Why holidays are a problem

By the end of June 2017 I had planned my diary until January 2019.

How far ahead have you planned your diaries?

One thing that really annoys me in practice is patients being cancelled all because clinicians are unorganised.

I am sure there has been the occasional mistake where dates were meant to be booked off and weren’t (‘blame a system not a person’ – Paddi Lund)

On the whole though it is because of disorganised people.

It really is not acceptable to cancel patients due to a holiday or a course. The minimum amount of notice for a day off should be 6 months. If you want patients to book ahead in your diary, do not do so and then cancel them!

Your managers are often left unable to approve holiday for the team or they are saying yes and having another problem to find cover.

Is it really too hard to work out when you want to go away next year? Which courses you want to do?

It is much better to have days blocked out and then open them if you decide not to go to a conference or a take a break for as long as intended.

Holidays in practice and courses for next year should be blocked out now by the clinicians. Make July each year your deadline.

Yes you may have self employed people who will complain, but if this is the solution to an ongoing problem in your practice you have to implement it. If they don’t like said system then go and work for a brand that doesn’t have a holiday system and cancel their patients instead!

It really is that simple. Trust me.

Laura