In just four days and in just one local GP surgery a total of 206 patients failed to show up for their appointments.
The shocking statistic was shared by Banbridge Group Surgery as part of a collection of data to highlight to their patients the reasons for delays in some areas of service.
Data collected between October 6 and October 10 by the practice aimed to provide an element of transparency.
And taking those statistics and using some basic back of the envelope maths, those figures equates to the loss of just over four working days for a single GP doing back-to-back 10-minute appointments – with no break in an eight hour day.
Posting on social media, the surgery said it was “following colleagues in other GP practices” and they “wanted to reassure our patients that GP practices are working harder than ever to deliver services to those in our community”.
The post added: “We often receive questions around why it takes so long to process a repeat prescription, to get through on the phones or to get an appointment.
“Demand for GP services is higher than ever and all of our staff do their best to ensure our patients are well looked after.”
They shared the below infographic alongside their post.
“These figures don’t include the work carried out by our back office staff, such as processing requests for notes, legal reports, insurance reports, processing registrations for new patients and liaising with hospitals and other outside agencies such as nursing homes, district nursing teams etc.
“We would like to thank all of our patients, for your continued support.”
Related: ‘Unsustainable’ – Banbridge surgery among local GPs to end complex wound dressing for patients
