One in ten outpatient appointments missed at West Herts hospitals

One in 10 patients are failing to attend their outpatient appointments at west Hertfordshire hospitals, it has emerged.

According to data presented to West Herts Hospitals Trust bosses, just over 10 per cent of out-patients did not attend their appointments in August.

And, suggests the data, it’s been a similar picture since April, with a monthly average of no-shows running at nine per cent.

Every missed appointment impacts on waiting lists – which are already at record levels.

And after the meeting – on Thursday (October 7) – chief operating officer Sally Tucker highlighted the Trust’s use of text alerts and reminder calls, in a bid to cut the number of missed appointments.

To reassure any patients anxious about attending the hospital, she points to measures such as social distancing and one-way systems and the use of PPE.

And where waiting rooms are small, she says patients are asked to remain in their cars before their appointment.

But she says the failure of out-patients to show up to appointments pre-dates the emergence of Covid-19.

“Patients not attending outpatient appointments is an issue which existed before the pandemic and it’s one that affects all trusts,” she said.

“Missed appointments cost the NHS time and money and they are detrimental to other patients, as it extends their time on waiting lists.

“However, we know that people have busy lives so we have processes in place to help patients remember their appointments.”

In addition she says officials at Herts Valleys CCG are also helping by messaging patients to check that they are willing to attend a hospital-based appointment if a GP needs to make a referral.

Meanwhile, latest data presented to the board show that in August the number of patients who have been waiting for treatment for 52 weeks or longer increased to 800.

That’s slightly higher than the 789 recorded in July – but significantly lower than the 1,733 recorded in February (2021).