Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Patients urged to turn up
MISSED outpatient appointments could cost NHS Tayside in the region of £1 million a month, new figures have revealed.
And health chiefs in Tayside have urged the public to “do their bit” after revealing nearly 2,000 hospital appointments were missed last week – costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.
While there will be legitimate reasons for patients failing to turn up for appointments, it is thought concerns surrounding the pandemic could be playing a part.
NHS Tayside says the 1,846 missed outpatient appointments last week account for nearly 10% of all those booked.
Bosses claim the number of people not turning up is wasting NHS time, causing longer delays for others and adding to staff stress.
It is also costing the board money – previous estimates suggest each missed appointment costs about £151, meaning last week could have cost NHS Tayside about £278,000.
If reflected over the course of a month, it would mean the health service in the region losing more than £1 million.
Dr Pamela Johnston, operational medical director for NHS Tayside, is urging the public to stick to their bookings.
She said: “Missed appointments delay treatment and increase waiting times.
“There are lots of Covid-19 safety measures in place throughout our healthcare sites including fluid-resistant face masks, social distancing and hand hygiene stations.”
Dr Johnston is asking anyone who cannot attend an appointment to let the health board know as quickly as possible.
She added: “People should also make sure that their address and phone number is up-to-date with their GP practice.”