Patient Non-Attendance & Late Cancellation Policy

Approximately 10% of clinicians' valuable time has unfortunately been expended due to instances of patients’ Non-Attendance and Late Cancellation behaviour.

Therefore, if you wish to request the cancellation of your appointment, we kindly request that you contact our practice with a minimum of 48 working hours' advance notice to facilitate the cancellation or rescheduling of your appointments.

In the event of recurring absences (two and above for either Non-Attendance or Late Cancellation) from scheduled appointments within an 18-month timeframe, it is important to note that your registration with our practice may regrettably be terminated.

For first appointment, failure to attend or late cancellations will cause your registration to be removed immediately.

In both cases, you will be required to seek an alternative healthcare provider or reapply to our practice as a private patient.

Additionally, should you require an emergency appointment, we must inform you that you will only be accommodated as a private patient, subject to an upfront fee of £50.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in these matters.

DNA (Did Not Attend) Policy

1. Missed Appointments: If a patient misses two appointments within an 18-month period, we reserve the right to deregister the patient.  
2. Short Notice Cancellations: Cancellations made within less than 48 working hours' notice will be considered as missed appointments and will count towards the two missed appointment limit.
3. Lateness: If a patient is late to an appointment, it will be considered a missed appointment. In exceptional circumstances, provided that the lateness is under 5 minutes, the practice may attempt to reschedule the patient for a slightly later time. However, if this is not possible, it will be counted as a missed appointment

No Contact Policy:If a patient fails to attend their dental appointment for two years and does not get in touch with the practice, despite our attempts to contact them, we reserve the right to deregister them.Abusive/Violent/Threatening Behaviour:Smart Dental Care has a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive, violent, or threatening behaviour. Any threat to cause harm to people or property will be treated similarly. If a patient displays such behaviour, we reserve the right to immediately deregister them.

Abusive/Violent/Threatening Behaviour:

Smart Dental Care has a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive, violent, or threatening behaviour. Any threat to cause harm to people or property will be treated similarly. If a patient displays such behaviour, we reserve the right to immediately deregister them.