HEALTH chiefs in Hampshire have been overwhelmed by the support of people rallying to the cause to help fight a crisis caused by 6,300 people failing to turn up to GP appointments in Southampton.

But they insist there is more to do to ensure people do not waste valuable NHS time and resources by missing slots at already-stretched doctors’ surgeries.

The Daily Echo launched its Turn Up or Tell ‘Em campaign after revealing the cost of how those failing to show up deprive other injured and sick patients the chance to see a doctor or nurse and adds pressure on staff.

Politicians, surgeries and even a bus company are among those who have got on board to spread the message.

Now heads of NHS Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are urging more people to do all they can to keep appointments or to let surgeries know if they are unable to make it.

Dr Sue Robinson, GP and CCG chairwoman, said: “It's great to be working with the Daily Echo and GP practices in the city, to raise awareness of missed appointments, and we really appreciate their support.

"We want to work with the public to make sure people can see GPs as soon as possible, so we’re trying to make it easier for people to cancel unwanted appointments.

She urged people to visit their surgeries to registering online and said: “This means people can book and cancel appointments and also order their repeat prescriptions at the click of a button and at a time that suits them.

“The service doesn’t replace traditional methods of booking appointments and requesting repeat prescriptions, it complements them. It means that people without a computer, or those who do not want to use online services, can still call or visit the surgery.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, 6,300 appointments were missed in Southampton in December 2015 which cost the health service £140,000.

The statistics were revealed in a survey carried out by the CCG.

The Turn Up or Tell ‘Em campaign reveals the cost of how those failing to show up deprives other injured and sick patients the chance to see a doctor or nurse and adds pressure to an already stretched NHS.

On average each appointment costs £23.

Across the country 61,000 appointments are lost every day by patients not bothering to showing up.

That is the equivalent in time to a year’s work for 1,300 doctors and costs the NHS more than £300million.

It comes at a time when the health service is struggling with a funding crisis and a shortage of GPs due to doctors retiring and leaving the service faster than they can recruit.