Arguments between walk-ins and booked patients usually start when patients do not know the rule. A clear rule, posted where everyone can see it and applied the same way every time, settles most of them before they start.
Three ways to run a mixed queue
| Method | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Token order only | Everyone, booked or walk-in, gets a token on arrival and is seen in that order | Clinics where most patients walk in |
| Mixed blocks | Each short block of time has some booked slots and some walk-in slots | Clinics with a steady mix of both |
| Separate sessions | One session for walk-ins and another for booked patients | Clinics where one group is much larger at certain times |
An example mixed block
Say a doctor sees about four patients every 15 minutes, and about one patient in four walks in without booking.
- 10:00 to 10:15: three booked patients, then one walk-in.
- 10:15 to 10:30: three booked patients, then one walk-in.
- Carry on through the session. If you get more walk-ins on some days, keep more walk-in slots on those days.
The rules to post at the front desk
- Booked patients: arrive 5 minutes early. After a 15-minute grace period, the slot goes to the next patient waiting, and the late patient is seen in the next free slot.
- Walk-ins: seen in the walk-in slots, in order of arrival.
- Emergencies: the doctor decides, and an emergency is seen first.
- Elderly or very unwell patients: decide whether they can be seen earlier, write it down, and apply it the same way for everyone.
Put the rules on a board at the entrance and say them once at the desk.
Why a written rule works
- Visible fairness: the rule, not the receptionist, decides who goes next.
- Booked patients trust the booking: they know they will not wait behind every walk-in.
- Walk-ins are still seen the same day, as long as you keep enough walk-in slots.
- Late arrivals do not waste time: an empty slot goes to someone who is already waiting.
With Vaidya OS
Patients scan the clinic's QR code and get a token in order of arrival, for today or for a later date. Reception adds patients without a smartphone from the app, into the same queue. Each patient sees how many people are ahead of them and an estimated time.
A patient can also give a preferred time. It shows on their card in the queue, but it does not hold a slot, and the patient is told that tokens are still called in order. Any waiting patient can be called in, so a booked patient or an emergency can go ahead of the token order when your rule says so. A patient who does not turn up can be marked as a no-show. In a clinic with more than one doctor, each doctor has their own queue with its own token letter.
Vaidya OS does not reserve walk-in slots or move late patients for you. Your posted rule decides that. See how the queue and front desk work.