Léa Surugue asks why patients don’t show up to appointments and how to ensure greater attendance levels.
DNA, or “did not attend”: the note no clinician wants to record against a patient’s name. But, over the last decade, healthcare professionals have reported a growing number of missed appointments.
The proportion of attended appointments in the UK has declined from 79.8% in 2010-11 to 77% in 2020-21 (NHS Digital, 2021). There are public health repercussions – patients not receiving the follow-up they need – and economic ones, as they put financial strain both on hospital services and on private practices (Parsons et al, 2021).
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The College of Optometrists was invited to provide evidence at the parliamentary hearing on the Safer Screen Bill, a private member’s bill aimed at protecting children’s rights and well-being in the digital age.