Appointment, Attendance & Registration Policy

SperrinSmile Dental Care

At SperrinSmile Dental Care, we aim to provide timely, high-quality dental care for all our patients. Missed and late-cancelled appointments reduce our ability to offer care to others and result in lost clinical time.

This policy explains our approach to appointments, cancellations, and registration.

Missed and Late-Cancelled Appointments

We ask all patients to attend appointments on time and provide appropriate notice if they are unable to attend.

Multiple missed or short-notice cancelled appointments may result in removal from the practice.

If you attend for an appointment and decide on the day that you do not wish to proceed with treatment, full payment will be required for the reserved time at a rate of £20 per 15 minutes.

NHS Patients

Under NHS Regulations in Northern Ireland, we reserve the right to charge for missed or short-notice cancelled appointments.

New NHS Patients

  • Failure to attend your first appointment may result in no further appointments being offered.

Existing NHS Patients

First Missed / Late Appointment

  • Verbal or written warning

  • Opportunity to rebook

  • Policy explained

Second Missed / Late Appointment

  • Fee of £20 per 15-minute slot

  • Payment required before rebooking

  • Deposit required for next appointment

Third Missed / Late Appointment

  • Deregistration from the practice

This does not affect your right to seek NHS care elsewhere.

Private & Denplan Patients

For private and Denplan patients:

  • First missed/late appointment: Warning

  • Second missed/late appointment: Fee charged

  • Third missed/late appointment: Discharge from the practice

We practise preventative dentistry. If clinically necessary treatment (including treatment for decay or gum disease) is repeatedly declined, we reserve the right to remove a patient from our regular list.

Private Patient Registration

  • Patients are considered registered if they attend at least annually.

  • Pay-as-you-go patients who have not attended within two years will be treated as new patients.

Cancellation Policy

Routine Appointments (Less Than 1 Hour)

  • Minimum notice: 1 full working day

  • Late cancellation fee: £20 per 15 minutes

New Patient, Hygiene & Extended Appointments (1 Hour or More)

A deposit is required to secure:

  • New patient appointments

  • Hygiene appointments

  • Extended treatment appointments

Minimum notice: 2 full working days

Cancellation Deadlines

Appointment Day: Cancel/Amend By

Monday: Wednesday (previous week) by 5:00pm

Tuesday: Thursday (previous week) by 5:00pm

Wednesday: Friday (previous week) by 5:00pm

Thursday: Monday by 5:00pm

Friday: Tuesday by 5:00pm

Deposits

Deposits will be retained if you:

  • Do not attend

  • Arrive late and cannot be treated

  • Give insufficient notice

  • Require rescheduling due to lateness

Any outstanding charges must be paid before further appointments can be booked.

Appointment Reminders

As a courtesy, we aim to send appointment reminders by email or text where possible. However:

  • Reminders are not guaranteed

  • They are provided as a courtesy only

  • You remain responsible for attending

Failure of reminder systems is not a valid reason for non-attendance.

Please ensure your contact details are kept up to date and check messages regularly.

We are currently phasing out SMS reminders for NHS services due to funding constraints.

Cancellations cannot be accepted by email. Please contact the practice by telephone.

Repeated Non-Attendance

Repeated missed or late-cancelled appointments may result in removal from the practice.

This policy helps us:

  • Reduce wasted appointments

  • Maintain fair access to care

  • Keep waiting times reasonable

  • Protect NHS and private resources

Registration

NHS Patients

NHS dental registration in Northern Ireland is administered by the Business Services Organisation (BSO).

  • Registration lasts 24 months from your last qualifying NHS examination

  • Failure to attend within this period results in automatic lapse

  • This is not a decision made by the practice

Patients who have lapsed beyond 24 months cannot be re-registered by the practice.

Private Patients

Private patients must attend at least annually to remain registered.

Policy Updates

This policy is reviewed regularly and may be updated in line with NHS guidance and practice requirements.

By booking an appointment with SperrinSmile Dental Care, you agree to comply with this policy.