Welshpool Medical Centre

PATIENT DID NOT ATTEND (DNA) RATES

Patients not attending for their appointment and not cancelling their appointment in advance, is a persistent challenge for Welshpool Medical Practice. 

Over a period of six months an average of 197 clinical appointments each month were wasted, as the expected patient booked into our system did not attend and did not let us know that they were not coming.

High patient did not attend rates waste valuable resources that are being provided locally; increase waiting times for other patients who are desperate to have an appointment and place an unnecessary strain on other areas of the National Health Service. 

We do understand why our patients might not attend and fail to let us know e.g. we are all capable of forgetting and unforeseen circumstances like illness, an emergency or transport issue can prevent attendance.

In advance of your clinical appointment, we continue to send out appointment text messaging reminder at a cost to the Practice and we ask that on the back of this if you are not able to attend please, please can you do one of the following things:-

1. On receiving the automated appointment reminder, press cancel if you do not want your Doctor, Nurse or Health Care Assistant appointment any more
2. Go onto our website and cancel your appointment
3. Ring into the practice and cancel your appointment

As we enter into another challenging year, please can we ask for your help to try and reduce our DNA (DID NOT ATTEND RATES). 

We thank you in advance for listening and your hopeful co-operation with this plea

Drs Russell, Aslam, Vibhishanan, Kelly, Kingham and Hirons

December 2024

Welshpool is our main surgery and holds the majority of our facilities although our branch surgery in Guilsfield has a well equipped consulting room. Both surgeries offer routine doctor’s appointments to patients within their respective area.

Both surgeries allow easy access for disabled patients.

Both surgeries have dispensaries where patients who live more than 1 mile away from a chemist can collect their medication.

There are some conditions which are better to be assessed and treated by other professionals in the community. For example, our staff may direct you to an Optician for urgent eye care issues, Dentist for any dentistry related problems or Pharmacist who are able to give free NHS advice and treatment for 27 common ailments such as back pain, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers and sore throats.

Often, these professionals can see you at an earlier time than waiting to be seen at the Surgery, or have specialist equipment that is not available at the Practice.

By signposting patients with certain conditions to other, more appropriate services, we hope to be able to provide better access to our services for those who need them.