21.12.15
Scotland ‘must be innovative’ as 17,000 patients miss over five appointments a year
The Scottish Government is being urged to find more innovative ways of reminding patients to attend medical consultations after it emerged that almost 17,000 people failed to show up to appointments at least five times last year.
Using data obtained through Freedom of Information requests, the Scottish Conservatives revealed that in addition to the 17,000 ‘did not attends’ (DNAs) five or more times, 14,000 people failed to show up four times, with more than double that number not attending three times.
Nearly 100,000 missed two appointments, with the number ballooning to 400,000 when considering just one appointment.
Scotland’s health service has previously calculated that each DNA costs the NHS around £120.
Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson MP, said: “Missing a hospital appointment can happen to anyone, and for a range of reasons. But when you’re getting to the point where you are missing five or more in the space of just a year, something really has to be done.
“That is costing the NHS thousands of pounds, wreaking havoc with hospital planning, and of course potentially harming the health of the patient involved. We’ve been critical of the NHS in the past for cancelling appointments and procedures, so it’s only fair we do everything we can to make sure patient no-shows are limited too.”
As a solution, Davison said the country’s NHS has to “find ways to ensure people turn up… and stop showing contempt for our NHS, doctors and nursing staff”.
The party has previously recommended that those who ditch appointments a certain number of times could face some sanction from the health board.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has also declared he is in favour of charging patients who miss appointments in England, suggesting the cost would ensure people take greater responsibility for the use of precious NHS resources. Missed GP and hospital appointments are estimated to cost the health service nearly £1bn each year.
But he said this would be difficult to enforce.
Scotland’s health secretary, the SNP’s Shona Robison MSP, said the percentage of patients missing their appointments has decreased slightly over the last five years, but agreed: “The Scottish Government is committed to supporting health boards to deliver secure messaging services, including reminders.
“Health Scotland also recently published a report looking at those who did not attend appointments over a 10 year period from 2002-3 to 2011-12. We welcome this report which will provide boards with further learning on the issue of non-attendance.”