“It appears hospital administrators are failing to make appointments and then putting the blame on patients by saying they cancelled. If patients are recorded as ‘cancelled’ on more than two occasions, they have to start the referral process all over again.” The doctors’ union also warned that penalizing patients for missing appointments would undermine the “essential trust between doctor and patient” and worsen health inequalities.
“Charging patients would undermine trust between doctor and patient”
Dr Philip Banfield, the chairman of the BMA council, said the union had always “stood firmly against the idea of charging patients for missed appointments”. “Charging patients for missed appointments would not only undermine the essential trust between doctor and patient, but ultimately threaten the fundamental principle that the NHS provides free care at the point of need, for all,” he said. Dr Banfield added: “Financially penalizing patients inevitably affects the poorest and most vulnerable in the community. This can discourage them from re-booking, exacerbating already worsening health inequalities and costing the NHS more.” In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Sunak said: “If we have people not turning up and taking those slots away from people who need them, it’s not right. “I’m all for a health care system that’s free at the point of use, but not free at the point of misuse.” He added: “Yes, it means we have to do something brave and something different, but that’s what I want to do. I want to be a transformational prime minister.”
