A PATIENT who does not attend for an APPOINTMENT or Elective Admission and does not cancel the APPOINTMENT before the scheduled APPOINTMENT DATE and APPOINTMENT TIME may be discharged to a Health Care Provider.

The PATIENT may be subsequently discharged back to their GENERAL PRACTITIONER provided that the Health Care Provider ensures:

• the APPOINTMENT was clearly communicated to the PATIENT;
• discharging the PATIENT is not contrary to their best clinical interests;
• discharging the PATIENT is carried out according to local publicly available policies on PATIENTS who do not attend an APPOINTMENT;
• These local policies are clearly defined and specifically protect the clinical interests of vulnerable PATIENTS (for example children) and are agreed with CARE PROFESSIONALS, commissioners, PATIENTS and other relevant stakeholders.

A Discharge After Patient Did Not Attend will end an open REFERRAL TO TREATMENT PERIOD. Where the APPOINTMENT is the first APPOINTMENT in a REFERRAL TO TREATMENT PERIOD the REFERRAL TO TREATMENT PERIOD will not be included in the Referral To Treatment Period Included In Referral To Treatment Consultant-Led Waiting Times Measurement or the count of Allied Health Professional Referral To Treatment Measurement REFERRAL TO TREATMENT PERIODS.