Missed hospital appointments cost health trust more than £5m

City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation trust has lost more than £5million in a year due to thousands of patients not turning up to appointments, figures show.

Data from NHS England shows that in the 12 months to September 2018, 44,437 people either did not show up for an outpatient appointment at the trust, or arrived too late to be seen.

With the NHS struggling for funds amid budget cuts and increased demand, the British Medical Association (BMA) said it was crucial appointments are not wasted while the health service is “under incredible stress”.

The average outpatient appointment costs the NHS £120, according to the latest resources cost data.

This means that the 44,437 missed sessions cost City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust about £5.33million.

Hospital chiefs say that patients who cannot make appointments should cancel them as soon as they can.

Dr Sean Fenwick, director of Operations at City Hospitals Sunderland and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “The NHS is under increasing pressure as never before and it is vital that patients and the public use health services responsibly to ensure that care is readily available for everyone who needs it and that no appointments are wasted.

“We understand that there are circumstances where patients are unable to attend appointments for genuine reasons and it is important for patients to let us know so we can offer a suitable alternative and give the original appointment to someone else who needs it.

“While missed appointments clearly have a financial impact on the NHS, most importantly there is also a detrimental impact for patients if they do not receive the care that they need.”