Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the cost to the NHS of missed appointments without prior notice.

Many general practices make patients aware of the cost of missed appointments through information displayed in practice waiting rooms or via other channels. Patients are encouraged to attend booked appointments by text messages and other means of communication that remind them about appointments.

NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to focus on improving access to services to ensure patients can access an appointment at a time and in a way that is most convenient to them, including via face to face, online or telephone consultations. Projects to increase appointment compliance are locally led by National Health Service trusts/providers.