Missed appointments costs the taxpayer money and means fewer people get to see a doctor as quickly as they may need to.
Over half of GP practices state that more than 50 patients miss GP appointments every month, this equates to more than 1,725 missed appointments in south east Essex every month.
According to the survey by NHS South East Essex, 95 per cent of GP surgeries agreed that patients are having to wait longer to see a doctor because of the patient who miss appointments. 100 per cent of GPs questioned in south east Essex agreed that missed appointments wastes NHS money & resources.
Dr Rupert Halliday, Medical Director for NHS South East Essex said:
“Although we all lead busy lives and occasionally are unable to keep the appointments that we make, it’s important to stress that hundreds of millions of taxpayers money is wasted every year through missed GP appointments alone. It is really important that patients cancel appointments as soon as possible to allow other patients to take their slots.”
Remember to always call and cancel your appointment if you decide you no longer need to see a doctor or if you cannot make your appointment. Many people fail to see doctors each day because the appointment book is full.
