To be fed up with my dentist constantly cancelling and rearraning my appointments without asking me?

[ManonBlackbeak]

Just that really. Ive been with the same dental practice for years, and have always been very happy with them. On the one occasion I needed emmergency treatment due to an abcess they were excellent and saw me promptly. Ive always has six monthly check ups, but over the last two years or so they've started to cancel my appointments and rearrange them for times that are usually really inconvenient for me, then ill have to rearrange again and its always months and months later and then sometimes they will rearrange them again!

No explanation is ever given, I just get a letter in the post saying that it's 'become neccessary to rearrange your appointment on blah, blah,blah'. Its really annoying me, you have to have your regular check ups as well in order to stay on the patient list to its not like I can just cancel altogether until I need to see a dentist! The whole thing seems a bit disorganised and generally shit.

Can anyone shed any light on whats going on here?

Literally as simple as when you book an appointment 6 months in advance the dentist and staff will not know their holidays, courses time off etc. It's annoying but that's what it will be.

I’m a health care professional (not a dentist) and have a diary full of patients, booked nearly 6 months in advance. I hate rescheduling patients, it genuinely gives me anxiety and keeps me awake at night. I avoid it at all costs and I’m quite proud of the fact that I hardly ever need to. Mainly because my mum will step in for childcare at the drop of a hat and I never go off sick unless I’m dying.

However, due to a string of problems (firstly childcare before and after school stopping suddenly, then poorly DC, poorly mum and then me catching the illness, then me having to cover another emergency clinic because colleague caught my illness - flu - despite us all having the vaccine) my diary has been scheduled and rebooked an embarrassing amount of times. All things totally out of my control but I am human with a crap immune system cheers to being constantly around ill people (and no, after 14 years ‘in the business’ it hasn’t become more resilient!) Im specialist in my field and there is only one other like me in my county. I eventually have to see those patients face to face and deal with the anger/upset. All I can do is apologise.

It’s standard procedure to cancel and rebook in the next available slot but ask the patient to call and rearrange. Bear in mind, I see 12/14 patients a day. To reschedule a week is a LOT of patients for our already strained admin team to phone individually. It’s quicker to rebook and send a letter and most are able to make the new appointment. But some are less flexible due to work etc and they need to phone in.

I will be paying for the rescheduling for next couple of months at work. :(

It never used to happen though, and is a fairly recent development. My last two or three check ups have all been rerranged.

That’s the case I my diary. My patients for years would have been very happy. But over the last few months have just had a string of events out of my control. One patient has been rescheduled 4 times. I’m now seeing him in January as I am totally fully booked before then and that was a cancellation slot.