High cost to turn up
NEARLY 50 people a day are failing to turn up for GP appointments in Huddersfield - at a cost to the NHS of more than £50,000 a month.
NHS data reveals there were a total of 7,364 “no-shows” between January and May this year.
The figures only include face-to-face appointments with GPs - and not video or telephone appointments, or appointments with nurses or other members of practice staff. The NHS estimates that each missed GP appointment costs the taxpayer £36.
That means noshows in Huddersfield cost £265,104 over the five-month period.
Dr Steve Ollerton, Clinical Leader of Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group (GHCCG) and a GP in Skelmanthorpe said: “Missed appointments have a big impact on patients and practices.
“We often hear that people struggle to get an appointment with their GP, so when a patient forgets, or doesn’t turn up because they can’t make it or no longer need it, it means that other people can’t be seen and a GP’s time is wasted.
“Every GP practice offers online access for patients to manage their appointments. “This saves a call to the practice and can be done at any point of the day or night. In Huddersfield 34% of patients are currently using this method, which is higher than the national average. “Dr Ollerton continued: “As we move into the winter months it’s really important that we access the right service. “Your local pharmacists can offer advice quickly, where you do not need an appointment, and if you do need to see a GP, appointments are available at times that are suitable to fit around our busy lives, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.” The data, for the area covered by the GHCCG suggests 4% of pre-booked GP appointments end with the patient failing to turn up. That works out as one in every 25 appointments. Overall, there were 187,119 face-toface appointments booked with GPs in Greater Huddersfield in the year to May. In 175,377 cases the patient turned up, while in 7,364 they did not. An outcome was not recorded for the remaining 4,378 appointments. Across England, the data shows there were nearly 2.2 million missed face-toface appointments with GPs between January and May, costing the NHS an average of £15.7 million a month. Alto-
When a patient forgets or doesn’t turn up, it means that other people can’t be seen.