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Patients miss over four million GP practice appointments already this year

Patients miss over four million GP practice appointments already this year

Patients have missed over four million GP practice appointments this year, with the RCGP ‘pleading’ to patients to keep their practice informed of intentions to not attend.

According to data published by NHS Digital, nearly 4.5 million appointments were left unattended between January and April this year, with 1.04 million skipped in April alone.

Despite this, 91.8% of all 25.3 million appointments were attended last month, with 48.8% carried out by a GP. Just under 11 million took place  on the same day as they were booked.

Responding to the number of missed appointments, RCGP chair Professor Martin Marshall asked that patients keep practices informed, so teams can reschedule or offer a consultation to other patients.

He said: ‘Practice teams work hard to ensure patients are aware of their appointments by sending reminders by text and email or encouraging them to manage their appointments online or through the NHS app.

‘Our plea is for patients who are able to, and who no longer need their appointment, to contact the surgery as soon as they can to let them know they won’t be attending, so that consultations can be offered to other patients.’

However, he warned that the greater barrier affecting patients’ access to GP services is the workload pressures facing practice teams.

He urged the Government to deliver on its pledge to get 6,000 more GPs and 26,000 wider practice members working by 2024.

Health secretary Sajid Javid previously admitted that the Government will not fulfil its election pledge to recruit those GPs.

Recent data from NHS Digital indicated that 16,780 staff have been hired into ARRS roles since March 2019 and are now working as part of the wider practice team.

Last week, the Government cited the data in claiming it is ‘on track’ to deliver on its manifesto commitment.

However, the 18,200 figure it gave includes around 1,400 staff who were not employed under the ARRS, despite the scheme standing as the structure for meeting the target.

A version of this article was first published by Pulse’s sister title Healthcare Leader


          

READERS' COMMENTS [1]

Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles

Patrufini Duffy 7 June, 2022 5:27 pm

All you have to do is link the NHS number to the NI number and deduct payment each time. Then reinvest in public services.

But you won’t.

My billion dollar idea. No quibbles then. And plentiful capacity.