No-show recovery workflow for new-patient consultations
How to reduce missed new-patient consultations before they happen, and what to do in the first day after a no-show, so a missed appointment becomes a rebooking rather than a lost patient.
A missed new-patient consultation costs a clinician's time and usually the patient too, unless someone acts the same day. Most of the fix is making it easy to turn up, or easy to rearrange.
Before the appointment
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| At booking | Confirm the date, time, address, parking, what to bring, and how long it will take. Ask how they prefer reminders. |
| Straight after booking | Written confirmation by email or text, with a direct number to rearrange. |
| A few days before | Reminder that makes rearranging easy. A rearranged slot is better than an empty one. |
| The day before | Short reminder. For first visits, repeat the address and parking. |
After a no-show
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Fifteen minutes after the start time | Call. Many no-shows are lateness or confusion about the time or place. |
| Same day, if no answer | A short message: you missed them, and here is the number to rebook. No blame. |
| Next working day | Second call to offer two specific new times. |
| After that | Close the booking with a reason, and apply any no-show policy consistently and as published. |
Messages should not mention the reason for the appointment beyond the practice name.
Looking for patterns
Once a month, list the new-patient no-shows and look for what they have in common:
- How far ahead they were booked (long gaps tend to be forgotten).
- Where the enquiry came from.
- Day and time of the appointment.
- Whether confirmation and reminders actually went out.
Track the booked-to-attended rate over a quarter with the funnel calculator, and see the stages guide for where it fits.