A GP has explained the NHS's strict nine-minute policy for patients arriving late to appointments, warning that being ten minutes late can result in losing the slot entirely. Dr Basha Mukherjee, who has over 52,300 Instagram followers, shared a video detailing the 'quiet tension' doctors feel as the clock ticks towards the ten-minute mark.
Dr Mukherjee described the moment when a patient is nine minutes late, with the doctor's finger hovering over the 'did not attend' (DNA) button. She emphasised that the policy is not meant to discourage attendance but to protect the 'fragile ecosystem' of clinic time. A single late arrival can disrupt the entire day's schedule, causing longer waits for other patients and increasing stress for the doctor.
Most GP surgeries operate a nine-minute grace period, after which the patient is recorded as not showing up. The NHS standard consultation lasts ten minutes, though some appointments now extend to 15 minutes for complex issues. Patients with multiple concerns may be asked to book separate appointments.
To ease pressure on GP services, the NHS encourages patients to visit local pharmacies for common ailments such as sinusitis, sore throats, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and urinary tract infections. Pharmacists can also prescribe certain medications and offer services like blood pressure monitoring and smoking cessation support.
