THE number of people missing outpatient appointments has dropped by 35 per cent since the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduced its new telephone reminder service in August.
This equalled 260 appointments in the first week.
The service was extended yesterday, so patients with physiotherapy outpatient appointments at hospitals, surgeries and health centres across Wiltshire will also get the reminders.
Patients receive a text message or automated call around a week in advance, reminding them of the location, date and time of their appointment and asking them to confirm, cancel or rearrange.
The trust has sent out 21,596 text messages and made 25,433 automated telephone calls since a pilot was launched in April.
Last year, 39,871 patients missed their appointments, costing the trust more than £4m. Every missed appointment costs an average of £108.
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