Appointment reminder service to be expanded in Cwm Taf

Following the success of its free text reminder service in July Cwm Taf University Health Board is now launching a free voice reminder service to home telephones, to reduce the number of missed hospital appointments.

 

The equivalent of a capacity crowd at the Millennium Stadium failed to turn up for outpatient appointments in Cwm Taf hospitals last year, taking up 72,000 valuable slots that could be used for other patients.

 

The aim of the new service is to reduce the number of patients who do not attend by 30%. This would free up more than 21,000 appointments for patients who need them.

 

Providing a FREE message either by text to mobile phones or with a voice call to patients home phones seven days and then two days before reminds patients of the time and date of their booked appointment, as well as give them the opportunity to cancel or re-arrange.

 

Chris White, Director of Operations at Cwm Taf University Health Board, said:  “Those who don’t attend their appointments are not only delaying their own treatment but taking up a valuable appointment that someone else needs. The appointment reminder service will be of huge benefit to staff and patients and help us to make use of these wasted appointments.”