How do I get lapsed patients to come back?
Pull the list from your practice system (patients seen recently with no future appointment), send each one a short personal message that references their actual situation, make rebooking one tap, and follow up once more a week later. Done consistently, this refills a diary faster than any ad campaign, because these patients already trust you.
Step 1: pull the real list
In Cliniko, Nookal or PracSuite, filter for patients seen in the last 12 to 18 months with no upcoming appointment. Exclude anyone who discharged completed or asked not to be contacted. What remains is your list, and it is usually longer than you expect.
Step 2: write like a human, one at a time
The message that works is short and specific: their name, a reference to their last visit or plan, a genuine reason to return, and one clear way to book. The message that fails is the blast: same words to everyone, sent at 9am on a Monday, reading like a campaign.
Step 3: mind the AHPRA line
Reactivation messages from an Australian clinic sit close to advertising a regulated health service. Skip testimonials, skip guaranteed outcomes, be careful with offers. This is why Routiq checks every follow-up against published AHPRA advertising guidance before it sends.
Step 4: make it a system, not a spring clean
The clinics that win at this do not do it quarterly. The report gets worked every week, automatically, and replies get handled through to a booking. That cadence is a job description, which is why it is Robyn's.
Quick answers
How soon is too soon to follow up?
Following the treatment plan is not marketing. If they were due back at six weeks and it is week nine, the follow-up is care. Waiting a year makes it awkward, not politer.
SMS, email or phone?
SMS gets read. Email gets archived. Phone interrupts. Lead with SMS or WhatsApp, keep email for longer content.
Written by Daniel Welsh, founder of Routiq. General information, not legal or clinical advice. Updated 8 August 2026.
Robyn does this for you.
Reception on every channel, the rebooking report worked automatically, and Abby checking the wording against published AHPRA advertising guidance. $199 per location per month, 7-day free trial, live in a day.
Keep reading: What is patient reactivation? · How do I fill empty appointment slots at my clinic?