Non-attendance in community paediatric clinics in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Health Care Trust

Community paediatricians have developed a specialised role in areas of child development, disability, social and behavioural paediatrics.1 Non-attendance in community paediatric clinics has A½ nancial implications for the NHS, because the average appointment for developmental and behavioural assessments lasts one hour. Clinical governance has identiA½fied non-attendance as a signiA½ cant area for improvement. The aim of this study was to ascertain the clinical and demographic proA½ les of patients nonattending these clinics