ALMOST 3,000 doctor’s appointments missed in a month in Thurrock?

Yes that’s right. In one month. Wow.

That’s almost 100 spurned appointments every single day!

In this day and age that is not acceptable. In any day and age that is not acceptable.

Now, in these ever-changing times, when we regularly hear and read about the pressures the NHS and doctors are under, I have to say I found this statistic rather disturbing.

Seriously, how selfish can people be? If you don’t need your doctor’s appointment, then pick up the phone (or you can email or text nowadays) and cancel it!

Give someone else a chance please.

When facts like this emerge it’s no wonder A&Es are buckling under the strain.

How many people are needlessly being driven to go to A&E because they can’t get a regular slot at their doctors just because someone else can’t be bothered to cancel theirs?

Doctors have now launched a campaign to highlight this unacceptable situation. And it has created some spiky debate with some who have spoken about the possibility of fining those who fail to cancel their appointments.

I, for one, am pretty sure if there was a £20 penalty waiting for those patients who can’t be bothered to cancel their slots we’d see these stats improve. And very quickly, I suspect.