Patients with urgent hospital appointments are being asked to let their doctor know if they can’t attend.
South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group is asking people who are offered an urgent two-week wait appointment to say if they are unable to keep it.
This type of appointment is offered to patients showing symptoms that may be associated with cancer. Approximately nine in ten people in Lincolnshire will not have cancer diagnosed and the referral to a cancer specialist is to rule it out as quickly as possible.
On leaving the GP practice, patients will usually have had their appointment made. However, in some instances this may not be possible and the hospital will contact the patients with an appointment.
In these cases patients should inform the hospital as soon as possible if they are unable to attend so that the appointment can be offered to someone else. It is important that patients agree another date and time for their appointment at the same time.
Dr Miles Langdon, chair of NHS South Lincolnshire CCG, said: “It is important that patients who are referred for an urgent two-week wait appointment do attend. GPs can diagnose and treat many illnesses, however sometimes specialist advice is needed.
“If patients are going away on holiday they should inform their GP so the appointment made for them does not clash. If the appointment is being made directly with the hospital by the patient please ensure they are available to attend on the date given.”
