Interesting Facts

According to a survey conducted by the Daily Mail, in the UK 61,000 patients a day miss their GP appointment. (The lost time costs the NHS over £300 million, which is equivalent to a year's work for 1,300 doctors. Some surgeries run a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy, whereby patients are removed from the list if they miss several appointments. It is a bit of a Catch 22 situation though; many surgeries are so overbooked they can only offer slots two weeks in advance, so often the appointment is missed because the patient is "feeling better".  But if they had the courtesy to pick up the phone and cancel the appointment, there may not be a 2 week queue.)

NHS hospitals in the UK are going to be ranked on the quality of their food. (I can see it now!  A GP recommends a patient goes into hospital, and the patient asks which one does the best lasagne.)

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average Brit visits their GP (general practitioner or doctor to you and me) 5 times a year. (I reckon they're lucky to get an appointment.  According to the Patients Association, 60 per cent of patients have to wait two days before they can get an appointment. 1 in 10 have to wait for 2 weeks!)