# Patients missing their appointments cost the NHS £1bn last year



## Northerner (Jan 2, 2018)

As the NHS struggles with budget cuts, soaring demand and staff shortages, almost £1bn is being wasted annually by patients missing appointments, figures reveal.

In response, England’s chief nurse has urged patients to cancel their NHS appointments in good time if they are not able to attend, in order to free up resources for those who need them. 

The money wasted could fund 1m more cataract operations or 250,000 hip replacements, said Prof Jane Cummings, chief nursing officer for England.

Data released by NHS Digital revealed that in 2016/17 almost 8m hospital outpatient appointments were missed due to patients not attending, compared with 7.5m in 2015/16.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...their-appointments-cost-the-nhs-1bn-last-year


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## chaoticcar (Jan 2, 2018)

I don't think people realise how it affects the system of appointments when patients don't turn up ,but if they have the experience of waiting for a long time in a waiting room they may think it won't matter .no excuse I know but I once waited 40 minutes after my appointment time when a nurse came to tell us that the specialist was running 1 hour behind and if anyone wanted to go home and make another appointment go to reception Ok there may have been an emergency but no explanation was given and not even a "sorry" 
   CAROL


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## Sprogladite (Jan 2, 2018)

My area are particularly bad at sending out appointment letters - a lot of the time I won't know I've even missed an appointment until I then get a letter telling me (ironically they're better at sending these, apparently).  Not being funny but if I don't know I have an appointment how the heck can I go to it?  I've been working on developing psychic powers but unfortunately it's not working out for me just yet


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## chaoticcar (Jan 2, 2018)

I had a phone call to remind me of an appointment at the eye hospital when I asked for some information about the area I had to go to the lady said that she only did reminders!
   CAROL


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## mikeyB (Jan 2, 2018)

Given the delays I have had in Diabetes clinics in England - sometimes up to an hour and a half late - I fail to see how this is a cost. More of a bonus, I would have thought. I remember sitting there praying for no-shows.


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## Sprogladite (Jan 2, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> Given the delays I have had in Diabetes clinics in England - sometimes up to an hour and a half late - I fail to see how this is a cost. More of a bonus, I would have thought. I remember sitting there praying for no-shows.


My record was a 4 and a half hour wait. About 10 years ago, but still! Lol


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## Amigo (Jan 2, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> Given the delays I have had in Diabetes clinics in England - sometimes up to an hour and a half late - I fail to see how this is a cost. More of a bonus, I would have thought. I remember sitting there praying for no-shows.



I must admit, that thought occurred to me too Mike! They always overbook but I appreciate no shows are a nuisance.


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## HOBIE (Jan 3, 2018)

Been T1 for a long time & never missed an App .


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## trophywench (Jan 3, 2018)

Oh I have Hobie - however only the ones the NHS neglected to tell me I had!

When Pete was waiting to hear when they were whipping his prostate out (since he had to have blood tests a couple of days before the op) he got a letter with an unexpected urology apt.  Oh well, we went.  Consultant said he couldn't see his blood test results, Pte explained he'd been told to have it just before the Op.  Urologist said, well yeah, cos you're on my list to operate on tomorrow! - of which we were clueless.

Anyway they cancelled it twice after that so it was a couple of months before they did it.  Nothing urgent like, only cancer ......


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## grainger (Jan 4, 2018)

My hospital sends me texts the week and day before reminding me plus mentions how much I’ll cost them if I miss it! 

Not missed one yet


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## mikeyB (Jan 4, 2018)

I get automated telephone reminders as well as texts. And phone reminders from hospital transport, or texts from Alan the taxi man. Yet still, if there’s bad weather, the ferries may not be running. I’ve had one appointment changed three times in winter.


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## Lisa66 (Jan 4, 2018)

I had a voice mail message from NHS appt reminder service this morning, with a telephone number to ring and a reference number to quote. I don't have any type of appointment until May. I rang the number, tapped in the reference when prompted to get the automated reply that this reference was not recognised. Did this a couple more times, rechecked voicemail then tried again, then opted for option 2 (for those that don't have a reference number) when prompted, to be told if I haven't responded, I may be contacted again. Thank you, goodbye! All automated, no other options to ring, nobody to actually check with or speak to!


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## trophywench (Jan 4, 2018)

You could try ringing whoever you are set to see in May, and see if they know owt about it, or the hospital concerned's switchboard with your hospital number, and ask them to check what appointments are on the hospital system?


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## Lisa66 (Jan 4, 2018)

Yes I did that Jenny. Took me a while to get through as numbered appeared out of order this morning, lovely helpful lady at appointments for Community Diabetes Service checked and said nothing in system for me other than my May appt...phew. Just frustrating sometimes when you can't speak to a proper person. So can only think they rang me in error. At least I hopefully haven't forgotten something.


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## Lisa66 (Jan 4, 2018)

First few words aren't meant to sound as curt as I've just realised they appear, sorry Jenny.


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## trophywench (Jan 5, 2018)

I didn't infer curtness anyway Lisa - takes much more than that to offend me!


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## Hepato-pancreato (Jan 8, 2018)

Always run late my pancreas clinic appts. 1 hour late is good. They give you free tea from w.r.v.s. Liver clinic the same this is at the main city hospital.On one occasion the whole clinic was cancelled because computer wasn’t working. My file is 6 inches thick what’s that about. Never the less the whole place was angry. If someone dosn’t turn up how can it cost money. What about  guessing 200 + patients who travelled to clinic but were turned away because computers were down. That cost the patients time and money.


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## mikeyB (Jan 8, 2018)

Exactly right, HP. The worst that can happen if a patient doesn’t turn up is their notes don’t get sent through to the clinic. Big deal. And as you say, nobody thinks of the cost to the patients.

Love the new Avatar, by the way.


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## Hepato-pancreato (Jan 11, 2018)

The avatar is double entendre. I’m from up north so northern soul. Plus my wild youth spent at all nighters at Wigan casino. Totally agree mikey. I sometimes think the specialists are glad to see a few d.n.a’s on their list as it relives a little of the load of the overflowing clinics. I get letters all the time cancelling appointments to a future date sometimes 3 months later. Fair enough i’m At the stage of being monitored now as no more can be done surgically. But in the early days it wouldn’ have made much difference. I think they scaremonger by saying it costs £160 for a missed appointment. Please breakdown the cost then maybe then the public could understand why it costs money.


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## trophywench (Jan 11, 2018)

Saw the GP surgery nurse a week or so ago, at about 2 o'clock.  I've known her 'there' for years doing various nurse tasks so we always have a bit of chat along with the serious stuff.

That morning no less than FIVE of her patients DNA.  She couldn't start anything that would take more than 10 minutes, since if everyone else that day turned up on time, she'd then be late all day, and has to get away at X time because of picking her kids up from school so can't afford to run late.  Hence an entirely wasted morning for which the surgery would need to pay her, but in theory the NHS purse wouldn't pay the surgery for whatever checks she was unable to do for those patients - although I am a very small fish in the overall NHS sea, let's say I DNA for one of my diabetes checks, so they were unable to tick the box that says they tickled my toes.  On the basis that they only get dosh for each one they physically do, they don't get that money.  So I've already cost them the wages of reception staff to make the booking, the paper and postage to confirm it and half an hour's wages for the nurse.  If I remake the apt - or they write and say Oy you! - that's MORE money it costs them, or at least the receptionist, nurse etc costs twice for exactly the same thing.  It all mounts up - and think of the premises costs just at a surgery, where they could have been earning money.  The costs of everyone and everything are multiplied hugely when it's a cardiologist, oncologist or surgeon's time at a hospital.

The £160 oft quoted is purely the average amount across the whole NHS.

Interestingly perhaps, to get ONE blood test (not a complicated one) done in an NHS lab costs £13 - and that doesn't include the phlebotomist or the consumables.  However the  premises, equipment, personnel and consumables all have to be available at the drop of a hat whenever required by one of the X million patients in that area, even if they aren't required very often.


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## Hepato-pancreato (Jan 11, 2018)

Don’t know how or why you would dna a gp appt. reason up north you have to ring ring ring ring ring redial redial from 8.00am to book an appointment. Perhaps 10 mins if your lucky later you might get said appointment


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## trophywench (Jan 11, 2018)

Is that just your surgery or is every single GP practice up north the same?


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## Hepato-pancreato (Jan 12, 2018)

My surgery other people’s surgeries in a different county. This has been the case for 10 years. When asked about it answer given government tell us to do it. As I always say it’s not national health. It’s postcode health.


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## pippaandben (Jan 12, 2018)

I am not at all surprised about the no show figures. Have you ever tried to contact your surgery/hospital/clinic to cancel an appt. Multiple choice options don't seem to apply and after being told for the umpteenth time how important my call is and quoting a www. address I can use (which I can't cos you cannot cancel an appt on it) you just give up. 20 minutes is my maximum for staying on hold. Should I charge them for my call?


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## Mark T (Jan 12, 2018)

My GP said he didn’t mind if people missed appointments, it meant he got a break to catch up with other stuff or grab a cuppa.
He said the real losers are the patients themselves who can’t get an appointment.


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 12, 2018)

The Radio 4 programme More or Less talked about this today.  It's available to download (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrss1/episodes/downloads, or at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05tpn4b or http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l2351).
They talked about outpatient appointments, (if I remember rightly, they also use the word clinics).  I take this is mean hospital appointments.  They said clinics are over booked, which means "empty" slots are filled.
An appointment costs £120 (nurses time, consumables such as gloves etc).  Howevery, they said a missed appointment wouldn't cost £120.  That would assume the nurse was stood around doing nothing, other than opening packs and throwing them away (gloves, plasters, bandages etc).


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 12, 2018)

As for GPs, at 9:20am (I had several appointments at this time) my old GP would be running 40 minutes late (I'd be waiting till 10am).


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