MORE than 30 hours of appointment time was lost in just one month at a Hampshire doctors surgery after patients failed to turn up.

Doctors at Alma Road Surgery say their already pressurised jobs are being made even harder by the ongoing issue.

In July, 30 hours and 30 minutes of booked appointment time was lost, due to residents not fulfilling their bookings.

“It is a common complaint that patients have to wait unduly long times to see their general practitioner,” said Dr Ian Keith said:

“Cause of these waits are numerous, including a lack of GPs and an increased demand in the health service.

“However, what Romsey residents may be interested to know is that during the month of July alone, some 30 hours, 30 minutes of appointment time was wasted at Alma Road Surgery by patients not keeping their booked appointments.“With respect to the doctors alone, just over 15 hours of their time was wasted when people did not keep their booked appointments.

“This equates to 91 individual appointments in the month which could have been taken by other patients if people advised is that they were not going to take up a previously booked time.

He added: “I think the message is if you want to see your doctor in a timely way, it pays to keep your appointment!”

After hearing the news, Romsey Cupernham councillor Dorothy Baverstock, blasted those who did not attend their appointments.

“You have to wait forever to get an appointments at your local surgery anyway, and to now hear that people are just not turning up is just absolutely taking the mickey,” she said.

“These people are absolutely abusing the system and should think about those in the town that desperately need appointments before not bothering to turn up.”

However, the councillor did say that both sides could play a part in making sure more patients turned up.

“At my dentist they always ring me up a day or so before to remind me about the appointment,” Cllr Baverstock added.

“Maybe a simple email or text reminded the day before would go a long way in helping this issue.

“And if people don’t respond, their appointment should be cancelled.”