’s future ability to pre-book routine appointments. The Practice will consider whether consistent failure to adhere to our Practice policy and the Patient may be removed from the Practice list ( where there Practice has given clear instruction on policy and service provision and the Patient has chosen to disregard this on serval occasion in spite of due warning ).                                                                                                                                 

Exclusions

No patient will be removed from the Practice list without due consideration of their individual circumstances and reasons for non-attendance. The purpose of this policy is not to penalise patients with valid medical reasons for non-attendance.

If the Practice is aware of special circumstances surrounding a patient’s non-attendance for example, patients who have been admitted to hospital or have dementia, the medical team reserve the right to exclude the patient from management under this policy.

Patient concerned regarding their management under this policy or who are having problems attending should speak to the Practice. Lack of organisation or forgetting is not an acceptable reason for non-attendance.