‘Get in touch if you’ve missed a hospital appointment’
Around one in 10 hospital appointments are missed every year in England, leading to wasted NHS resources.
The cost to the NHS of unused check-ups was estimated at £225million in 2012-13 and they result in worse patient care, inefficient use of hospital staff and increased waiting times.
A Herald investigation is looking at the price our local hospitals pay for missed appointments and which are the worst affected.
We would love to hear from readers about the reasons why patients fail to attend appointments. Did a letter get lost in the post? Was there an administrative error that left you fuming? Did your car break down? Or were there other genuine reasons why you, or a relative, simply could not get to the hospital?
To discuss your story, contact reporter Beth Sharp by emailing beth.sharp@archant.co.uk or by calling 01392 888503.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here