A WEST Cumbrian doctors' surgery has talked of the 'frustration' they experience with patients missing their appointments - after almost 80 people failed to make their appointments last week.

The Castlegate and Derwent Surgery in Cockermouth has asked patients who can no longer attend their appointments to inform the surgery if they are unable to attend appointments - after 79 people did not attend their appointments at the practice last week (October 21 to October 25).

The surgery has talked about the effect that no shows have on GP practices which are already suffering from 'less resource' and 'fewer staff' in general practice.

In the same week the surgery also highlighted a 'zero tolerance' policy it holds towards patients being aggressive and rude towards staff at the practice.

In a statement on social media the surgery said they were 'taking call after call of negativity, which is mentally draining for all' - saying that this kind of behaviour is 'directly affecting' team members in the surgery.

Dr Simon Desert, GP partner at Castlegate and Derwent Surgery said: "While funding for the NHS has fallen in real terms since 2010, this has been particularly acute in primary care.

"An ever greater proportion has been allocated to hospital care leaving fewer staff and less resource in general practices.

"Each GP looks after more patients now, so that there are fewer appointments per patient every year. It is particularly frustrating when patients waste their community’s resource by failing to attend a booked consultation or answer their phone for a requested call back.

"All at Castlegate and Derwent Surgery are trying to offer the best care possible and look out for the most vulnerable, so that it is particularly demoralising that we are sometimes subjected to abuse at work."

The surgery has asked patients to please let them know if they are unable to make their appointments, saying: "We appreciated that things crop up or you may not feel well enough to attend or take your call but we must remind you to cancel to allow another patient to take your place."

A report published earlier this year by the Lancashire and Cumbria Consortium of Local Medical Committees said that the financial pressures faced by GP surgeries in Cumbria is 'alarming’.

The surgery say it is easy to cancel an appointment:

  • By telephone 01900 705750 selecting the option for cancellation line.
  • Visit the website www.castlegateandderwentsurgery.nhs.uk and use Patient Triage sending us an admin query.
  • Use one of the online apps- NHS app, MyGP or Patient Access