MORE than 31,000 GP appointments were missed across Wiltshire’s 55 practices between July and November last year, new figures reveal.

The number equates to more than 1,033 days of general practitioner time.

Dr Peter Jenkins, the chairman of Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We are urging patients to cancel their appointments if they are no longer required, or if they are unable to attend.

Practices will then be able to offer these appointments to other patients who need them and it will help to reduce waiting times.

“The number of missed appointments across Wiltshire averages around 6,000 every month, a shocking statistic that is exacerbated during the winter months when practices typically face an increase in patient demand for appointments.” Peter said.

Known as ‘did not attends’, missed appointments have a huge impact on the health economy, prevent other patients from being seen and waste the time of the ever-stretched doctors and nurses providing care.

In Wiltshire, this boils down to a potential 6,000 patients missing out on an opportunity to be seen each month.

According to many GPs, an average doctor will carry out about 30 appointments a day but when appointments are missed, those most in need do not get the chance to have medical attention.

The CCG is urging people to cancel their unwanted appointments by calling their practice as missed appointments result in a waste of time for the practice staff and can incur costs.

The problem of missed GP appointments is believed to be the same across Swindon, although Swindon’s Clinical Commissioning Group does not collate the figures for missed appointments there in the same way as Wiltshire.