Time to fine patients who fail to turn up for GP or hospital appointments – Yorkshire Post Letters

I WRITE to express my deep concern regarding the cavalier conduct of those persons being treated by the National Health Service in this county.

The other day, I attended the Medical Centre at Mowbray Court in Harogate for a check-up on my eyes.

Patients miss 63,080 appointments with Leeds NHS trust

I was seen before my allotted appointment as two patients hadn’t turned up nor had they apologised.

This means that the staff had their time wasted and the NHS incurred unnecessary costs which I am sure are not insignificant.

Ministers demand action to cut toll of missed NHS appointments

I have also experienced this at the York Hospital, a familiar tale of non-attendance with the consequent costs being incurred and the time of highly-trained staff being wasted.

As a patient, surely it is only courteous to apologise in good time if you are unable to attend so that the appointment slot
can be offered to another patient?

Perhaps we should consider copying the NHS dental surgeons’ model, in that a charge be levied for non-attendance without apology or without good reason.

I appreciate that this may prove controversial and that a cacophony of protest will erupt; but something simply must be done to ease some of the burden on the NHS.