NHS ‘must work harder to eliminate missed appointments’

A new Department of Health report has highlighted the importance of ensuring that innovative new methods of reducing the number of missed NHS appointments are implemented.

Last year, the health service was able to slash the number of missed outpatient appointments by more than 250,000, but the total for 2011/12 still came to 5.5 million, equating to more than one-tenth of all appointments.

Health minister Simon Burns noted that the NHS Constitution lays out responsibilities for patients to ensure they keep appointments or cancel within a reasonable time.

It was also observed that many hospitals are succeeding in getting around the problem by sending text messages to patients before appointments or seeing them via Skype.

Mr Burns said: "It is important that people realise that not turning up for their agreed appointments means other patients' care might be delayed and doctors' and nurses' time could be wasted, costing taxpayers money."

Earlier this month, figures from the NHS Information Centre revealed that the number of qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff has fallen by more than 4,800 since April 2010 – a trend that the Royal College of Nursing believes will place further strain on services.