Over 80,000 no shows for doctors’ appointments

Balearic public health service Ib-Salut had to cancel over 80,000 scheduled doctor’s appointments this year, because patients failed to turn up and in most cases didn’t even bother to call to cancel them.

Palma.—Health authorities yesterday urged local citizens to make the  effort to cancel their appointments with reasonable notice if they know they are not going to make it, adding that these “no-shows” affect,  not only other patients who often have to wait up to four months for an appointment, but also cost the authorities thousands of euros every year to keep medical staff on duty.
“This is not a warning of any kind, just a polite request,” Miquel Tomas, general director of IB- Salut said yesterday.
“We need everyone’s collaboration on this. If someone cannot make their appointment for any reason just let us know so we can see other patients.”
This year, 80,000 scheduled appointments were canceled, representing 7.5 percent of the total, a figure health authorities are determined to reduce.