One in three physio appointments missed

Almost a third of patients are missing hospital physiotherapy appointments in parts of northern Lincolnshire, according to NHS figures.

The number of sessions not attended at Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby have risen from 5% to 30% over the last year.

NHS Humber Health Partnership said no shows were costing "tens of thousands of pounds".

People have been asked let hospitals know if their appointment was no longer needed.

In October, 136 musculoskeletal physiotherapy appointments for back, knee, shoulder and other joint pain and hand therapy sessions were missed.

The partnership said that meant 68 clinical hours were lost which could have been used to help other patients on waiting lists for treatment.

Hollie Iggleden, musculoskeletal clinical expert at Scunthorpe General Hospital, is carrying out research to discover why patients are failing to show up for appointments.

"Missing your appointment has a significant impact on the NHS," Iggleden said.

"Not only does this cost us money which could be used to fund patient care, staff's time is taken up waiting for someone who isn't going to show up when they could be helping someone else.

"That time could have been used to see other patients, reducing the length of time people living in pain or are in desperate need of treatment are spending on waiting lists."

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