Moneo writes: Be courteous and turn up

Often one of the most frustrating aspects of running an optometric practice is the patient who does not attend for their appointment as planned. Such ‘no shows’ can upset the dynamic of a busy clinic and disrupt a working day. What is more frustrating is the persistent non-attender. These people can present a real problem to a practice, especially when these people will often be the first to complain if they are denied an appointment when they want one. There really is just no justice anymore.

The real problem with these non-attenders is that they take up an appointment in an otherwise fully booked clinic that could well have been taken by someone who had a real visual problem and really needed to be seen far more urgently that the person who chose not to attend. Possibly the more galling aspect from the point of view of the practice owner is the lost revenue that that no show is responsible for.