NHS Wales missed hospital appointment £10 fine idea

A £10 fine for patients who frequently miss NHS hospital appointments in Wales would be introduced by the Conservatives if they win power at next year's assembly elections.

New figures show 1.2m appointments were missed at Welsh hospitals alone in the last three years.

The party said that wastes time and costs the NHS around £60m a year.

The health minister said a fine would be complicated to bring in, while GP bodies criticised the plan.

The figures do not include missed GP appointments, but an inquiry last year by the assembly's public accounts committee found patients failed to turn up for more than one in 10 GP appointments - up to 600,000 per year.

This map shows the number of missed hospital appointments over three years and the costs

It estimated missed hospital appointments have cost the NHS more than £180m since 2012/13.

The Conservatives said they would bring in a pilot scheme - charging irresponsible patients who miss NHS hospital appointments a small contribution towards the resources wasted.

The highest number of missed hospital appointments was in the Cardiff and Vale health board area, where there were almost 100,000 last year.

Research by BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme also suggested there had been a significant increase in the number of children's hospital appointments missed over the last two years - up by more than a third in Powys and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board areas.

A poll on the health service for ICM Research/BBC Wales earlier this year found 81% of people backed the idea of a fine for those who missed GP or hospital appointments.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Health Darren Millar AM accused the Welsh government of doing nothing to get to grips with the problem.

"We all have a right to use the NHS but we must do so responsibly," he said.

"While some people who miss appointments do so through no fault of their own, the reality is that many do not."

He said as well as wasting time and money it could have potentially harmful outcomes for those who fail to turn up.

'Warning signs'

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said of a fine: "It's a superficially attractive idea but the minute you start to examine the detail, it crumbles.

"Would it include children, vulnerable pensioners, people with learning disabilities? If the answer is no, you see how complicated it could be."

He said it could lead to the "perverse result" of people not turning up to see a GP and going to accident and emergency units instead.

Mark Drakeford said many surgeries had a text message service to remind patients about appointments

Dr David Bailey, deputy chair of the British Medical Association's Welsh GP committee, said: "The relationship between GP and patient is a lifelong one - and damaging that by petty little charges really doesn't seem to me to be the right way forward.

"When you want somebody to be your advocate and you give your trust - the last thing you want is for him or her to charge you a tenner."

The Royal College of General Practitioners said it disagreed with charging patients for appointments, under any circumstances.

"Introducing a charge for appointments would fundamentally change one of the founding principles of general practice - that healthcare is free at the point of need," said a spokesman.

"Missed appointments can be frustrating but in many cases there are valid reasons for patients not being able to attend - and they can be warning signs that something more serious is wrong."