TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY, 2016

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New outpatient appointment reminder service

NHS Tayside has introduced a new automated patient reminder service to help reduce the number of missed outpatient appointments.

In 2015 there were 159,000 missed appointments in NHS Tayside which is 11.4% of the total number of appointments arranged. The cost of an appointment will vary depending on the type of outpatient clinic being accessed and the individual patient requirements, but NHS Scotland estimates that each missed appointment costs the NHS approximately £120.

The new automated service will call patients to remind them of the date, time and venue of their outpatient appointment and give them the opportunity to cancel or reschedule if necessary. Patients should be aware that when a call is sent it will come from a 0800 number so if they receive one of these calls it may be in relation to an appointment.

Reducing the Did Not Attend (DNA) rate is part of NHS Tayside’s new ‘Value Your NHS’ campaign which encourages patients, carers, staff and the general public to make the best use of the services we provide to ensure we can continue to deliver person-centred, safe and effective treatment and care into the future.

Dr Gavin Main, Associate Medical Director for Access with NHS Tayside, said “We would urge people to contact us as soon as possible if, for any reason, they are unable to attend hospital appointments or outpatient clinics. This allows us to reduce wasted appointments by giving someone else the original appointment, and rearranging a more suitable date and time for patients.

“People should also make sure that they keep their GP up-to-date with their correct phone number and address details.”

This new service is one of a number of initiatives NHS Tayside has put in place to reduce the DNA rate.

The Renal Department has had an automated telephone reminder service for a number of years and the new patient reminder service is being rolled out across Tayside following a successful trial within Dundee Dental Hospital and Tayside Substance Misuse Service.

Notes to Editors – Value Your NHS

Value Your NHS is a campaign for NHS staff, patients and their families, carers and the general public to engage and inform around the challenges that the NHS faces over the coming years. These challenges include an increasingly ageing population with longer life expectancy, increasing numbers of people with long-term and multiple conditions, increasing costs and growing demand for services combined with continuing pressures on public finances.

NHS Tayside is committed to making the best use of public money while ensuring we continue to deliver person-centred, high quality and effective care to our patients. Value Your NHS will encourage the general public and our staff to also make the best use of these resources, to ensure we are able to continue to deliver sustainable healthcare into the future.

As part of the campaign, we are asking staff, patients and the public to tell us what the NHS means to them and their families. We are asking them to take a photo of themselves making a ‘hand heart’ and saying why they value NHS Tayside by tweeting or posting on Facebook using the hashtag #lovenhstayside.

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718