Dear Patient,
To improve efficiencywe are reviewing the impact missed patientappointment, and late appointments, has on our ability to see patients in a timely manner.
Missed appointments (where we receive no notice that a patient is unable to attend a confirmed appointment) results in a large amount of wasted time for our services.
In one service we counted the number of times this happens, and found over a three month period that 490 hours, or 245 appointments were missed. These appointments could have been offered to other patients if we had been told that the patient could no longer attend.
Currently, when someone misses an appointment we offer them another appointment. This has an impact on other people waiting for an appointment, by making their wait longer.
We appreciate patientsmiss appointments for many valid reasons and we want to understand what we can do to reduce the number of times this happens.
We would be grateful if you would spend just five minutes completing the attached survey and then placing it in the collection box at reception or handing it into someone from the service.
Yours sincerely,
Jane Impey
NSCP Operational Support Manager
Clinic Appointment Questionnaire – January 2018
Please try to answer all questions (question 6 is only relevant for some people) by ticking the answer which most closely matches your view, or writing in the “other” section
1. Would you find it useful to receive a text message reminder of your appointment (please tick the appropriate answer/s)?
Yes
No
2. Would you find it interesting to see the number of missed appointments in a month, and where would you like to see this information (please tick the appropriate answer/s)?
No, not useful
Information posters at clinics
Information added to booking letter
Other…………………………………………..
3.For patients that miss appointments do you think it appropriate for us to discharge them back to their GPs(please tick the appropriate answer/s)?
Yes
No
If your answer is no, what do you think is an appropriate course of action?
Comments…
4. If a patient is late for an appointment, how long would you feel it is appropriate for us to still see that patient (many appointments are only 30 minutes long)? Please tick the appropriate answer/s
Should not see patients that are late
5 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
Other………………………………………………………….
5. Do you have any suggestions as to how we can reduce the number of missed appointments?
Comments……………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. Finally, if you have ever missed an appointment (if you have cancelled the appointment i.e. rang up and informed the service you would not be attending do not answer this question) what was your reason for not attending (please tick the appropriate answer/s)?
Location of the appointment
Not sure why you had an appointment
Forgot the appointment
Feeling better so the appointment was no longer required
Not feeling well on the day/in hospital
Other ……………………………………………………………………………….
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire
Please return this questionnaire to the reception of the clinic you attended or post to: Jane Impey, NSCP, 2nd Floor, Castlewood, Tickenham Rd, Clevedon, BS21 9AX