Cancellation Policy

Appointment Cancellation

If you are unable to attend your eye examination or any appointment with an Optometrist, we kindly ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice. This allows us to offer the appointment to another patient who may be waiting.

We understand that, on occasion, unforeseen circumstances arise. However, where sufficient notice is not given, or an appointment is missed without prior contact, Clark Family Eyecare reserves the right to apply a missed appointment fee.

As a small, independent practice, missed appointments have a significant impact on both our availability for other patients and the running of the business. Due to an increase in missed appointments, we have introduced the following policy:

Missed Appointment Fees

  • Failure to attend with no notice: Full appointment fee

  • Less than 24 hours’ notice: Up to 50% of the appointment fee, applied at the manager’s discretion and based on previous attendance history

Contact Lens Plan Members

Please note that missed appointments may affect the regular supply and continuity of your contact lenses.

Eyeplan Members

While most routine appointment fees are included within your Eyeplan membership, missed appointments are not covered and may incur a fee in line with the terms of your agreement.

As outlined in your Eyeplan terms:
“You must keep appointments made with your optician and pay any reasonable missed appointment fee should you fail to do so.”

Please refer to your Eyeplan documentation for full details.

NHS Patients

For NHS-funded eye examinations, missed appointments cannot be reclaimed from the NHS and therefore result in a direct cost to the practice.

Clark Family Eyecare reserves the right to apply the above missed appointment fees in these circumstances.

In addition, repeated non-attendance may affect how we manage your future care. Patients who miss three appointments within a two-year period may have appointment reminders withdrawn and, where appropriate, non-attendance may be reported in line with NHS requirements.

Direct Debit Cancellation

You may cancel your Direct Debit at any time in accordance with your agreement with Clark Family Eyecare.

If there is any outstanding balance at the time of cancellation, this should be settled promptly. If you would like further information about your agreement, our team will be happy to assist.

If you are experiencing difficulty making payments, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. We will always approach these situations with understanding and discuss options with you in confidence.

Missed Direct Debit Payments

Clark Family Eyecare reserves the right to cancel a Direct Debit arrangement if a payment is missed or cannot be collected.

Any outstanding balance must be settled within 30 days to avoid further action.