It can be so frustrating to have to cancel an appointment due to sickness or other unavoidable situations. It can be even more frustrating when there is a fee associated with cancellation. So, in this blog I thought I would explain why we have a cancellation policy, and what you can do to avoid unexpected expenses.
When you book an appointment at Fundamental Health, our cancellation policy is clearly outlined in your confirmation and reminder messages. We ask that if you need to cancel or change your appointment, that you do it by 3pm the day prior to your visit, or on Friday if your appointment is on Monday.
But why is there a fee for late cancellation? A cancellation fee serves several purposes for our small business but predominantly it acknowledges lost income for our practitioners and covers administrative costs, room hire, and other ongoing infrastructure expenses.
At Fundamental Health we want to ensure that our patients have access to the care and support they need, so when an appointment becomes available, we do our best to offer it to a patient on our waiting list. Appointments that become available on the day can be difficult to fill, few people are able to accept at short notice. The result is reduced access to care for other patients and loss of income for our practitioners.
So, when you get your appointment reminder take a moment to assess your health and the health of those around you. If you think a cough, cold or other issue (yours or someone else’s) is likely to impact your ability to attend, consider rescheduling your appointment before the 3pm cut off.
If you do have to cancel at the last minute, know that if we charge a late fee it is because we wish to retain our exceptional staff and continue to provide holistic, patient-focused care to everyone who visits our clinic.