Cancellation Policy

Introduction

The business goal/mission of the practice to provide quality dental care (as affordable) reasonable costs to our patients, to achieve this we must use all clinical time effectively. We therefore have an appointment management and cancellation policy. Missed appointments cost the practice a significant amount in wasted time, resources, and equipment. Whilst these fees do not fully cover the losses incurred by missed appointments, we hope they emphasize the importance of keeping to booked appointments and allow us to partly cover our costs where appointments are not kept, which in turn helps us keep our prices as affordable as possible.

Management of appointments

We manage our clinical books to maximize flexibility in offering patients appointments at times that are convenient. When you book your appointment, you are holding a space on our calendar that is no longer available to our other patients.

We appreciate plans change and appointments may need to be amended, in order to be respectful of your fellow patients, please contact us as soon as you know you cannot attend a scheduled appointment, this can be done by calling us on 01326 312264 or emailing us at info@kimberleyparkdentist.co.uk

Reminders

We endeavor to send courtesy reminders (text message / emails) in the weeks and days leading to an appointment. The last of which will be 72hrs prior. These cannot, however, be guaranteed as this is an automated service which occasionally fails and we ask patients to note down any appointments at the time of booking and not to rely on reminders nearer the time.
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Patients must keep us updated of any changes to their contact details.A lack of reminder text/email will not be accepted as a reason for a missed appointment

Cancellation or delay of an appointment by the practice

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

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
If you have booked multiple appointments, e.g. Exam with dentist, and hygienist visit with therapist. If we send you a notification that one of your appointments had to be cancelled, it will specify which and you should attend the other appointments as usual. If for any reason you are unsure about your appointment status, please contact our helpful reception team.

Cancellation of an appointment by a patient

Patients are required to give at least 48hours’ notice to cancel a dental appointment. Cancellations can be made by the following methods.

Phone call to 01326 312264, if unable to get through to our reception, please leave a voicemail detailing which appointment you need to amend and we will call back as soon as possible
Email to info@kimberleyparkdentist.co.uk detailing the appointment and reason for cancellation
Attend reception in person to rearrange
We are a small team with a very large number of patients often needing to contact us, we accept that we may not always be contactable via phone and ask that you email us as an alternative.

Missed appointment

We require 48hrs notice to cancel a prebooked appointment
Appointments cancelled with less than 48hr notice will incur the same fees as missed appointments

Late attendance

Our appointments are booked for the required length of time to maximize efficiency and to enable us to keep our prices as low as possible for patients.
Patients must be ready to be called into surgery at their appointment time, as such paperwork such as medical history should be completed either online via patient portal prior to the appointment, or by attending early to complete this at the practice.
Patients requiring additional time or assistance to complete paperwork should account for this and appreciate there may be a short wait for a member of staff to be available to help.
We ask patients to attend in good time for appointments, and account for unexpected delays such as traffic, parking, queues at reception or outstanding paperwork needing to be completed.
If you are late to an appointment, we will assess if your treatment can be completed safely and effectively in the remaining time.
Where we are unable to safely complete your treatment we will ask you to rebook. If this is the case then a missed appointment fee will apply/your deposit will be retained.
Where treatment can be partially completed the booked treatment will need to be paid in full, and a further charge will apply for any treatment not able to be completed.

Failure to attend - charges

For Pay-as-you-Go patients:

Missed hygienist/exam appointments will incur the full charge for the booked service
Most treatment/emergency appointments will require a deposit prior to booking, which will be retained if the appointment is missed or cancelled at short notice. Where appointments are cancelled or moved with more than 48 hours notice this can be transferred or refunded.
We reserve the right to ask patients who miss or cancel multiple appointments at short notice to pay the full cost of any future treatment up-front.
All failure to attend charges must be settled within 14 days and prior to rebooking

For DPAS Essentials Plans:

The DPAS essentials plan is designed to spread the cost of a set number of examination and hygiene visits, this applies whether or not these appointments are attended.
Where an appointment is missed or cancelled at short notice we offer 2 options:

1. The missed appointment can be forfeit and the patient may book their next appointment as per their plan schedule.

2. A replacement appointment can be booked at our relevant Private fee, with payment required up front. NB the 10% essentials plan discount does not apply to these appointments.

Comprehensive Plans

Our comprehensive plans aim to keep your dental treatment costs to a minimum, it does not have a direct equivalent in number of appointments.
Missed appointments will incur a failure to attend charge at a set minute-rate in line with our current running costs
FTA charges must be settled within 14 days and prior to booking any future appointments

NHS

We do not make a charge for NHS patients for a late cancellation or missed appointments. However, given the current difficulty in accessing NHS dental care we operate a zero-tolerance policy on missed NHS appointments. If an NHS appointment is missed or not cancelled with good notice (48hrs) then we reserve the right to refuse future NHS care. You will have the option to continue your care as a private patient (See Website for price list), however, you may be asked to pay for appointments on booking and any late cancelations / missed private appointments will then be subject to a charge.

Children/Vulnerable adults

The above policies remain, however this will be documented on the patient file and repeated failure to bring Child/ vulnerable adult to their appointments without good reason, may need to be raised as child protection / vulnerable adult concern.

Exceptional Circumstances

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 appreciate your understanding of our late cancellation policy in helping to run an efficient appointment system. We will always take exceptional circumstances into account if the unforeseen happens and on the rare occasion, you have the need to cancel an appointment at short notice.
If you wish us to consider exceptional circumstances associated with a late cancellation simply write to us within 7 days of the appointment date, outlining these circumstances and enclosing any supporting evidence.

Any appeals about missed or cancelled appointment decisions, should be made in writing to the Practice Manager; Tom McCann.

Our practice is dedicated to delivering quality dental care at reasonable costs to our patients. In line with this mission, we strive to utilise all clinical time effectively. To achieve this goal, we have implemented an appointment management and cancellation policy.

Missed appointments impose a significant burden on the practice, resulting in wasted time, resources and equipment. While the associated fees do not fully offset the losses incurred, they serve to underscore the importance of honouring scheduled appointments. Furthermore, these fees help us partially mitigate our expenses in cases where appointments are not kept, thereby enabling us to maintain competitive pricing for our services.

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1. Management of appointments

1.1. We carefully manage our clinical appointments to provide maximum flexibility for scheduling appointments convenient to our patients.

1.2. When you book an appointment, you reserve a slot on our calendar, making it unavailable to other patients.

1.3. By booking an appointment with Kimberley Park Dental Practice, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined in this Appointment Management and Cancellation Policy.

1.4. We understand that plans can change and appointments may need adjustments. To be considerate to your fellow patients, please notify us as soon as possible (At latest/least 48 hours’ notice) if you cannot attend a scheduled appointment. You can reach us by calling 01326 312264 or emailing us at info@kimberleyparkdentist.co.uk.

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2. Reminders

2.1. We strive to provide courtesy reminders via text messages or emails in the weeks and days leading up to an appointment. The final reminder will be sent 72 hours prior. However, please note that this is an automated service and occasional failures may occur. Therefore, we advise patients to make a note of their appointments at the time of booking and not solely rely on reminders closer to the appointment date.

2.2. It is essential for patients to keep us informed of any changes to their contact details.

2.3. Please be aware that a failure to receive a reminder text or email will not be considered a valid reason for missing an appointment.

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3. Cancellation or delay of an appointment by the practice

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

3.1. The patient will be contacted as soon as the practice becomes aware of the need to cancel or delay the appointment. We will provide a clear explanation for the cancellation or delay (Specify that strict timeline cannot be promised).

3.2. During this contact, the patient will be offered a new appointment at the earliest available time.

3.3. If the patient is unable to commit to a new appointment during the initial contact, we will ask them to reach out at a later time, at which point we will offer them a priority appointment.

3.4. If you have booked multiple appointments, such as an examination with a dentist and a hygienist visit with a therapist, and we notify you that one of your appointments has been cancelled, the notification will specify which appointment is affected. You should attend the other appointments as scheduled. If you are unsure about the status of your appointment for any reason, please don't hesitate to contact our helpful reception team.

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4. Cancellation of an appointment by a patient

4.1. Patients are kindly requested to provide a minimum of 48 hours' notice in the event of needing to cancel a dental appointment. Cancellations can be made through the following methods:

4.1.1. By calling 01326 312264. If you encounter difficulty reaching our reception, please leave a detailed voicemail specifying the appointment requiring amendment, and we will promptly return your call.

4.1.2. Via email to info@kimberleyparkdentist.co.uk detailing the appointment details and the reason for cancellation.

4.1.3. In person at our reception to arrange a new appointment.

4.2. We understand that as a small team serving a large patient base, it may sometimes be challenging to reach us by phone. In such instances, we encourage patients to use email as a viable alternative means of communication.

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5. Missed appointment

5.1. We request a minimum of 48 hours' notice for any cancellations or rescheduling of pre-booked appointments.

5.2. Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice will be subject to the same fees as missed appointments.

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6. Late attendance

6.1. Our appointments are scheduled for specific durations to ensure efficiency and affordability for our patients.

6.2. Patients are expected to be prepared to enter the treatment room at their appointment time. Mandatory paperwork, such as medical history, should be completed either online via the patient portal before the appointment or by arriving early to complete it at the practice.

6.3. Patients requiring additional time or assistance with paperwork should anticipate this and understand that there may be a short wait for staff assistance.

6.4. We request patients to arrive promptly for appointments and to consider potential delays such as traffic, parking, reception queues, or pending paperwork.

6.5. If you arrive late for an appointment, we will assess whether your treatment can still be safely and effectively administered within the remaining time.

6.6. In instances where it's not possible to complete your treatment safely, we will ask you to reschedule. In such cases, a missed appointment fee will be applicable, and your deposit may be retained.

6.7. For treatments that can be partially completed, the originally booked treatment will need to be paid in full. An additional charge will apply for any unfinished treatment.

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7. Failure to attend – charges

7.1. For Pay-as-you-Go (Private) patients:

7.1.1. Missed hygienist/exam appointments will result in the full charge for the booked service.

7.1.2. Most treatment/emergency appointments will require a deposit prior to booking, which will be retained if the appointment is missed or cancelled at short notice. Appointments cancelled or rescheduled with more than 48 hours’ notice may be transferred or refunded.

7.1.3. We reserve the right to request that patients who miss or cancel appointments at short notice pay the full cost of any future treatment up-front.

7.1.4. All failure to attend charges must be settled within 14 days and prior to rebooking

7.2. DPAS Essentials Plans:

7.2.1. The DPAS Essentials Plan is designed to distribute the cost of a predetermined number of examination and hygiene visits, regardless of attendance.

7.2.2. In the event of a missed or short-notice cancellation, we offer two options:

7.2.3. The missed appointment can be forfeited, and the patient may schedule their next appointment according to their plan schedule.

7.2.4. Alternatively, a replacement appointment can be scheduled at our standard private fee, with payment required upfront. Please note that the 10% essentials plan discount does not apply to these appointments.

7.3. Comprehensive Plans

7.3.1. Our comprehensive plans are designed to minimise your dental treatment costs and do not have a direct equivalent in terms of the number of appointments.

7.3.2. Missed appointments will result in a failure to attend charge calculated at a set minute-rate in line with our current running costs.

7.3.3. FTA charges must be settled within 14 days and prior to booking any future appointments.

7.4. NHS

7.4.1. We do not impose a charge for late cancellations or missed appointments for NHS patients. However, due to the current challenges in accessing NHS dental care, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding missed NHS appointments.

7.4.2. If an NHS appointment is missed or not cancelled with sufficient notice (48 hours), we reserve the right to refuse future NHS care.

7.4.3. If refused future NHS care, you will have the option to continue your care as a private patient (see our website for our current price list: kimberleyparkdentist.co.uk/costs).

7.4.4. Nevertheless, you may be required to pay for appointments at the time of booking, and as a private patient any late cancellations or missed appointments will then incur a charge.

7.5. Children/Vulnerable adults

7.5.1. The aforementioned policies remain in effect.

7.5.2. Additionally, it will be documented on the patient file that repeated failure to bring a child or vulnerable adult to their appointments without good reason may necessitate raising concerns regarding child protection or vulnerable adult welfare.

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8. Exceptional circumstances

8.1. Our objective is to contact patients via telephone or written correspondence following a missed appointment to understand the reason for non-attendance and to communicate any fees or decisions regarding their NHS dental care.

8.2. We value your cooperation with our late cancellation policy, which aids in maintaining an efficient appointment system. We always consider exceptional circumstances if unforeseen events occur, and on rare occasions, you need to cancel an appointment at short notice.

8.3. Should you wish for us to review exceptional circumstances related to a late cancellation, please notify us in writing within 7 days of the appointment date. Please outline these circumstances and provide any supporting evidence.

8.4. Any appeals regarding missed or cancelled appointment decisions should be submitted in writing to the Practice Manager

Email: info@kimberleyparkdentist.co.uk

Address:

FAO Practice Manager
Kimberley Park Dental Practice,
29 Kimberley Park Road,
FALMOUTH,
TR11 2DA

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Appointment Management and Cancellation Policy