Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a system to gather information on the cost to the NHS of missed appointments. [177633]

Dr Poulter, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health: The financial cost of missed appointments is very complex to calculate, for example resources wasted or time lost due to missed appointments can be offset by national health service staff using the time productively in other ways, such as seeing other patients. The cost of introducing a system to gather information would therefore be disproportionate. Locally, NHS organisations should be seeking to understand and address how best to achieve reductions in missed appointments in their areas.

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