At Sandy Hill Community Health Centre (CHC), we know that life can be unpredictable. Illness, work, family responsibilities, transportation or financial problems, or other challenges can sometimes make it hard to keep an appointment.
Please give us at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or change your appointment. If something unexpected happens, please let us know as soon as possible. This helps us offer the appointment to another person who is waiting for care.
What counts as a missed appointment?
A missed appointment includes when you:
- Do not come to your appointment.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment. We require that you make any changes or cancel your appointment with at least 24 hours' notice so we can offer that time to another client who is waiting for care.
- Arrive more than 10 minutes late and your care provider is no longer able to see you.
Some programs at Sandy Hill CHC have different attendance rules. If they do, we will explain them to you.
How we can help
We understand that there may be reasons why it is difficult to attend appointments. If you miss an appointment, we may contact you to:
- Check in with you.
- Learn about any barriers you are facing.
- Work with you to find options that better meet your needs.
If you miss several appointments
We do not charge fees for missed appointments. However, if you miss appointments often, we will talk with you about what is happening and work with you to find a plan that helps you stay connected to care.
If missed appointments continue, we may recommend a different way for you to receive services, such as same-day appointments, virtual visits, group programs, or drop-in services, where available.
In some situations, repeated missed appointments may mean we are no longer able to provide safe or effective care. If this happens, your services at Sandy Hill CHC may be withdrawn following our Withdrawal of Services Policy.
Before any changes are made to your care at SHCHC, we will:
- Talk with you about our concerns.
- Try to work with you to find solutions whenever possible.
- Explain any service changes to you, both verbally and in writing.
- Give you an opportunity to ask questions or request a review of the decision.
Our goal is to work with you so you can continue receiving the care you need, while making sure our limited appointment times are available for everyone who needs care. If you have questions about our Missed Appointment, Late Arrival and Late Cancellation policy, please speak with a Sandy Hill CHC Team Member.