Empty seats costing health trust dearly

As a result, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT), says this represents an enormous waste of the health budget and is having a detrimental impact on waiting times.

Now the Trust is appealing to patients to let them know if they cannot attend their outpatient appointment.

‘Did not attend’ (DNA) figures show that in 2012/2013, 4,520 patients failed to turn up for their appointments at a Northern Trust facility.

The Trust says it has has made significant headway in the last two years in reducing DNA’s by introducing a text messaging service to remind outpatients of their hospital appointments. This has resulted in fewer DNAs and allowed the Trust to re-allocate appointments helping the Trust to reduce waiting lists and see patients quicker.

Calum MacLeod, Interim Medical Director, said: “If you do not let us know that you are unable to attend we cannot re-allocate your appointment to someone else.

“If we know in advance that you cannot attend your appointment we can offer your appointment to another patient who is currently on our waiting list.

“The DNA rate impacts directly on how long patients wait to be seen. If such a high proportion of outpatient slots were not lost on patients who do not attend, sometimes repeatedly, waits for first outpatient appointments would reduce. “It’s really important that you try to attend your hospital appointment. If you have been asked to come and see us at the hospital it is because your doctor thinks you should see a specialist about your health and you may need some important treatment.

“It’s your appointment. Please take care to be there.”

If patients really can’t make their appointment, no longer need it or want to rearrange it as much notice as possible by calling the number on your appointment letter.

Alternatively, call the Northern Trust on 028 9442 4000 for transfer.