Non-attendance at new patient clinics is a well-known problem in psychiatry and particularly common in alcohol treatment units. Reported non-attendance rates in this field range from 12.3% (Addenbrooke & Rathod, 1990) to 52% (Wanberg & Jones, 1973). A number of factors may contribute to this failure to attend including a long waiting time, lack of consent to the referral (e.g. by the GP), postal and administrative problems and the nature of the disorder itself. Hyslop & Kershaw (1981) contacted patients who failed to attend an alcoholism referral clinic in an attempt to establish their reasons for non-attendance. Out of the 39 patients contacted 23 appeared to have good reasons for not attending while 16 gave poor reasons and refused the offer of a second appointment. Ways of increasing attendance at new patient clinics have included reduction of waiting time (Hyslop & Kershaw, 1981) and telephone and written prompts prior to the appointment (Bourgoyne et al, 1983; Grover et al, 1983).