AIBU - being charged whopping amount for missing appointment.

[NasiGoreng]

I've messed up and messed a private appointment with a GP this morning for my DC. It is not a major health issue, just something that needed doing for my DC. With all the rush back to school I totally forgot about it. It was one of those appointments made about 6 weeks ago due to availability.

Anyway, I just had a call from the hospital to tell me they will be charging me the full amount for missing the appointment. I kind of get this, but why the whole amount? Also, just looked at all the T&C's and it doesn't mention charging for no shows.

I know I am in the wrong, but to be charged the full amount? AIBU. It is a whopping 200 pounds!

Standard. They need to be paid.

If you missed the appointment they couldn't get anyone else in that appointment as they didn't know you weren't attending so has lost out financially through no fault of their own

I think it’s fair enough. They will lose a fortune if they don’t charge.

Staff, rent, bills still need to be paid, imagine if everyone was forgetful that week and demanded reduced forfeiture bills? You were invoiced for the time you booked, but omitted to use

You booked up their time, didn’t use it and now you don’t want to pay for it? So, you think they should lose income to cover for your forgetfulness?

You were booked in and the appointment couldn't have been given to anyone else in that span of time. It's an expensive lesson.

I think that's fairly standard.
Worth asking how they believe you'd been notified of the cancellation policy.

My daughters private Orthadontics charged about that for a missed appointment.

*charges

That’s the cost of their time. They couldn’t utilise that spot so lost that income so fair enough.

But £200 for a GP appointment?! Is that the going rate? I’m totally in the wrong job.

My dentist charges in advance then if you miss it she charges again!

Yep private health is not free. You have to pay where you are there or not.

You paid for that window of time. You didn't use it. You still have to pay for it.

Of course they should charge. I wish the NHS could do the same.

Is the cancellation fee mentioned on the appointment letter they sent you? If not, I'd ask them where they notified you of this charge.

That's how it works. They're out of pocket - if they knew it would be unattended they would have "sold" the slot, as such.

It’s a shame the NHS can’t do the same!

Palavah

Just been through all the forms and there is not one bit of info about cancellation. Not even mentioned.

I know I've been an idiot but 200 quid. To be honest, I shouldn't have to pay in the first place. NHS/ local doctors don't want to know.

Agree you should normally pay for missed appts but it should clearly be in their t&cs so might be worth haggling?

I don't disagree with charging for missed appointments but if they haven't notified you of it; they are unlikely to have a leg to stand on legally.

Is it definitely not attached to any emails? Did they give you any documentation when you registered? I had to sign a cancellation policy for my GP when I registered.

You paid for an appointment and forgot to turn up, you didn’t cancel it. A bit like forgetting to catch a flight is different to cancelling it in advance.

No, there is nothing. Just a typed piece of paper with no letterhead informing you how much the private doc is going to fleece you for.

Seriously I am so peed off with this. DC has had a wart on knuckle for 3 years. So bad that he can't bend finger. Had it frozen 4 times. Then local GP stopped doing it. It needs cutting out apparently.

You didn’t cancel though, you just didn’t show up. So they had no way of mitigating their loss by refilling the slot.

Cloud, if it was some local charity or local business I'd pay like a shot. Paying 200 quid, actually it's 215 pounds to have a wart looked at is a complete piss take.

But you didn’t cancel, you missed your appointment. If you’d have cancelled there’s a chance they may have been able to allocate your appointment to someone else.