what happens if you miss a gp appointment?
Posted by Routine_Neck7161@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 36 comments
i had an appointment at 9:10am on a monday (today) at my temporary gp practice, but unfortunately I couldn't attend as my mom was at hospital. i tried calling them as soon as the practice opened (8:30) but the queue was so long i only got a chance to speak with the receptionist at 9:20, and so i did apologise a lot because obviously missing an appointment is bad. but the receptionist seemed okay?
Auntie_Cagul@reddit
Not necessary, but what you could do is drop a note round to your GP surgery to explain why you weren't able to call in advance (i.e. The queue was too long and apologise for not showing). At least the staff will know why. Not showing up shouldn't be an issue unless you make a habit of it.
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
Nothing, really. If you made a habit of it, it would be an issue. When I was in dentistry still, we would give people the benefit of the doubt on Monday mornings when they had an early appointment. Things happen over weekends, and as you say, it's impossible to get through early.
Routine_Neck7161@reddit (OP)
ah okay, makes sense. i would have emailed sunday, but nobody checks the emails on the weekend and it says if cancelling on the day you need to call them...which i did as soon as it opened. it's really unfortunate it happened like this. i don't want to be struck off the list though đ
Justan0therthrow4way@reddit
People donât check emails over the weekend but theyâd have seen it Monday morning when they opened so wouldâve known you werenât coming. Youâll be fine though honestly.
Routine_Neck7161@reddit (OP)
this makes sense đ„ sorry yeah that would have been wise of me. i thought since theyâd âsee it on the dayâ it would mean it wouldnât count, but youâre making more sense. will keep that in mind next time if a situation like this ever happens again god forbid!Â
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
I can't speak for your GP, but I can't see any practice I ever worked in binning you for this. If you were a fud, maybe it would be a good excuse, but on the most part, I'd have been glad of 10 minutes free on a Monday morning.
Routine_Neck7161@reddit (OP)
sorry what does fud mean?Â
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
Sorry, Scottish slang. It's a fool.
Ruby-LondonTown@reddit
You can cancel online.
EviWool@reddit
Depends on the surgery. One local surgary here only took in-person appointments and then they only took the first so many in the queue so sick people were arriving an hour before opening, queuing up in the cold, rain or heat only to have to repeat the process the next day if they were unlucky. I presume that if you managed it for 3 days you could be deemed cured.
Guilty_Movie1018@reddit
Jail. For life.
EviWool@reddit
What, no hanging? They have really gone soft,
GordonLivingstone@reddit
Not your fault.
Really, surgeries should be providing a separate number or menu option for cancellations.
Patients wanting to do the right thing and free up an appointment for someone else may find it difficult or impossible to get through on time.
EviWool@reddit
Agreed!
DameKumquat@reddit
If you've got enough medical/family crap going on, they phone you to see if you're OK.
Generally if you're polite and apologetic, it's fine. And if you've missed your appt because you were in a.different medical appt at the time (I've done that in hospitals a couple times, finding there was no reception soni couldn't call to say I'd be late...)
Psychological_Pen200@reddit
You will be sent a fine of 256ÂŁ probably receive it next week
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Sxn747Strangers@reddit
I rang to tell them I was going to be late and when I eventually got through I told them, âI was ringing to tell you I was going to be late to the appointment, but I started calling 45 minutes ago and the appointment was just nowâ, she was surprisingly okay about it and found me a slot for later on.
And there was no way I was going to put the phone down, I donât know how I was number 3 in the queue for so long and then 2 and so on.
Another time the traffic was so bad that I knew I wouldnât make it, (no, I was not using the phone and driving at the same time), I managed to get through and I told them I was going to be late, but itâs as if the staff were trying to get me to cancel.
It took a lot of convincing that if someone after me comes in first then they go in before me and I will go in after them instead.
While I was in the waiting room a woman came in and was mortified that she lost the appointment because she was stuck in traffic.
bopeepsheep@reddit
I once rang from the bus (roadworks plus accident) and was still in the queue when I got to my appt - 20 mins late for a 60 min slot. No one had answered when I finally found a member of staff and got her to go tell the physio I was there. Showed the physio my phone, still on the call. "Oh, they're not even here, never worth calling." The local phone number on the letter actually gets diverted to a call centre 400 miles away, so ringing to tell them you're late never gets the message to the staff in time.
Sxn747Strangers@reddit
I can completely believe that.
dwair@reddit
Generally nothing but sometimes they send rough men round to your house with a sack and some baseball bats.
Dragon900x@reddit
CrazyLadyBlues@reddit
I don't know if this is true for all practices or how it works for temporary ones but you can cancel appointments on the NHS app. You can also make an appointment if there's any available but you do have to be on there as soon as the practice is open.
mas-sive@reddit
My GP Surgery is 3 missed appointments without notifying them, youâre out.
Sea-Still5427@reddit
Nothing. You did try, you just didn't get through in time on a Monday morning. That ten minutes will have been swallowed up instantly by the extra appointments they've had to squeeze in.
UKgrizzfan@reddit
Straight to jail.Â
tomisnottdead@reddit
You die
Ultimate_os@reddit
Jail.
Ragingdildo3@reddit
Nothing itâs fine they probs wonât even notice
MzHmmz@reddit
Depends on your practice's policies, but a one off where you rang to apologise and had a good reason is unlikely to be an issue at all. If it keeps happening repeatedly, especially if you don't call to let them know or don't have a good reason, you may be deregistered from the practice.
Tonybham01@reddit
Ask your GP.
nonotthereta@reddit
Not a lot. It may have gone on your records as a Did Not Attend. Some practices will have a policy of deregistering patients who hit a certain number of DNAs (I think mine is 3), but that's the only potential issue, and even then it's probably negotiable since you had good reason.
Icy_Mixture1482@reddit
They might have been running behind, so people may have been waiting 20+ min for their appointed times. In that case, they might have been relieved about a no show so they could catch up.
Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit
It's not the end of the world, but it adds up over many people
L-0-T-H-0-S@reddit
Nothing. You simply get another appointment. It's only problematic if done regularly.
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