Explain how to change or cancel an appointment

What this means for your practice

Publish the organisation's current administrative change process near the relevant booking information. Keep any fees or conditions accurate and approved by the responsible team.

A practical example

For example, sending a rearrangement request may leave the original appointment in place until the team replies. Say so if that is the real arrangement. Ask your supplier and reception to follow a fictional request through to the final message. A good result lets patients see what they have requested, what has been agreed and where to ask if the outcome remains unclear.

Illustrative wording where the team reviews requests manually: “We have received your request to change the appointment. Your existing appointment remains in place until we confirm the change. If you need help before then, contact [approved contact route].” Use this only if it describes the practice's actual process, replace the placeholder and have the responsible team approve it. If the booking tool makes the change immediately, the confirmation should instead identify the new date, time and location.

Make this improvement work

Describe the practice's actual process for changing an appointment, including where to make the request and how the person knows it has been received or confirmed. Have the responsible team approve any conditions or charges before they appear online. Ask the supplier to follow a fictional request through the relevant contact or booking route and inspect the final message. A requested change should not be described as a completed change unless the process has reached that stage. Keep the instructions near the appointment information people are likely to revisit and review repeated calls for clarification as evidence of a missing practical explanation.

How to check the result

Count change requests sent through unsupported channels.