At Clayton Dental Care, we are committed to making the best possible use of the NHS dental appointments available to our patients. Due to the high demand for NHS dental care and limited NHS capacity, we regularly review our active NHS patient list.

What Is a Lapsed Patient?

If you are an NHS patient and do not attend the Practice for your routine dental examination within the recall period recommended by your dentist, you may be removed from our active NHS patient list and classified as a lapsed patient.

If this happens, you may need to join our NHS waiting list before you can receive NHS treatment at the Practice again.

How Do I Know When My Next Check-up Is Due?

Your dentist will discuss your recommended recall interval with you at the end of each examination. This recall period is based on your individual oral health needs and may vary from patient to patient.

We strongly recommend that you:

• Book your next examination before leaving the Practice.

• Make a note of your next due date in your diary or calendar.

• Keep your contact details up to date with us.

Will the Practice Send Me a Reminder?

Where possible, we may send appointment reminders by telephone, text message or email.

However, these reminders are provided as a courtesy service only and should not be relied upon as the sole method of remembering when your dental examination is due.

If you become a lapsed patient because you did not receive or respond to a reminder, this will not normally be considered a reason for reinstatement to our active NHS patient list.

Why Do We Have This Policy?

This policy helps us make the best use of the limited NHS dental appointments available and allows us to offer care to patients who actively attend their routine examinations.

Regular attendance also helps us identify dental problems early, often preventing the need for more complex treatment in the future.

How Can I Avoid Becoming a Lapsed Patient?

You can reduce the risk of becoming a lapsed patient by:

• Booking your next examination before leaving the Practice.

• Recording your recall date in your diary or digital calendar.

• Keeping your telephone number and email address up to date.

• Attending appointments or providing at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or rearrange.

Do I Have to Follow My Dentist’s Recall Recommendation?

You are free to choose when you attend the dentist.

However, we strongly recommend following the recall interval advised by your dentist. Delaying routine examinations may increase the likelihood of becoming a lapsed NHS patient and could affect your eligibility to remain on our active NHS patient list.

If I Believe I Have Been Removed in Error

If you believe you have been unfairly removed from our active NHS patient list, you may write to the Practice Manager explaining your circumstances.

Please send your correspondence to:

Practice Manager

Clayton Dental Care
1 Cambridge Street, Clayton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD14 6RH

Email: clayton.dentalpractice@nhs.net

To ensure every enquiry is considered fairly and consistently, requests regarding lapsed patient status should be made in writing. We are unable to discuss individual lapsed patient cases over the telephone.