Missed or cancelled appointments

A broken appointment inconveniences everyone involved. Please help us by giving as much notice as possible (at least 24 hours) if you have to cancel an appointment.

We very much regret having to make the following charges for missed appointments and short-notice cancellations:

Where a patient cancels (less than 24 hours) or fails to attend any appointment that is between 5 to 29 minutes in length the charge will be £20.00.
Where a patient cancels (less than 24 hours) or fails to attend any appointment that is 30 minutes or over in length the charge will be £40.00.

There is no charge if we are able to re book the appointment.

With the busy lives we all lead, we understand that it’s easy to overlook an appointment. That’s why we introduced our free courtesy call system (by landline, mobile or text messaging) to remind you about your forthcoming appointment. Please ask for more details.


Costs and payment – always giving you the best possible value

A meal out, the latest MP3 player or a weekend away? We’d all prefer to spend our hard-earned money on something other than dental care. That’s why, as well as caring for your dental health, we’re committed to giving you the very best possible value for money whenever you visit St James’ Dental.

After your first dental examination, we’ll agree a treatment plan and give you a written estimate for the cost of your treatment. Please don’t hesitate to ask for an updated estimate during your treatment. Payment for treatment may be either at the first visit or in instalments as treatment progresses. We welcome payment by cash, cheque with banker’s card, credit or debit card – and we also offer interest free loans for more extensive treatments. If you’re worried about the cost of dental treatment or find anything about our charges difficult to understand, please speak to one of our receptionists who will do all they can to help. Please also refer to our Dental Charges and Payments Explained leaflet, which is available from reception.

Our Private fees are calculated on a time basis, with each treatment given the amount of time each dentist requires to provide the highest quality work possible. Examples of our private fees are available from reception; please be assured we always do what we can to keep the cost of your treatment down and give you great value for your money. Any Questions? Please Ask!


Steps taken to prevent outstanding accounts:

  • Provide patients with a statement to remind them of any amounts outstanding.
  • Send a further reminder for payment.
  • Telephone the patient if the account remains unpaid.
  • Send a final reminder stating that legal action will be taken to recover payment if the account is not fully paid.
  • Use a debt collecting agency and small claims court only as a last resort.

 

 

 


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