Late Patient Policy

At our practice, we are committed to providing all our patients with high-quality care in a timely and efficient manner. To help us run clinics smoothly and reduce waiting times, we kindly ask that all patients arrive promptly for their appointments.

Arriving on time

We truly appreciate the effort our patients make to attend on time, and we do our utmost to ensure appointments run as close to schedule as possible. Occasionally, due to the nature of medical appointment, delays may occur. In such cases, our reception team will keep you informed and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

If you are less than 10 minutes late

If you arrive slightly late (less than 10 minutes), we will do our best to accommodate you. However, please note:

• You may need to wait longer, as patients who arrived on time will be seen first.
• Our receptionist will kindly remind you of the importance of punctuality for future appointments.

If you are 10 minutes late or more

If you arrive 10 or more minutes after your scheduled time, we may not be able to see you, and you may be asked to rebook. This is to avoid disruption to the clinic and to respect the time of other patients.

If your condition is urgent and cannot wait, please let our reception team know. They will ask a few brief questions and, if appropriate, offer you an emergency appointment with the duty doctor (subject to availability and clinical need).

Calling ahead

If you realise you will be late, we recommend calling the surgery as soon as possible. While calling ahead is appreciated, it does not guarantee your appointment can be held. Our team will advise you accordingly.

Exceptional circumstances

In some cases, if a doctor has indicated a specific clinical need, they may agree to see a late-arriving patient. This would be arranged in advance at the doctor’s discretion, and the patient may be asked to wait for a suitable gap in the clinic.