Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy
Cancellation Fees at a Glance
Certain procedures, diagnostic services and appointment packages may require longer notice periods, as explained below and communicated at the time of booking.
1. Introduction
Allied Medical Center is committed to providing timely and high-quality healthcare services to its patients.
Our healthcare professionals reserve dedicated appointment times for each patient. A late cancellation or missed appointment may prevent us from offering that time to another patient who requires care.
This Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy explains the notice requirements, potential charges and procedures that may apply when an appointment is cancelled, rescheduled or missed.
Our aim is to manage appointment availability fairly while recognising that emergencies and unexpected circumstances may occur.
This policy is subject to:
- The terms communicated when the appointment is booked
- The type and duration of the scheduled service
- Any deposit or advance-payment terms disclosed to the patient
- Applicable UAE laws and regulatory requirements
- Any exceptional circumstances accepted by Allied Medical Center
2. Standard Notice Requirement
Patients should notify Allied Medical Center at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time when cancelling or rescheduling an appointment.
Providing advance notice allows us to offer the appointment to another patient.
Examples
For an appointment at 2:00 PM on Monday: notice should be provided by 2:00 PM on Sunday.
For an appointment at 9:00 AM on Thursday: notice should be provided by 9:00 AM on Wednesday.
For an appointment at 6:00 PM on Saturday: notice should be provided by 6:00 PM on Friday.
A cancellation or rescheduling request is treated as received when it reaches Allied Medical Center through one of the approved contact methods listed in this policy.
3. Standard Cancellation Charges
Subject to the appointment terms communicated at the time of booking, the following charges may apply.
At least 24 hours before the appointment
No cancellation fee will generally apply.
Any eligible prepaid amount will be handled in accordance with the payment and refund provisions of this policy.
Less than 24 hours before the appointment
A cancellation fee of up to 50% of the scheduled consultation or procedure fee may apply.
Same-day cancellation
A fee of up to 100% of the scheduled consultation or procedure fee may apply when an appointment is cancelled on the same calendar day.
Failure to attend
A fee of up to 100% of the scheduled appointment fee may apply when a patient does not attend and has not provided sufficient advance notice.
The applicable fee, if any, will be based on the appointment type, notice provided, advance-payment terms and relevant circumstances.
4. Services Requiring Longer Notice
Certain appointments require additional preparation, equipment allocation, staff scheduling or coordination. Longer cancellation periods may therefore apply.
Unless different terms are communicated during booking, the following notice periods may apply:
Imaging procedures
Appointments for services such as MRI, CT or mammography may require at least 48 hours’ notice.
Health-screening packages
Appointments involving multiple coordinated services may require at least 48 hours’ notice.
A cancellation affecting one part of a package may affect the remaining appointments in that package.
Consultations and follow-up appointments
A standard notice period of at least 24 hours will generally apply.
Allied Medical Center will endeavour to communicate any appointment-specific cancellation terms, required deposits and notice periods before confirming the booking.
Where appointment-specific terms differ from this general policy, the terms communicated and accepted at the time of booking will apply, subject to applicable law.
5. How to Cancel or Reschedule
Patients may request a cancellation or rescheduling through the following channels.
Please do not include unnecessary medical details in a WhatsApp message. Cancellation or rescheduling requests should not be sent through social-media comments or other channels that Allied Medical Center has not designated for appointment management.
6. Information to Include
To help us identify and process the appointment, please provide:
- The patient’s full name
- Date of birth or patient-reference information
- Scheduled appointment date and time
- Doctor, department or service booked
- Whether you wish to cancel or reschedule
- Preferred alternative dates or times, where applicable
Providing a reason for cancellation is optional, although relevant information may help us assess a request for an exception. Patients should avoid sending detailed medical information unless it is reasonably necessary.
7. Confirmation of Cancellation
A cancellation or rescheduling request is not considered final until it has been acknowledged or processed by Allied Medical Center.
We may send confirmation by SMS, email, telephone or WhatsApp, depending on the contact details available and the communication channel used.
If you have not received confirmation within a reasonable period during normal operating hours, please contact us again to confirm that the request was received.
Patients are encouraged to retain any written cancellation confirmation or message history.
Allied Medical Center is not responsible for a request that was not received because of an incorrect contact address, telecommunications failure or use of an unapproved communication channel, except where otherwise required by law.
8. Rescheduling Appointments
Patients may request to move an appointment to another available date or time.
We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate preferred dates and times, but availability depends on:
- The relevant doctor or healthcare professional
- The type of service
- Equipment and facility availability
- Clinical urgency
- Existing patient bookings
Rescheduling with sufficient notice
No cancellation fee will generally apply where a rescheduling request is received within the required notice period.
Late or same-day rescheduling
Where a patient requests to reschedule after the applicable notice deadline, the request may be treated as a late cancellation.
A charge may apply even when a new appointment is booked.
Where reasonably possible, Allied Medical Center may take into account whether the original appointment time was reassigned to another patient, but reassignment does not automatically guarantee that a fee will be waived.
Repeated rescheduling
Repeated cancellations or changes may affect future booking arrangements.
In such circumstances, Allied Medical Center may reasonably require:
- Advance confirmation
- A deposit
- Full or partial advance payment
- Booking through a designated member of staff
Any additional requirement should be communicated before a future appointment is confirmed.
9. Waitlist Appointments
When an appointment is cancelled with sufficient notice, the available time may be offered to another patient.
Patients who have flexible availability may inform the appointment team of acceptable dates and times. This may help us offer an earlier appointment when a cancellation occurs.
Placement on a waitlist does not guarantee that an earlier appointment will become available.
10. No-Shows
A patient may be treated as a no-show when the patient:
- Does not attend a scheduled appointment
- Does not provide the required cancellation notice
- Arrives too late for the service to be provided safely or without materially affecting other appointments
A late arrival will not automatically be treated as a no-show in every case. The decision will depend on the appointment type, length of delay, clinical circumstances and available schedule.
First no-show
The scheduled appointment fee may be charged, subject to the booking terms and review of any exceptional circumstances.
The patient may also be reminded of this policy.
Repeated no-shows
Following repeated no-shows, Allied Medical Center may require advance payment or a deposit before accepting further non-urgent appointments.
In exceptional circumstances, and where clinically and legally appropriate, Allied Medical Center may limit future non-emergency bookings.
Any such decision will be considered carefully and will not affect the patient’s right to receive emergency care where required.
11. Late Arrivals
Patients should arrive at the time stated in their appointment instructions, including any requested registration or preparation time.
Up to 15 minutes late
We will try to accommodate the patient where reasonably possible. However:
- The consultation may need to be shortened
- Part of the service may need to be rescheduled
- The patient may need to wait until an appropriate time becomes available
Clinical quality or patient safety will not be intentionally compromised to accommodate a late arrival.
More than 15 minutes late
The appointment may need to be rescheduled where the remaining time is insufficient or proceeding would significantly delay other patients.
A late-cancellation or no-show fee may apply, depending on the circumstances and the appointment terms.
Notifying us of a delay
Patients who expect to arrive late should contact the appointment team as soon as reasonably possible.
Notification does not guarantee that the appointment can proceed, but it may help us identify an appropriate solution.
12. Emergencies and Exceptional Circumstances
We recognise that genuine emergencies and circumstances outside a patient’s reasonable control may prevent attendance or timely cancellation.
Allied Medical Center may waive or reduce a cancellation charge following individual review.
Relevant circumstances may include:
- A medical emergency involving the patient
- Hospital admission
- A serious and unexpected illness or injury
- Death or serious emergency involving an immediate family member
- A significant accident
- Severe weather or natural disaster
- Government restrictions or closures
- Significant and documented travel disruption
- Another circumstance reasonably accepted by Allied Medical Center
This list is illustrative and does not guarantee that a fee will be waived in every case.
13. Supporting Information
Where reasonably necessary to assess a request, Allied Medical Center may ask for appropriate supporting information.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
- A medical certificate
- Hospital or emergency-department documentation
- Accident or police documentation
- Travel-disruption confirmation
- Other information reasonably relevant to the request
We will seek only the information reasonably necessary to assess the circumstances.
Any personal information submitted will be handled in accordance with Allied Medical Center’s Privacy Policy and applicable requirements.
14. Requesting an Exception
To request a waiver or reduction:
- Contact Allied Medical Center as soon as reasonably possible.
- Provide the patient’s appointment details.
- Briefly explain the relevant circumstances.
- Provide supporting information where reasonably requested and available.
Each request will be assessed individually.
We aim to review requests fairly and consistently. The time required may vary depending on the circumstances and whether further information is needed.
No waiver is guaranteed until Allied Medical Center confirms its decision.
15. Payments and Cancellation Charges
Prepaid appointments
Where an appointment has been prepaid, an applicable cancellation charge may be deducted from the amount paid.
Any remaining eligible balance will be refunded or, with the patient’s agreement, applied to a rescheduled appointment.
Appointments without advance payment
Where an appointment was not prepaid, Allied Medical Center may issue an invoice for an applicable cancellation charge.
Payment terms will be stated on the invoice or communicated separately.
Insurance-covered appointments
Cancellation and no-show charges may not be covered by a patient’s insurer.
Coverage depends on the insurer, policy terms and relevant approvals. The patient may remain personally responsible for any valid cancellation charge.
Patients should contact their insurer directly for confirmation of coverage.
Appointment packages
Where an appointment forms part of a package, any charge may be based on:
- The value assigned to the affected service
- The number of services affected
- The package terms communicated at purchase
- The required notice period
Any calculation should be explained to the patient on request.
16. Refunds
Where a patient is eligible for a refund, Allied Medical Center will process it using the original payment method where reasonably possible.
Refund-processing times may vary depending on:
- Payment method
- Bank or card-provider processing
- Verification requirements
- Public holidays
- Whether additional information is needed
Typical processing estimates may be communicated when the refund is approved, but external banking or payment-provider delays are outside Allied Medical Center’s direct control.
Any administrative or processing charge will apply only where it was properly disclosed, accepted and legally permitted.
Deposits for specialised procedures will be handled in accordance with the terms communicated when the appointment was booked.
A deposit will not be described as non-refundable unless that condition was clearly disclosed and is permitted under applicable law.
17. Insurance Authorisations
Cancelling or rescheduling an insured appointment may affect:
- Pre-authorisation validity
- Referral validity
- Coverage dates
- The approved doctor, procedure or facility
- The need for a new insurer approval
Patients may need to contact their insurer or obtain a new authorisation before the rescheduled appointment.
Allied Medical Center may assist with administrative steps where applicable but cannot guarantee an insurer’s approval or coverage decision.
18. Cancellations by Allied Medical Center
In some circumstances, Allied Medical Center may need to cancel or reschedule an appointment because of:
- A healthcare professional’s illness or emergency
- An urgent clinical situation
- Equipment malfunction
- Facility or utility issues
- Safety concerns
- Severe weather or natural disaster
- Government restrictions
- Public-health circumstances
- Another operational event outside our reasonable control
Our approach
Where Allied Medical Center cancels an appointment, we will make reasonable efforts to:
- Notify the patient as soon as practicable
- Offer an alternative appointment
- Avoid applying any patient cancellation charge
- Refund an eligible prepayment or apply it to a replacement booking, according to the patient’s preference and applicable terms
Any notice period mentioned by staff is an estimate and is not guaranteed where an unexpected event occurs.
For an urgent medical concern, staff may provide information about available alternatives or direct the patient to an appropriate care provider. Allied Medical Center does not guarantee the immediate availability of another physician or service.
Patients experiencing a medical emergency should contact the appropriate emergency services.
20. Questions and Contact Details
For questions concerning this policy, please contact Allied Medical Center:
Telephone: 800 255433
WhatsApp: +971 50 707 6562
Email: [Insert confirmed appointment email address]
Website: www.alliedmedicalcenter.net
21. Policy Application and Changes
This policy applies to appointments booked on or after its effective date unless different written terms were communicated and accepted at the time of booking.
Allied Medical Center may update this policy to reflect changes in services, operational requirements or applicable laws.
The current version will be published on our website with an updated effective date.
A change will not be applied retrospectively in a manner that unfairly alters the material financial terms of an appointment already confirmed, except where required by law or agreed with the patient.
Thank You for Your Cooperation
Providing timely notice helps Allied Medical Center manage appointment availability and offer care to other patients.
We appreciate your cooperation in attending scheduled appointments or contacting us as early as possible when plans change.
