Recently, a record number of patients who skipped their doctor’s appointment was set at the country’s "main" hospital.
To reduce the long waiting times for doctors or examinations, medical professionals urge patients to take their commitment to attend appointments more seriously. One or two patients who do not show up for a confirmed outpatient visit are a common occurrence in hospitals. The "black record" at Stradins Hospital: one doctor had five no-shows out of 13. Some medical professionals are so fed up with this irresponsibility that they have refused to see patients whose visits are paid for by the National Health Service (NHS). They only see patients under private appointments. This issue was reported today by Latvian TV.
Despair, helplessness, and finally – anger. Gastroenterologist Judite Luksha described how she felt on the day when a record number of patients did not show up:
"The day of despair consisted of a total booking of 13 patients, and a whole five did not come. Essentially, I sit for half a day. Waiting. And I don’t know if they are just late or if they will show up at all. Because there was no warning. This time is used meaninglessly."
The wait for a doctor's visit is long. As soon as the booking opens for the next six months, it fills up quickly.
The Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital asks patients to confirm their attendance two days before the visit.
On the day, 1500 automated calls are made, and about 60% confirm that they will see the doctor. Attempts are made to reach the others personally. Only 5% say they will not come. The rest remain uncertain.
"That’s why we call two days prior and double-check. Because in those two days, we can still invite someone else, as there are plenty of people waiting in line!" - said Dzinta Klavina, head of the information and customer service department at PSKUS.
The contract with the National Health Service stipulates that doctors are only paid for the work performed. No-shows result in losses.
"The doctor has downtime, the equipment is idle, the nurse is not busy, the registration desk is not busy. But then there is work to do. Because there is a contract with the NHS, and we must fulfill that volume. And the entire calendar has to be rescheduled," Klavina explained. "The patient also needs to take responsibility. It’s my responsibility why I didn’t go to the doctor."
When a patient does not show up, the doctor notes it. Often, if there is a subsequent requirement against the doctor, for example, to the Health Inspectorate, this no-show works against the patient.
Moreover, more and more doctors are switching to private services for this reason.
"If several patients do not show up and this happens for years, then one day they say – stop. And they refuse to see patients at the expense of the state," Klavina said.
The issue of no-shows in Scandinavia is resolved simply. If a patient does not show up for a scheduled visit, they must cover the costs. In Latvia, such a punitive mechanism was once considered, but then the idea was abandoned. Doctors, however, often talk about mutual sensitivity – if you manage to get a service elsewhere, give your spot to someone who really needs it.
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