The NHS is facing daily costs of more than £1.4m a day due to millions of consultation slots being recorded as 'did not attends' this year. It comes as sick and frustrated patients complain at being unable to secure appointments, with waits of several weeks common for a non-urgent GP visit.
The cash-strapped NHS has seen almost almost four-and-a-half million consultation slots missed at a cost of £175million in 2022. Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP and clinical director, said such cases were “incredibly frustrating” when family doctors are under intense pressure, the Express reports.
Dr Jarvis said she supported in principle the idea of fining patients a small amount – such as £5 or £10 – for wasting doctors’ time. She said: “I’ve always been vehemently against the idea of fining people for using the NHS, but I think that’s very different to fining people for abusing the NHS."
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