It is the aim of this practice to provide quality dental care to our patients and to use clinical time effectively. To achieve this aim, we have an appointment management and cancellation policy.
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Management of appointments

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We have invested in the latest technology. Our appointment system supports timely access to care and
treatment, allows patients to access services at a time that suits them, and minimises the length of time
people have to wait. Appointments can be made or rescheduled by calling the practice on 01803 835418
or by accessing our online contact form. We operate a patient waiting list so that if an appointment
becomes available we can priortise how this appointment slot is managed effectively.

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Reminders

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E-mail, Text, or Postal reminders are sent to patients base on individual patient requirements before any
appointment, and patients are requested to inform the practice of any changes to their contact details.

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Cancellation or delay of an appointment by the practice

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We will only cancel or delay a patient’s appointment in unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, we will
take the following steps:

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• The patient will be contacted as soon as the practice is aware of the need to cancel or delay the
  appointment. We will explain the reason for the cancellation or delay
• At the time of contact, the patient will be offered a new appointment at the earliest time
  available
• If the patient is unable to commit to a new appointment during that contact, we will ask them to
  get in touch at a later time, when we will offer them a priority appointment

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Cancellation of an appointment or missed appointment by a patient

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‍Patients are requested to give at least two working days notice to cancel a dental appointment.
Cancellations should be made by telephone on: 01803 835418. Late cancellations and missed
appointments may represent a cost to the practice when other patients could have been seen in the
time set aside for the patient.

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We do not make a charge for NHS patients for a late cancellation or missed appointment. However, we
reserve the right to ask a patient to find another dental practice if they continue to miss appointments
If more than two NHS dental appointments are missed or cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, we
do not guarantee to be able to complete a patient’s NHS treatment or offer them NHS treatment in the
future.

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There is a fee for private dental appointments that are missed or cancelled with less than 2 working days
notice. The fee is based on the length of the appointment and can be found in the private fees list. The
practice uses its discretion as to whether a charge is made.

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It is our aim to telephone or write to patients after a missed appointment to understand the reason for
non-attendance and to inform them about any fee or decision about their NHS dental care. We
understand that cancellations are sometimes unavoidable due to illness or emergencies and we will take
account of all valid circumstances.

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Any appeals about missed or cancelled appointment decisions by a patient should be made in writing to
the Practice Owner, Marian Roberts.

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Last modified: 24 Jul 2026