Patients are expected to arrive in good time for their appointments
We value the effort our patients make to arrive on time, and we strive to keep appointments running as close to their scheduled times as possible. Following our Late Patient Policy helps us achieve this. However, given the unpredictable nature of general practice, there may be occasions when a doctor or nurse runs behind schedule. In such cases, our reception team will inform patients upon arrival and offer an apology for any delay.
When a patient is LESS than 10 minutes late:
- Reception staff will mark the patient as having arrived, advising them that the clinician may already be seeing the next patient
- Explain that the patient will be seen after the clinician has finished with their current patient
- If appropriate, remind the patient of the importance of attending appointments on time
When a patient is MORE than 10 minutes late:
- Patients who arrive 10 minutes or more after their scheduled appointment time will be considered to have missed their appointment. In such cases, the receptionist will advise them to book a new routine appointment
- If a doctor has identified an urgent clinical need to see a specific patient, they will inform reception in advance, allowing the patient to be “arrived” even if late. However, the patient will need to wait for a suitable gap or until the end of the surgery to be seen
- If a patient insists that their condition is urgent, the receptionist will contact the clinician, who will decide whether the patient can be seen at the end of the surgery or accommodated later in the day
It should be noted that it is at the discretion of the clinician whether the patient is seen or not, bearing in mind that there may be a valid reason for being late, and each case will be considered. If there is a clinical need, the clinician will advise the staff accordingly.
