Patients who miss multiple GP appointments are being wrongly portrayed as "irresponsible" and fining them for no-shows would only make the situation worse, a researcher has warned. Dr Calum Lindsay, who is leading a major study at Glasgow University investigating the causes and possible remedies for missed appointments, said the shift towards more telephone triage and phone and video consultations was also likely to be aggravating the problem. Missed GP appointments cost surgeries in Scotland tens of millions of pounds a year, with some practices implementing initiatives such as sending text reminders to patients' phones.
READ MORE: Number of private GP clinics in Scotland increasing rapidly since pandemic Growth of two-tier healthcare 'beyond question', warns BMA Scotland leader Delayed discharge: The beds crisis behind an unravelling NHS The idea that patients should be fined for no-shows in the NHS has been repeatedly raised, including by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who previously suggested £10 penalties. However, the Glasgow University study - published in the journal, BMC Medicine - found that a wide range of obstacles are preventing people from engaging with healthcare, and urges a shift away from the view that it is primarily caused by forgetfulness or irresponsible patient behaviour. They found that the patients most likely to miss appointments tended to experience anxiety, worry, shame or embarrassment about their health , and may not feel their problems could be sol.
