[LeatherTrumpet]

Spoiler:

£1,000,000,000

According to NHS Digital figures, patients in England did not attend almost eight million hospital outpatient appointments in 2016/17 – or 6.7 per cent of appointments.

NHS England has said because each hospital outpatient appointment costs the NHS around £120, that means almost £1 billion worth of appointments were missed.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...abuse-service/

I wonder how much more money is wasted by abuse like this and by what sector of society?

[arista]

Yes they must fine all that miss appointments.

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Spoiler:

£1,000,000,000

According to NHS Digital figures, patients in England did not attend almost eight million hospital outpatient appointments in 2016/17 – or 6.7 per cent of appointments.

NHS England has said because each hospital outpatient appointment costs the NHS around £120, that means almost £1 billion worth of appointments were missed.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...abuse-service/

I wonder how much more money is wasted by abuse like this and by what sector of society?

This was debated on TV the other day,the NHS is NOT underfunded just very much mismanaged by the management and top bosses who are abusing it a lot.The money is not going to where it's needed most.

[Matthew.]

when i was at the doctors having blood taken on tuesday, i noticed a sign saying that over 19 hours worth of appointments had been wasted over the course of a month because people weren’t going to them

[Cal.]

Shocking.

Missed appointments should get you a fine.

[parmnion]

We really do have to take a long look at ourselves.

You can add onto that the cost of having to put bodycams on our front line emergency personell because idiots assault them while they are trying to help people.

[Maru]

Does the NHS reimburse doctors for that time? In the US, they make up with rushed visits... to make up lost revenue... that is why some offices have a charge. Obviously it affects other patients in the end.

[LukeB]

Originally Posted by Cal.

Shocking.

Missed appointments should get you a fine.

It should indeed, dentists do that.

[Northern Monkey]

Been trying to cancel a docs appointment for two days last week.No ****er will answer the phone so that’ll be another £120 down the drain

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Been trying to cancel a docs appointment for two days last week.No ****er will answer the phone so that’ll be another £120 down the drain

I usually slam the phone down cause they can never understand me, i might make an effort if thats how much its going to cost.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Maru

Does the NHS reimburse doctors for that time? In the US, they make up with rushed visits... to make up lost revenue... that is why some offices have a charge. Obviously it affects other patients in the end.

The doctors will be salaried Maru, they'll get paid their salary (plus any overtime) whether they've seen 5 patients in an hour or sat playing Minesweeper.

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

The doctors will be salaried Maru, they'll get paid their salary (plus any overtime) whether they've seen 5 patients in an hour or sat playing Minesweeper.

I can see negative consequences to that as well... But in general, I think most doctors value the work they do and work very hard. I have had to deal with a lot of run-around though... but I think that would be anywhere really. Doctors detest problems they can't actually solve. Good to hear the UK has a system that works for them, but they should probably charge a fee for late visits or no shows... especially for specialists or whatever that equivalent is there.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Maru

I can see negative consequences to that as well... But in general, I think most doctors value the work they do and work very hard. I have had to deal with a lot of run-around though... but I think that would be anywhere really. Doctors detest problems they can't actually solve. Good to hear the UK has a system that works for them, but they should probably charge a fee for late visits or no shows... especially for specialists or whatever that equivalent is there.

I think there should be some me sort of consequence for simply not showing up without actually calling to cancel... Because I think most no-shows probably know well in advance that they aren't going to be there, but don't bother to call to say so because they don't think it's an issue. They should really make it that even if you're calling 20 minutes before an appointment to say your car has broken down, you should still call, because at least the doctor isn't sitting around waiting for someone and can get on with other work.

I'm unsure about fines straight away for "first timers" though, you don't want people being hesitant to see their doctor because of the possibility of messing up. Maybe a sort of "written warning" system with "repeat offenders" being fined... As I highly suspect that a large number of these missed appointments will be the same people missing multiple appointments. Though I'm not sure how possible it would be to enforce.

The bit in bold I agree with, I don't think there are many doctors who enjoy being paid to see fewer patients, and most are probably quite bored / frustrated when people don't show up because they do have plenty of other things they could have been getting on with.

You do also have some things where last minute cancellations are inevitable. Like vasectomies, where apparently there are a large number who get to the hospital car park, or even through the front door, and then turn on their heel and run home .

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I think there should be some me sort of consequence for simply not showing up without actually calling to cancel... Because I think most no-shows probably know well in advance that they aren't going to be there, but don't bother to call to say so because they don't think it's an issue. They should really make it that even if you're calling 20 minutes before an appointment to say your car has broken down, you should still call, because at least the doctor isn't sitting around waiting for someone and can get on with other work.

I'm unsure about fines straight away for "first timers" though, you don't want people being hesitant to see their doctor because of the possibility of messing up. Maybe a sort of "written warning" system with "repeat offenders" being fined... As I highly suspect that a large number of these missed appointments will be the same people missing multiple appointments. Though I'm not sure how possible it would be to enforce.

The bit in bold I agree with, I don't think there are many doctors who enjoy being paid to see fewer patients, and most are probably quite bored / frustrated when people don't show up because they do have plenty of other things they could have been getting on with.

You do also have some things where last minute cancellations are inevitable. Like vasectomies, where apparently there are a large number who get to the hospital car park, or even through the front door, and then turn on their heel and run home .

I've had last minute cancellations (I call), unless I've unintentionally forgot the visit... I had a doctor that never sent reminders, and I'd forget sometimes because I posted the appt 6 months ago... that said, I've never been charged for being late or missing, even though the fines are posted. I think they generally just charge those fees for those who abuse it. Not every single person who is late I think should be charged... but I think it's also a serious deterrent to just have the paper up in the waiting room with a dollar amount listed.

[Nicky91]

that is a lot of money, but then again NHS is a good cause so i don't mind

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Spoiler:

£1,000,000,000

According to NHS Digital figures, patients in England did not attend almost eight million hospital outpatient appointments in 2016/17 – or 6.7 per cent of appointments.

NHS England has said because each hospital outpatient appointment costs the NHS around £120, that means almost £1 billion worth of appointments were missed.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...abuse-service/

I wonder how much more money is wasted by abuse like this and by what sector of society?

Yes this has been a problem for a long time. How long does it take to make a phone call and cancel. Probably find many of the guilty ones are the same ones whining about the state of the NHS when they contribute to making it worse. I am all for fining people - after a first, second and third stroke and you will be fined approach.

And do you know it is not the elderly that are the worst offenders it is the young - 18 - 40s. Shame on them!

[bitontheslide]

what's a billion between friends

[smudgie]

My local hospital give you a call the week before your appointment to make sure you are still going, a nice little reminder.
If you can't make a doctors appointment then you should cancel, easy really.

[Vicky.]

When we get appointments here, if you are not triage-d as an emergency (they tend to triage kids whatever though, which is good) the appointments are for like..in a months time. Also our doctors stopped doing the text reminder things for appointments, so I can well imagine that a lot of appointments are missed. The hospital still do it though.

I actually got a letter bollocking me for missing an appointment and threatening to remove me from our GPs (I cannot register anywhere else, something to do with boundaries? I have tried to switch before because ours is seriously crap) when I cancelled the appointment weeks earlier. Had been booked in for a blood test,m but got a pain clinic appointment on the same day, and obviously pain clinic is more important plus if you cancel a pain clinic one, you tend not to get another for months and months as they are so busy. So I rang to cancel the blood test. Whoever took the call must have not done it right. My mobile automatically records all calls though with an app thing, so on my next appointment I let them hear the call, right after the GP started to whinge at me for missing an appointment. They couldn't be more apologetic after that

[Livia]

Originally Posted by arista

Yes they must fine all that miss appointments.

I agree with this.