Cancellation and no-show policy template for clinics

Empty appointment slots are the most expensive thing in an aesthetics clinic, and most of them are preventable with a clear, consistently applied cancellation policy. The template below is complete and ready to adapt: change the bracketed values to suit your clinic, publish it where patients will actually see it, and then apply it the same way to everyone. A policy enforced apologetically and inconsistently is barely a policy at all.

The policy template

Copy the text below, replace the bracketed values, and review it against how your clinic actually operates.

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[Clinic name] cancellation and no-show policy

We hold your appointment time exclusively for you. When appointments are cancelled at short notice or missed, that time is usually lost, so the following policy applies to all bookings.

Cancellations and rescheduling

• We ask for at least [48 hours] notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment.
• You can cancel or reschedule by [phone, email or your booking link]. Notice is counted from when we receive your message.
• With [48 hours] or more notice, any deposit paid will be transferred to your new booking or refunded in full.

Deposits

• A deposit of [£X / X% of the treatment price] is required to secure your booking.
• If you cancel or reschedule with less than [48 hours] notice, your deposit will be retained.
• Deposits are otherwise redeemable against the cost of your treatment on the day.

Late arrival

• If you arrive more than [15 minutes] late, we may not be able to carry out your treatment safely in the remaining time. In that case the appointment will be treated as a late cancellation and the deposit retained.
• If we can still treat you safely, we will, although your appointment may need to be shortened.

Missed appointments

• If you do not attend and have not contacted us, the appointment is a no-show and your deposit will be retained.
• After [two] no-shows, we may require full prepayment for future bookings.

Rebooking

• Following a late cancellation or no-show, a new deposit is required to rebook.
• We are always happy to rebook you; the deposit simply secures the new time.

Emergencies and exceptional circumstances

• We understand that genuine emergencies happen. If you cannot attend because of a medical emergency, bereavement or similar exceptional circumstance, contact us as soon as you reasonably can and we will use our discretion, which may include transferring or refunding your deposit. We apply this fairly and consistently rather than case by case on persistence.

Our side of the bargain

• If we ever need to cancel or rearrange your appointment, we will give you as much notice as possible and your deposit will be transferred or refunded in full.

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How to present the policy

A policy patients never saw is hard to rely on and feels unfair when enforced. Present it at three moments:

• At booking. Show the key terms before the patient pays the deposit, and keep a record that they were shown. If you take bookings online, the policy belongs on the booking page, not buried in a footer. A short summary plus a link to the full policy works well.
• In confirmations and reminders. Repeat the notice period in the booking confirmation and in reminder messages, with one line such as “Need to change your appointment? Please give us 48 hours notice so your deposit is protected.” Reminders sent a few days ahead, while the patient can still cancel in time, prevent far more no-shows than reminders sent the night before.
• At the first visit. Include the policy in new patient paperwork so there is a signed acknowledgement on file.

Then apply it consistently. The clinic that waives the policy for anyone who pushes back trains its patients to push back, and quietly punishes the patients who behave well.

A brief note on fairness and enforceability

Consumer contract terms need to be fair and prominent to be enforceable. In practice that means the amounts you retain should be a reasonable reflection of your actual loss rather than a penalty, the notice period should be realistic, the terms must be shown to the patient before they commit money, and you should enforce them consistently. A 48 hour notice period with a proportionate deposit, presented clearly at booking, sits comfortably within normal practice; retaining large sums under terms the patient never saw does not. This is general guidance rather than legal advice. We will be publishing a fuller guide to deposits and the law in our guides section.

A policy is only as good as its administration, and chasing deposits manually is where good policies die. AesthetiClinic takes deposits at the point of online booking, shows your terms before payment, sends the reminder sequence automatically and records the whole trail against the patient, so enforcing your policy is a settings decision rather than a daily argument. See pricing for plans.

This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Check your terms with your insurer or a solicitor, and apply them consistently.