SURGERIES are suffering badly from people failing to keep appointments.

A Liberal Democrat councillor has urged patients to let their medical practice know if they are unable to keep their appointments, in view of the large number of missed appointments being recorded throughout the area covered by the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership.

Cllr Tim Brett, a member of the Partnership, highlighted the problem: “I recently received information from my local surgery, which showed that in the last three months a total of 130 patients did not attend appointments.

“All patients who have provided a mobile number receive two text reminders, the first when the appointment is made and the second about two hours before it is due.

“Patients who need to cancel can reply at any time to the reminder, which will automatically cancel the appointment, but there is also online and a 24 hour automated telephone service, as well as simply speaking to the practice’s receptionists.

“Unfortunately, though, despite the reminders and all the cancellation options, the numbers of patients who do not keep their appointments is still far too high, and this is doubtless replicated at surgeries throughout Fife.”

Cllr Brett hoped that patients would take note and let the surgeries know if they cannot or no longer need to attend so that the appointments can be re-allocated and warned.

He added: “This huge waste of NHS resources is very frustrating for the medical and nursing staff .”

Cllr Brett urged everybody to consider the current pressures upon the NHS and concluded: “If patients find they are unable to keep their appointments, they should let the practice know.”