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 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 publically 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.