12 July 2010
Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals are extending the reminder service they offer to patients, as people failing to turn up to their appointments continues to cost the Trust millions of pounds per year.
Earlier this year, the Trust launched a messaging service which sends a text message to patients reminding them of their appointment details approximately one week before they are due in to the hospital.
Now, as part of the ongoing challenge to reduce the number of people who do not attend their appointments, the Trust has launched a new telephone service which calls patients - reminding them of their appointment and confirming their attendance.
Charlotte Hamilton is Deputy Director of Operations and she is spearheading the Trust's work in this area. She said: "Our aim is to ensure as many patients as possible receive the care that they need. By providing a reminder, we can help those patients who may have forgotten their appointment and also make it easier for patients who wish to cancel or rearrange their appointment to do so.
"Missed appointments are disruptive to our services and very costly. It's also inconvenient for patients who do turn up, as they could have been seen in an earlier time slot.
"It has never been easier to get in touch with us and let us know if you need to cancel or change your appointment. We understand that people live busy lives and sometimes, other things do come up. But, by letting us know if you can't make an appointment, we can see other patients more quickly and can reduce our costs dramatically. Each missed appointment costs the Trust approximately £126."
Clinical Director for Specialty Medicine Steve Hyer added "In our directorate the overall non-attendance rate in clinics is running over 7% and in some of our specialties, there are clinics where more than 10% of all appointments are unused because patients failed to attend. This is inefficient because other patients could have been seen in these appointment slots. Any measures that can improve attendances are to be welcomed."
The telephone calls are made using automated telephone calls and calls made by staff at a UK-based call centre. The service is easy to use, and by following the instructions in the telephone call, you will be able to confirm who you are before being given your appointment details. You can then press the appropriate button on your telephone to confirm, cancel or rearrange your appointment.
The service is free of charge for those who wish to participate and if you do not wish to receive a call or text, opting out is simple. To opt out of the service, you will need to call our appointments centre on 020 8296 2968. Calls to this number are charged at a standard rate.
Patients can also change or cancel their appointments by calling the appointments centre direct on 020 8296 2968 or by visiting the Trust's online appointments centre.
