Your appointments with NHS Talking Therapies are important for your wellbeing. By attending them, it also helps us provide care to everyone else when they need it.
We’re here to support you. Our policy on Did Not Attends is designed to be fair, compassionate and focused on keeping you safe and well. This page explains what happens if you miss an appointment and how we’ll support you to keep your care on track.
What is a DNA?
A Did Not Attend (DNA) means you missed a scheduled appointment without letting us know in advance. We aim to keep missed appointments low so everyone can get fair access to support.
If you do miss an appointment, you can still expect:
- Respect and understanding: We know there may be valid reasons for not attending. We’ll always listen to these and respond with empathy.
- Clear communication: We’ll remind you about appointments and explain what happens if you miss one.
- Consistency: All our staff follow the same DNA process so it’s fair to all.
- Safety first: If we’re worried about your wellbeing, we may take extra steps to check in or involve other services.
What happens if I miss an appointment?
If you’ve given consent to receive text message reminders, you’ll get one from us 48 hours before your appointment.
If you miss an appointment, we’ll attempt to call you within the first ten minutes of when it was due to begin, unless it's a second missed appointment in a row. If we can’t reach you, it’s marked as a DNA. What happens after this may depend on the type of appointment you’ve missed:
If you miss your suitability assessment, first treatment or further assessment:
-
We’ll review our records. If there are no clinical or risk concerns, your referral will be closed.
-
If there are concerns, we’ll discuss your case in clinical supervision and may contact your referrer, GP or family.
-
You’ll receive a letter explaining your discharge and sharing support contacts. If you contact us in seven days, we can re-open the referral and offer you another appointment.
If you miss a later treatment session:
-
If you’ve given consent, we’ll:
-
Send you a text message requesting you contact us within seven days
-
Leave a voicemail with the same message
-
Send you a letter requesting you contact us within seven days
-
-
If there are concerns, we’ll discuss your case in clinical supervision and may contact your referrer, GP or family.
-
If we do not hear from you within seven days, you’ll be discharged.
If you missed your appointment and had a valid reason, please let us know. We’ll listen and work with you to find a solution. We’re not here to punish you — we want to keep you engaged in your care.
Contact us
If you have any questions about missed appointments or any other enquiries about NHS Talking Therapies, you can speak to us. Call (01472) 625100 to contact the team (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).
NHS Talking Therapies is not a crisis service. If you’re in a mental health crisis and need urgent help, call the Single Point of Access on (01472) 256256 and select option 3. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, you can call NHS 111 free from a landline or mobile phone.