Late patients are an unavoidable part of practice. The rule you set determines whether they erode your day or barely affect it.
The 15-minute grace rule
- 0-15 minutes late: kept in their original slot. Tell them apologetically the doctor will see them in their booked window.
- 15-30 minutes late: slid to the next available slot in the same hour. They wait 10-20 minutes more but stay served.
- 30+ minutes late: enter the walk-in queue. Served in arrival order against other walk-ins.
What NOT to do
- Don't push them to end of day: feels punitive, generates angry reviews.
- Don't give priority over on-time patients: signals their lateness has no consequence.
- Don't engage the patient in negotiation: receptionist follows the rule, no discretion.
Communicating the policy
Three places:
- WhatsApp confirmation message at booking: "Please arrive 5 minutes early. Past 15 minutes late, your slot may move."
- Reception sign visible from the waiting area.
- Receptionist mentions it gently when the patient calls to say they'll be late.
Repeat-offender protocol
For patients who are late 3+ times, the next booking requires a small confirmation deposit (₹100-₹200). Reduces repeat offending to near zero.
Vaidya OS auto-flags late patients and routes them according to your rule.