In today’s fast-paced world, time is one of the most valuable assets, especially in healthcare. At Quay Dental, we believe in fair pricing, delivering value through our skills, experience, and high-quality materials. But did you know that missed appointments and last-minute cancellations have a ripple effect, impacting not just your care but also the cost of services for everyone?
Why Time Matters in Dentistry
Every appointment represents a reserved slot dedicated to providing you with personalised, high-quality dental care. When this time goes unused due to missed appointments or late cancellations, it creates a gap. Unlike some industries, this gap cannot be easily filled, leading to inefficiencies and higher operating costs.
At Quay Dental, we meticulously calculate our fees based on:
Chair time availability – Ensuring your treatment is delivered without compromise.
Day-to-day running costs – Covering essentials like skilled team wages, cutting-edge equipment, and high-quality materials.
When appointment books are busy and well-managed, it allows us to maintain our commitment to fair pricing.
Help Us Help You
Here’s how you can contribute to keeping dental care accessible and affordable:
Plan Smartly: Book appointments at times you’re least likely to face conflicts. Use a calendar or reminders to stay on track.
Prioritise Health: Regular dental visits help you avoid costly and complex problems in the future.
Communicate Promptly: If you must cancel, let us know as soon as possible. This enables us to allocate the time to another patient in need.
Membership Subscriptions and Rescheduling Charges
For patients on our membership subscription plans, regular appointments are a key benefit, ensuring you have access to consistent care without additional fees for routine check-ups and hygiene treatments. However, when a short-notice cancellation or missed appointment occurs, it disrupts our ability to provide this continuity.
While membership includes the cost of routine appointments, it does not account for the additional costs incurred when we need to reschedule at short notice or when the appointment slot goes unused. To maintain the sustainability of our membership programme and ensure fairness:
Rescheduling Charges Apply: A nominal charge is applied for rescheduling appointments cancelled with insufficient notice. This helps cover the costs of lost chair time and administrative efforts.
Why This is Important: By introducing these charges, we protect the value of your membership while discouraging last-minute changes that can impact the entire practice.
We value the trust our members place in us, and this policy ensures the membership programme remains beneficial to all patients while maintaining access to top-quality care.
Understanding Our Late Cancellation and Failed Attendance Policy
We understand life happens. However, our policy is designed to minimise disruptions while accommodating genuine emergencies:
First Instance: You’ll have the opportunity to reschedule, and we absorb the overhead costs.
Second Instance: A modest charge of £2 per minute is applied to cover operational expenses.
Third Instance: The charge applies again, and future bookings may require a pre-paid, non-refundable fee.
This approach helps us keep costs under control while ensuring fairness across our patient community.
The Bigger Picture
Missed appointments are more than an inconvenience—they challenge our ethos of providing affordable, high-quality care. By working together, we can ensure:
Continuity of your care.
Sustainability of fair pricing for everyone.
Optimal use of time and resources.
Let’s make dental care a partnership. At Quay Dental, we’re here to help you keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright for life. Together, we can ensure every appointment counts!
Would you like to discuss how our cancellation policy works or need tips for managing appointments? Drop us a message or call our friendly team today!
Comments