Cancellation Policy

Patient Appointment Policy

At Robertsbridge Dental Practice, we are committed to providing timely care for all our patients. Missed appointments and late cancellations can prevent other patients from accessing treatment and may result in delays to our clinical schedule. We therefore ask all patients to comply with the following appointment policy.

Appointment Amendments and Cancellations

Should you need to change or cancel an appointment, the following notice periods apply:

Working days are Monday to Friday and exclude weekends and public holidays.

Any messages, emails or voicemail requests received outside practice opening hours will be considered received on the next working day.

To make changes to an existing appointment, please contact the practice as soon as possible.

Failure to Provide Sufficient Notice

Where an appointment is cancelled without the required notice period, the following may apply:

Private Patients

• Any deposit paid may be non-refundable.
• The practice reserves the right to charge for the time allocated, including up to the full appointment fee.

NHS Patients

• The appointment will be recorded as a failed attendance.
• Continued non-attendance may affect your eligibility to remain registered as an NHS patient at the practice.

Missed Appointments

Patients who fail to attend appointments without informing the practice create delays for others awaiting treatment.

Where there is a pattern of missed appointments or repeated short-notice cancellations, Robertsbridge Dental Practice may take further action, including:

• Restricting advance booking privileges.
• Removing patients from the practice list where appropriate.

Any such decision will be made at the discretion of the practice and in accordance with NHS regulations where applicable.

Patients Receiving Specialist or Hospital Care

Patients referred to consultants, specialists or hospital-based services remain responsible for maintaining their routine dental care with Robertsbridge Dental Practice.

Regular examinations help ensure that your overall oral health continues to be monitored while external treatment is being carried out.

Maintaining NHS Registration

NHS registration is dependent upon ongoing attendance.

Patients who do not attend the practice for a continuous period of two years may be removed from our NHS patient list and may need to seek re-registration, subject to NHS capacity and availability.

Attendance and Arrival Times

Patients are expected to arrive promptly for their appointments.

Please allow adequate time for travel, parking and unforeseen delays. Unfortunately, disruptions caused by traffic congestion, public transport issues or other travel-related circumstances cannot normally be accepted as grounds for missed appointments.

Patients arriving significantly late may need to be rebooked if there is insufficient clinical time remaining to provide safe treatment.

Purpose of This Policy

This policy has been introduced to:

• Improve appointment availability.
• Reduce waiting times for treatment.
• Ensure efficient use of clinical resources.
• Enable fair access to dental care for all patients.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us provide a reliable and efficient service to everyone who attends Robertsbridge Dental Practice.

Dr Zuhal Abawi
Practice Principal
Robertsbridge Dental Practice