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.

Management of appointments
We invest in the latest technology, including modern telephone equipment and an online booking system, to allow our patients to make or reschedule appointments easily. 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 our dedicated appointments line on 01722 413513 or by accessing our online booking form at www.thedentistsalisbury.co.uk

Reminders
E-mail, Text and Postal reminders (depending on patient preference)  are sent to patients before any appointment and patients are requested to inform the practice of any changes to their contact details.

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

Cancellation of an appointment or missed appointment by a patient
Patients are requested to give 48 hours’ notice to cancel a dental appointment. Cancellations should be made by telephone on: 01722 41513 or emailed to [email protected].  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.

We operate a fair cancellation policy for private and dental plan patients. Per year, each patient is given a ‘goodwill gesture’ of one non-chargeable late notice cancellation fee. Following this, there is a fee for dental appointments that are missed or cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice. The fee is based on the provider of the appointment. The charge is £30 for the hygiene therapist and £50 for the dentist.

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

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