Shropshire Star

80 no-shows a day at Shropshire hospitals

Around 80 patients a day are failing to turn up for appointments at Shropshire's two hospitals, shocking figures reveal today.

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The problem is costing the NHS millions of pounds in lost revenue.

Figures obtained by the Shropshire Star under the Freedom of Information Act show there had been 145,226 missed appointments at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford over the past five years.

This means that an average of 29,045 patients a year miss their hospital appointment and 559 patients fail to turn up every week.

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The figures do not include the number of cancelled appointments, according to The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

Health bosses today hit out at those who miss their appointments.

They say the problem is having a major impact on wasted NHS resources and waiting lists where appointments could have been offered to other patients.

The hospitals are targeting the problem by setting up automated reminders using text messages.

They say the use of mobile phones is cutting the number of wasted appointments but that patients must do their bit by not wasting resources.

NHS England said in March that more than 12 million GP appointments were missed each year, costing in excess of £162 million per year and 6.9 million outpatient hospital appointments were missed each year, costing an average of £108 per appointment in 2012/13.

Breakdown of the missed hospital appointments in Shropshire

Princess Royal Hospital, Telford:

  • 2014/15: 3,047 missed

  • 2013/14: 17,965 missed

  • 2012/13: 16,913 missed

  • 2011/12: 16,731 missed

  • 2010/11: 18,969 missed

  • Total missed appointments: 73,625

  • Total attended: 960,833

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury:

  • 2014/15: 3,150 missed

  • 2013/14: 18,799 missed

  • 2012/13: 16,791 missed

  • 2011/12: 14,430 missed

  • 2010/11: 18,431 missed

  • Total missed appointments: 71,601

  • Total attended: 1,464,674

Patients who miss hospital appointments have cost the NHS in Shropshire more than £15 million in the last five years.

Based on the average appointment cost from 2012/13 the Shropshire Star can reveal that an estimated £15,684,408 of NHS money has been wasted in the time period.

In reply to the Freedom of Information request, a spokesman for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said the exact cost of missed appointments could not be released as "the trust does not hold this information".

But with an average of 29,045 patients missing their hospital appointments in the county every year, NHS chiefs are urging residents to help cut the no-show figures .

Telford MP David Wright said: "This money could be used to abolish hospital parking fees or spent on medical equipment or direct patient care.

"People really must inform the hospital if they can't make their appointments. These figures are shocking and it is such a waste of valuable funding."

Technology is also being used to cut the numbers of missed GP and outpatient appointments. Earlier this year, the NHS began to roll out solutions which let patients check, book and cancel appointments at their own convenience and order repeat medication online.

  • Star comment: Patients not always a virtue

Andy Elves, Clinical Director for Patient Access and Outpatient Nursing Support at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: "We recognise that we need to make some improvements to our booking and scheduling systems. Whilst we have already made some improvements there is still more to do.

"We've recently implemented a new voice reminder service at the trust which reminds patients of their outpatient appointments and gives them the opportunity to rebook appointments if they so wish. This is already helping us to reduce the number of non-attendances."

He added: "The system also sends a text reminder to patients if we've been given a mobile phone contact. And all appointment letters are now barcoded, enabling us to track each letter to the patient's door.

"It is really important to us that you attend your appointment. However, if you can't, please do let us know so we can make that slot available to another patient."

Richard Caddy, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin CCG and Shropshire CCG, said: "Missed appointments at hospital do clearly waste NHS resources. There are significant financial implications for hospital trusts, with clinical time and specialist equipment and other resources that need to be paid for but go unused. However the costs are far more than financial.

"Every person who fails to turn up for an appointment has denied another patient the opportunity of receiving the care they need. The people who miss appointments could also be jeopardising their own health.

"Appointments that are not attended can lead to increased waiting lists, which in turn lead to delays to diagnosis and treatment, with health implications."

In an effort to get the message across to the wider public of the cost of missed appointments, the NHS is using Change Day 2014 to appeal to patients.

Change Day asks patients, staff and providers commit to one action that will improve care within the NHS.

This year, NHS England is encouraging patients to pledge to turn up to their appointments and help push no-show numbers as low as possible.

Beverley Bryant, spokeswoman for NHS England, said: "It's important that people realise that not turning up to appointments can have a big impact on the care and treatment we are able to give other patients. It wastes doctors' and nurses' time too, which costs taxpayers money.

"Patient care is always at the top of our agenda. That's why we are doing everything we can to make our service match with people's lifestyles and the technology they use, to give more people easy access to the services they need.

"We hope the public will do their bit too by making sure they attend or cancel appointments in good time."

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