Missed and Wasted Appointments

Posted by: sarahchalmers - Posted on:

Throughout March to the end of May, the number of appointments offered by the practice was 12,131

Of those, 11,432 were attended as planned.

Unfortunately,  699 were booked and then not attended, often on the same day they were booked!!

Did you know: This is equal to 1 GP’s day being fully booked then wasted for a total of 23 days in a row!!!


How this affects us

Our Practice Reception Team is increasingly being faced with abuse and backlash if they are unable to offer an appointment when safe clinical capacity for the day is reached.

We, and our patients, then have to deal with –

Wasted Time: GPs and staff prepare for each appointment in advance.
Longer Waits: Missed slots could be used by other patients in need.

Financial Cost: Each missed appointment costs the NHS around £30–£40.
System Strain: It puts additional pressure on already stretched NHS service

What Can You Do?

Can’t attend? Let us know as soon as possible—even short notice helps.
Cancel online via our website or the NHS App—it’s fast and easy.
Set reminders on your phone or calendar so you don’t forget.