DNA (did not attend)
What it really means
What surgeries call it when a patient misses an appointment without cancelling. It wastes NHS time, and patients who repeatedly DNA can be removed from a practice list.
Context, tips & common mistakes
DNA — 'did not attend' — is what your record says when you miss an appointment without cancelling, and it is a small act with real costs: the slot someone fought the 8am rush for went unused. Cancel even at thirty minutes' notice (phone, app, or the cancellation link in the reminder text) and the practice can refill it; practices track DNAs, send warning letters after repeats, and can ultimately deregister persistent offenders — rare, but a bureaucratic mess you do not want while settling into a country.
Defensive habits: keep your mobile number current with reception (reminder texts die silently otherwise), put appointments in your phone calendar the moment you book, and if you are running late, ring — many surgeries hold a few minutes' grace, and 'late but coming' beats a DNA. The same etiquette applies doubly to hospital clinics, where missed appointments can bounce you back to the referral queue.
Example conversation
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.