Every GP, nurse, and blood test appointment costs the NHS money — and when patients don’t attend without cancelling, that money is lost, along with the opportunity to care for someone else.
Here’s a rough breakdown of NHS costs:
- GP appointment: around £30–£40
- Practice nurse appointment: around £15–£25
- Blood test appointment: around £10–£15
When patients don’t attend and don’t cancel, that appointment slot goes unused. It can’t be offered to another patient in need — and the NHS still foots the bill.
At our surgery, just a few missed appointments each week can easily waste several hundred pounds of NHS funding. On top of this, it increases waiting times for other patients and adds pressure to already stretched services.
What You Can Do
If you can’t attend your appointment, please cancel as soon as possible — even short notice is better than no notice.
It’s quick and easy:
- Call 01344 773418 and press 3 to cancel without queuing to speak to a Receptionist.
By cancelling, you’re helping us:
- Offer the slot to someone else
- Reduce NHS waste
- Keep waiting times down
Thank you for doing your part to protect NHS resources.