What Happens If You Miss — Your PET-CT Slot?

Possibly — it depends on how much notice you gave and the policy of the imaging centre handling your scan. If the tracer had already been prepared when you cancelled or did not show up, most centres will apply a tracer charge. If you called well before the appointment and the tracer had not yet been prepared, many centres will waive it. Ask about the cancellation policy when you book, so you know the terms before you need them.

Not straightforwardly. The tracer is prepared to a specific activity level calculated for your weight and scan time. Giving it to another patient would require that person to be the right weight, available, fasted, and booked in the same narrow time window. In practice this almost never happens, which is why a last-minute cancellation usually means the tracer is wasted regardless of who else is waiting.

Policies vary between imaging centres, and CION can tell you what applies to your specific booking. As a general principle, the earlier you call the better. Giving notice the day before is more likely to mean the tracer has not yet been prepared. Calling on the morning of the scan is less certain. Ask the centre directly when you book rather than finding out at the moment it matters most.

It depends on the centre's schedule and how busy that period is. Do not assume it will be the following day — scanner slots and tracer orders both need to align. Your CION care coordinator can check availability across the partner imaging centres CION works with. Call as soon as you know you need to rebook rather than waiting until your missed slot has already passed.

Tell reception immediately — do not wait to be called. Whether the scan can still proceed depends on how late you are and how much of the tracer's useful window remains. If you are only a short time late and the session has not moved on, there is a chance. The centre will give you a direct answer the moment you arrive. The worst outcome is to wait silently and miss the window entirely.

Call your CION care coordinator right away and explain what happened, including how far you travelled. They cannot override the imaging centre's tracer policy, but they can flag your case for priority rebooking and check whether any same-day capacity exists at CION partner centres in the area. For future appointments, mention your travel distance when booking — some centres can note this to allow a small arrival buffer.