Every 'no show' appointment costs trust £100 (From Daily Echo)

Every 'no show' appointment costs trust £100

6:50pm Tuesday 29th June 2010 in

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NEARLY 15,000 people failed to show up to their hospital appointments across our major hospitals in just three months, new figures reveal.

The shocking numbers come as The Daily Echo continues its Turn Up or Tell ’Em campaign urging outpatients to keep their hospital appointments or cancel them in advance if they can’t turn up.

Just the latest batch of missed appointments, known as “Do Not Attends” (DNA), costs YOUR local NHS a staggering £1.5m.

That is based on Government figures that estimates each missed hospital appointment costs an average of £100 in wasted resources, including specialist equipment being booked, translators arranged and time spent by doctors, nurses and administrative staff waiting for patients who don’t turn up.

The latest Department of Health figures reveal that there were 10,972 DNAs recorded by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for running Southampton General and Princess Anne Hospitals between January and March.

Meanwhile Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust, responsible for running Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital and Andover War Memorial Hospital, had 3,855 DNAs.

Both hospital trusts, and the Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley, have backed our Turn Up or Tell ’Em campaign.

Since its launch, Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital has told people who miss their appointments without letting the hospital know they will not automatically be offered another one.

And bosses at Southampton General and Princess Anne Hospitals have launched a new online cancellation form.

A trust spokesman said: “Several hospital departments now send text messages to patients to remind them about their appointments. If patients cannot attend their appointment, we would urge them to let us know as soon as possible, either by telephone or by using our new online cancellation form.”

Patients for Southampton’s hospitals should call the number on their appointment letter or visit suht.nhs.uk/cancel.

Health bosses in Winchester say people who cannot attend their appointments should call the number on their appointment card in the first instance. However if they have lost it they should call the main switchboard on 01962 863535.

• For a copy of our poster for your hospital department, GP surgery, walk-in centre or health centre call Clare Kennedy on 023 8042 4500.