Doctors start campaign to cut missed appointments waste

Action was prompted after a survey was conducted by practices within the Central Sheffield GP Consortium.

It found that hundreds of people across the city were failing to turn up for appointments with doctors, nurses and other health care staff each week.

GPs said that during just one week last month, there were a “staggering” 678 missed appointments recorded in 18 of the Consortium’s 27 practices – a figure which they said equated to a minimum of 113 hours of surgery time wasted because people did not contact their local practice to cancel or rearrange their scheduled treatment.

Doctors said patients who fail to turn up or make alternative arrangements may not realise that their actions mean that other patients were being forced to wait longer for appointments, diagnosis and treatment.

Dr Maria Read, a GP at the busy Dovercourt Surgery in Skye Edge, on Sheffield’s Wybourn estate, said there were a total of 49 missed appointments for a doctor or practice nurse appointment at her practice during the survey week.

She said: “That is 49 cases where people booked in for an urgent surgery appointment, a routine disease management or medication review or for tests and vaccinations that have not contacted the surgery to cancel the appointment or rearrange.

“Some people made an urgent appointment that day and then did not come.

“Others were texted to remind them the day before their appointment and even this did not prompt them to tell us they were not coming.

“They have just not turned up which means those appointments can’t be offered to anyone else.

“Not only that, it means everyone else has to wait longer to get access to the treatment and services they need.”

As part of its campaign, members of the GP consortium are urging patients registered to their practices not to waste their appointment and tell them if they can’t turn up.

Dr Read said the message was keep your appointment – especially for medication checks and ongoing treatment – or at least contact your surgery to cancel or re-arrange if you cannot make it.

She added: “Like many practices in the city we try to offer flexible surgery times for our patients, including early morning sessions. People can ring, text or email the surgery to cancel – it really couldn’t be easier.

“So, why don’t people do it? Sadly, I think some people don’t give a second thought to the simple courtesy of letting us know they can’t make an appointment.

“Others may feel a bit embarrassed or may simply have forgotten.

“I know people lead increasingly busy lives but, I believe, there is an attitude among some patients that the NHS is free so what does it matter.

“There is no cost to the individual as there would be if they missed a private appointment and therefore no incentive to ring.

“But, I would simply ask anyone who has been stood up whether it is by a plumber, or a friend not turning up and ask them how it feels.

“I think it’s fair to say that the majority of us would feel let down or annoyed by such behaviour.”

According to recent national figures, almost 13.5 million GP appointments and nearly 6.5 million practice nurse appointments are missed a year at an estimated cost to the NHS of £180 million.

Another survey of doctors and nurses found they felt younger patients were most likely to miss appointments. As part of the survey, carried out by the Institute of Healthcare Management, 58 per cent of health workers said there should be a charge for those who waste practice time.