03.07.15
Health secretary in favour of charging for missed NHS appointments
The health secretary is in favour of charging patients who miss NHS appointments.
Jeremy Hunt made the comments on BBC1’s Question Time, suggesting the cost would ensure people take greater responsibility for the use of precious NHS resources.
However, he added that would be difficult to enforce.
"I think in practical terms it could be difficult to do, but I've taken a step towards that this week by announcing that when people do miss an appointment they will be told how much that's cost the NHS,” Hunt said.
It later emerged that the health secretary misspoke as no announcement had been made and Department of Health officials are in fact still working on the plan.
Figures releases by Hunt show that missed GP and hospital appointments cost the health service in England nearly £1bn a year.
Missed GP appointments cost the taxpayer £162m and missed hospital appointments cost £750m.
“We are very stretched for resources,” he said. “Doctors and nurses work incredibly hard and we are going to have a million more over-70s by the end of this parliament.
“If we are going to square the circle and have a fantastic NHS, despite all those pressures, then we have to take personal responsibility for the way that we use NHS resources.”
(Picture by: Neil Hall / PA Wire)
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