Come to your Appointments

So, since the “Great huff” that lead to me leaving my job and pretending that part-time new job is fine (“Yes, I don’t mind working ever Saturday” through gritted teeth), I have been doing some work at my local hospital’s Diabetes Centre helping in the clinics.
Yesterday there were 12 people on the clinic list. 4 of them didn’t turn up. That’s a 1/3. 33%. What is wrong with these people? It really isn’t that hard to phone us and tell us that you can’t make it. Other people could have had that appointment; there is a waiting list you know.
At the other clinics I have done, the same thing has happened. At least 10% don’t turn up.
Now, if it just happened at this clinic it would be ok. Well, when I say “ok” what I mean is quite annoying and a little bit costly. The thing is it happens in every clinic, in every hospital and in every GP’s surgery every day of the week (that they are open, obviously). It costs the NHS a rather large amount of money every year. In fact it costs them about £600 million per year.
You don’t have to come to your appointment, things happen; we understand that but please phone us to tell us. We’d like to know so that we can give that appointment to someone else. It is a remarkably selfish thing to do so stop it. Oh and as you didn’t turn up my afternoon was quite dull. Help to make my work life less dull, turn up for your appointments. Some sort of T-shirt slogan there I think.