Appointment Confirmation, Cancellation & Did Not Attend Policy

Appointment Reminders & Confirmation

To support clients to attend their appointments, IWC provides appointment reminders via SMS and phone calls as a courtesy. Reminders are sent:

• 72 hours prior to the appointment
• 48 hours prior to the appointment
• 24 hours prior to the appointment

Clients are encouraged to confirm their appointment by replying to the SMS/phone reminder.

Unconfirmed Appointments

If an appointment has not been confirmed:

• Our team may attempt to contact the client to confirm attendance.
• Where attendance cannot be confirmed, the appointment may be offered to another client to support timely access to care for the community.
• No cancellation fee applies where an appointment is cancelled due to non-confirmation.

Cancellations

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please notify IWC as soon as possible so the appointment can be offered to another client.

• Cancellations made more than 12 hours before the appointment: No fee applies.
• Cancellations made within 12 hours of the appointment: A late cancellation fee may apply, as this short notice makes it difficult to rebook the appointment. Depending on your appointment type and where appropriate, you might have the option to switch to a telehealth consultation instead, with no cancellation fee for transferring from an in-person appointment to telehealth.

Did Not Attend (DNA)

A Did Not Attend (DNA) occurs when:

• A client does not attend their scheduled appointment, and
• The appointment was confirmed, or
• The client did not cancel with the required notice.

DNAs are recorded after consideration of individual circumstances, including cultural obligations, family responsibilities, transport issues, and health-related factors.

Fees

Cancellation and DNA fees are intended to contribute to the cost of clinician time that cannot be reallocated at short notice.

• Fees are not claimable through Medicare or private health insurance.
• Where fees apply, payment arrangements may be discussed.
• DNA or cancellation fees will not prevent access to urgent or clinically necessary care for clients.
• Fees may be waived at IWC’s discretion.

Repeat Non-Attendance

Where there are repeated late cancellations or DNAs, IWC may:

• Review appointment arrangements to better support attendance
• Discuss alternative appointment times or reminder methods
• Involve care coordination or Indigenous Health Worker support where appropriate
• Review ongoing care arrangements to ensure services best meet the client’s needs

The aim of this process is to support engagement in care, not to restrict access.

Exceptional Circumstances

IWC recognises that unexpected situations can occur. Cancellation and DNA fees may be waived in cases of genuine emergencies, cultural obligations (including Sorry Business), illness, transport issues, or other exceptional circumstances.

For a full copy of our Appointment Confirmation, Cancellation & Did Not Attend Policy, please click here.