Book Description
In 2005-06 some £259 million was spent on outpatient services in Northern Ireland. A perennial cause of inefficiency in the provision of these services has been patients' failure to attend appointments and the cancellation of clinics by Trusts. In September 2006 almost 15,000 consultant-led clinic sessions were cancelled and there were 200,000 cases of patients not attending. A survey found that some 10 per cent of outpatients are "not seen" through cancellation or non-attendance, an opportunity cost of £11.6 million. Health service managers and clinicians need to monitor non-attendance/cancellation rates closely, in order to clarify the factors influencing them, and to allow planning of effective strategies aimed at minimising any loss of time and resources. The report also notes that outpatient services run by healthcare professionals other than consultants are not covered in the weekly statistical management information currently collected: if these are included outpatient activity levels are twice that officially reported. Changes to the way in which patients and general practitioners access outpatient services are being implemented and they should reduce waiting times and have an impact on cancelled clinics and missed appointments.
