Overview

• A survey of over 5,000 patients revealed that travel difficulties, communication issues, and anxiety are major factors in missed NHS appointments.
• Half of the respondents cited transportation challenges as a reason for missing appointments, with public transport costs and long distances being significant barriers.
• The NHS is trialing artificial intelligence and partnerships with services like Uber to help reduce the number of missed appointments.
• Missed appointments in London alone have cost nearly a billion pounds over four years, with some hospitals losing over £160 million.
• Health Secretary Wes Streeting is considering fining patients for missed appointments, a proposal previously suggested by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.