Patients who do not attend their appointments are a major problem for the NHS.Cardiff and Vale UHB provides around 600,000 outpatient appointments each year but approx 60,000 of those end up being wasted because patients do not attend (DNA).
With each appointment costing on average £50 that means around £3 million a year in resource going to waste adding to pressure on waiting lists.
Dr Richard Evans, Divisional Director of Medicine, said: “It is terribly frustrating when patients do not attend their appointments. It means that time is lost, time that could be used to treat patients.
“Hopefully this pilot will help to reduce these instances allowing us to make sure that we are making the best possible use of our resources.”
Dr Kesh Baboolal, Director of Acute Hospital Services for Cardiff
“This pilot could help to drastically cut the number of DNAs, freeing up a huge amount of time that can be better used.
“However, it is important that patients realise that they have a key role to play tackling this problem and a duty to inform their outpatients department if they are unable to make their appointment, even if it is just shortly before.
“This pilot could make a real difference, but so too can patients in letting us know as soon as possible if they can’t make their appointment.”
